Media detected as cleaning media when using robotic library

I have such problem on IBM TotalStorage 3582-23L. Firmware installed latest (307b). Latest drivers (6.1.2.30) from IBM correcly recognise 2 Ultrium -2 and unhappy "Unknown Autoloader". After using Veritas drivers all hardware in BE 10d SP1 look fine....but i put tape in slot, BE reading correctly barcode, inserting in appropriate slot. I selecting type of media - LTO (question for tech support - WHY you in predefined type of media dont include LTO2 and LTO3?????), putting in media set.... When backup job starting, media in drive after 20 minutes changing on "cleaning media" and i canceled job. So i dont know how i can solve this problem.....

Hi Chris,

Please update us on the issue and revert for any further Query


Thank you
Gauri


NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked "assumed answered" and would be moved to "answered questions" pool.

I just had an interesting case of a backup media misleadingly labeled as a cleaning media:

While backing up a server directly to the tape the connection was lost. The backup job failed, as it should be, but the tape was labelled as a cleaning media afterwards.
The following jobs, of course, started a new tape and went on without any problem.

As I usually do, I just deleted the tape from the 'cleaning media' set and clicked on 'scan' and it is a backup medium with a bit of space left on it again.

greetings
Peter

P.S.: for the Veritas/Symantec people: I'm just telling my experience and not seeking for support (this time), so give us a break from asking about details.

Tired of non-helpful tech support? I have yet to gain any helpful/useful information from the Symantec/Veritas techs. They want to move as many topics to the "answered" section as possible. The "two-day, automatically assumed answered" policy is absurd, in my opinion.

For these reasons, I have started a new backup exec group at google.

If you're interested, please check it out, and spread the word if you like it.

http://groups.google.com/group/backupexec

Owen

I have the same device as you do and my problem was the cleaning slot sometimes rotates around the library. Make sure you do not have an automatic cleaning job sceduled on the Exabyte VX2 itself. Also make sure the device is operating in random mode as well. When I had these two items changed, my device did crazy things as well.

First, understand why the tape gets marked as cleaning media... When the tape is loaded in the tape drive, Backup Exec expects the tape header to be read and returned. In some cases, the tape is loaded in the drive, the drive does not report any errors, no OS hardware errors are reported but nothing ever comes back from the drive about the tape header information. In these cases, Backup Exec then reports the tape as cleaning media. The three most common reasons for this occurring are:

1) There is a media compatibility or readability problem where the drive just can't read the tape (remember, the drive doesn't report any errors, but just can't read the tape).
2) There are 2 or more tape drives in the library and the SCSI order does not agree with the driver element address order the library is configured with. In these cases, a tape is loaded in drive A and Backup Exec is communicating with and waiting for a label from Drive B. See the admin manual section 'Configuring multi drive libraries.
3) Communication problems with the library. Driver, firmware, SCSI controller/hardware issues prevent proper communication with the device.

I know I didn't give you the 'fix' for the problem but hopefully understanding it better can help.
Russ

Hello,


- Could you please update us on the issue....




NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked assumed answered
and would be moved to answered questions pool.

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1) I'm using the VXA media I purchased with the drive and it's not very old (6 months). The library tools from Exabyte shows everything is working fine.

2) There is only one tape drive and library and this is the only item connected to the card. I recently reviewed some SCSI card and configuration settings and made some helpful changes according to BackupExec and Exabyte.

3) I have the latest firmware for all the devices and I am using the latest Symantec device drivers, somethat that was suggested to resolve an offline media issue and it hasn't helped that problem either.

Any suggestions to my responses ?

Hello Chris,




- Could you please update us on the issue....




NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked assumed answered
and would be moved to answered questions pool.

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