Forum Discussion

ksdst1's avatar
ksdst1
Level 5
8 years ago

Invalid Physical Volume Library Media Identifier

Hello, I have W2008R2, BEX 2012 doing duplicate backup to tapes at the end of each month.  I tried to do a restore from these backupsets (Dec, Nov, Oct, Sept) and got the "0xe0008105 Invalid Physica...
2012
Restore
tape
Windows Server (2003/2008)
Windows Server 2008
  • pkh's avatar
    pkh
    8 years ago

    For stand-alone tape drives, when you catalog or restore a backup set of tapes, the sequence is supposed to go like this

    1) Put in the first tape in the backup set, inventory and then restore.

    2) After the first tape, you would be prompted for the second tape in the backup set.  After you put in the required tape and reply to the prompt, BE will automatically read the tape label to confirm that it is the required.  If it is, the job will continue.  Otherwise, BE will prompt you again to put in the correct tape.

    3) Step 2 is repeated for each subsequent tape in the backup set.

    I can't remember whether a catalog job will prompt you for the subsequent tapes, or you are supposed to know the sequence of tapes.  I moved to a tape library when my jobs started to span tapes.  This is something that you should seriously consider since your backup job requires 5 tapes.

    Your error message indicates that BE cannot find the required media.  It could be that the media is bad/missing, bad tape drive or there is a bug.  This is why I asked you to catalog the tapes individually to rule out bad tapes.

    As to why you are facing the problem only now, not all problems manifest themselves to everybody at the same time.  Each depends on the right set of circumstances.

    You should also seriously consider upgrading to the latest version which is BE 16.  BE 2012 will EOL in May.

     

pkh's avatar
pkh
Moderator
8 years ago

Try to catalog the second tape in the backup sets with the catalog in sequence option turned off.  If these also failed, then there is a possibility that all these tapes are bad.

Also, try putting all the tapes in the backup set into the tape tape library when you are doing the catalog job.

  • ksdst1's avatar
    ksdst1
    Level 5
    8 years ago

    Hi...I have a single tape LTO 4 unit so no physical library.  I tried the first tape with "cataloge in sequence turned off" and got the same error.  

    Please explain why the initial duplicate to tape job can finish without errors, cataloguing the first tape in the backup set works, but not the other tapes?  

    In veritas article 000021147 it states   "To resolve this issue and receive the new Backup Exec improvements please upgrade to the current version of Backup Exec." What was fixed in a more current version that is causing this problme in v2012 (and it started for me in Sept 2016)?  

    Is there a way to create the tape backup set and verify it (5 LTO4 tapes) before running the job to make sure they are inventoried first?

    Thanks 

    • pkh's avatar
      pkh
      Moderator
      8 years ago

      For stand-alone tape drives, when you catalog or restore a backup set of tapes, the sequence is supposed to go like this

      1) Put in the first tape in the backup set, inventory and then restore.

      2) After the first tape, you would be prompted for the second tape in the backup set.  After you put in the required tape and reply to the prompt, BE will automatically read the tape label to confirm that it is the required.  If it is, the job will continue.  Otherwise, BE will prompt you again to put in the correct tape.

      3) Step 2 is repeated for each subsequent tape in the backup set.

      I can't remember whether a catalog job will prompt you for the subsequent tapes, or you are supposed to know the sequence of tapes.  I moved to a tape library when my jobs started to span tapes.  This is something that you should seriously consider since your backup job requires 5 tapes.

      Your error message indicates that BE cannot find the required media.  It could be that the media is bad/missing, bad tape drive or there is a bug.  This is why I asked you to catalog the tapes individually to rule out bad tapes.

      As to why you are facing the problem only now, not all problems manifest themselves to everybody at the same time.  Each depends on the right set of circumstances.

      You should also seriously consider upgrading to the latest version which is BE 16.  BE 2012 will EOL in May.

       

      • ksdst1's avatar
        ksdst1
        Level 5
        8 years ago

        Hi all...just able to reply now.  The backup errors seemed to hinge on a bad drive in my backup array.  For the catalog issue, I did as advised in that Iinventoried the first tape and then the last and worked backwards.

        Thanks..