0xe00084ca data inconsistency errors on LTO-3 autoloader with BE 10d

[Bob_Peitzke]

On this new ProLiant DL380-G4 server running BackupExec 10d on Windows Server 2003 Std Ed, with an HP StorageWorks 1/8 Autoloader with Ultrium 960 / LTO-3 drive, we have started running backups of the 69 GB information store on our Exchange 2000 server, which of course has the BE 10d remote agent. The backups write all data, but are getting 0xe00084ca errors in the verify phase on info store. The app event log shows a 57612, "a format inconsistency was encountered during a tape read operation on device "HP 2".". This is followed by a 34113 event, "Job Failed ... The data being read from the media is inconsistent".

When I first set this up, I had gone into the device properties of the LTO-3 drive in the autoloader, turned off "Write single block mode" and "Write SCSI pass-through mode", and set the block size and (inadvertently) buffer size to 64K. I just noticed the buffer size and recalling that it should be twice the block size, set it to 128K. I hope this will enable our jobs to verify OK. We've read KB article #273455, and have done a quick erase on all tapes in the autoloader. This drive and all the tapes are brand new.

The driver on this LTO-3 drive is HP, 9/15/2004, V1.0.3.1. Is this OK, or should we use a Veritas driver? If so, could I just load that via tapeinst.exe?

Do you think increasing the buffer size will cure this problem, or are there other things we should look at, other than what was suggested in 273455?

Thank you for any advice.

[Swati_Joshi]

Hi Bob!

Have you disabled "Removable Storage Manager Service"?

DO you get any errors with the event ids 7,9,11 or 15 in the Application or System log ?

Have you followed the steps mentioned in the technote: 273455?

Please do revert back on this.

Thanks and regards,

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.

[simon_Heyward]

Bob

I did all of what you did bob but I fixed it as below.

I was getting this error with Veritas on a new server. After 1 day and 1/2 I forced the autoloader to 80mbs scsi speed and it all started working fine. I think the HP SCSI card is not as good as the ones in the IBM X345 servers.

Worth a try any way.

Best regards

Simon

[Bob_Peitzke]

Hi, Swati,

>>Have you disabled "Removable Storage Manager Service"?<<

No, but it is set to manual startup mode, and is not started.

>>DO you get any errors with the event ids 7,9,11 or 15 in the Application or System log ?<<

I saw four symmpi 11 events in the system log, last night, two at 5:17pm & two at 5:43pm. These times did not correspond with the backup job or the restore attempts, both of which were hours earlier. I think one of my colleagues was erasing some tapes at that time.

>>Have you followed the steps mentioned in the technote: 273455?<<

Not all of them. Remember, the autoloader and all our tapes are brand new. I did check the properties on all the media we've used so far, and found no hard read or write errors (only one soft read error on one tape).

Last night's jobs did complete OK with no errors, so maybe the buffer size increase solved our problem.

Regards,

- Bob

[Bob_Peitzke]

Last night's remote backup of the Exchange storage group also completed OK, with only the fairly common "AOFO unable to get minimum quiet time" exception. Verify did not get any errors. That's two consecutive good backups. I'm going to conclude that setting the appropriate buffer size (double the 64K block size) was the cure.

Thanks for all suggestions.

Regards,

- Bob

[Werner_Balduk]

We have a Overland Neo 8000 tape library with 2 HP LTO3 tape drives and BackupExec 10d on a Windows 2003 server (enterprise version).
I also changed the tapedrive buffer size to 128k and turned off the 'write single block mode' and 'write scsi pass through mode' options.
Although there is a small performance increase when running backupjobs, the problem with the 'The data being read from the media is inconsistent' error still exists.
I configured BackupExec to try jobs 3 times in case of a error.
When trying the same job for the second or third time, in most cases it completes succesfully.
Do you have any other suggestions on this problem ? (hotfix, driver update?)
What are the optimal drive parameters for a HP LTO3 tapedrive when using BackupExec 10d ?

Best regards,
Werner Balduk

[Sharvari_Deshmu]

Hello,

As already mentioned Please check for any event id 9 or 11 if there any event is please contact hardware manufacturer for more details on this
Please see the microsoft KB article on this:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q154690

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.

[Bob_Peitzke]

Hi, Werner,

>>Do you have any other suggestions on this problem ? (hotfix, driver update?)<<

Make sure you are using the Veritas driver. Ours had been reverted to the HP driver when we did a warranty replacement of the autoloader. I haven't had any errors since reinstalling the Veritas driver.

>>What are the optimal drive parameters for a HP LTO3 tapedrive when using BackupExec 10d ?<<

That's what I've been trying to find out. I haven't been able to get a definitive statement on that, from anyone in Veritas or HP.I'm using:

- Block size = 64K
- Buffer size = 128K
- Buffer count = 10
- High water count = 0
- Read & write single block mode = OFF
- Read & write SCSI pass-through mode = OFF

Good luck.

Regards,

- Bob

[Bob_Peitzke]

Hi, Sharvari,

I've read that article. We are not getting any event errors now.

I would still like to know the optimum device config settings for this LTO-3 drive.

Thanks.

Regards,

- Bob

[Werner_Balduk]

Hello Sharvari,

I checked for the events as mentioned in the Microsoft article.
We are not getting any of these events.

Regards,

Werner

[Werner_Balduk]

Hello Bob,

I checked our HP LTO3 tape drive settings again.
Our tape drive settings are exactly the same as in your configuration.
I'am also curious about a Symantec advice for the optimal settings for this tape drive.

I also checked the tape driver version.
At the moment it is the Veritas driver version 5.1.1.1 (05-01-2005)

What is the Veritas version are you using at this moment ?

Regards,

Werner