Autoloader Offline after Microsoft Patches

[568303256]

Dell 122T/DLT connect to PowerEdge 2650 running Windows 2003 Standard and Veritas 9.1 Rev 4691

Last month when applying the usual patches the autoloader went offline and I had to uninstall and re-install the drivers to regain it. This weekend I did the next batch of patches and the same thing happened, except I cannot get the 122T to be online again no matter what I do. I can use the VS640 drive internally as a standalone drive, but not as an autoloader. I have tried everything in the Veritas KB including recovering the Veritas database prior to the patches. Anyone got any ideas?

[Sharvari_Deshmu]

Hello,

Please let us know what drivers are currently installed for the device

As the device is being shown offline please check whether the autoloader is "tested" in the list below, if yes then please install latest veritas drivers from the link below:
http://support.veritas.com/docs/271383

VERITAS Backup Exec (tm) 9.1 - Device Driver Installer (20050115) - Includes Tape Driver Release (20041231) and Robotic Library Release (45) (Intel Only) http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/273853.htm

If not tested then please install latest manufacturers and then verify the result.

Also please verify the device configuration with the help the technote below:

How to troubleshoot issues with a Robotic Library or Tape Drive in Backup Exec 9.x and 10.0

http://support.veritas.com/docs/255501


NOTE : If we do not receive your intimation within two business days, this post would be "assumed answered" and archived.

Thanks,Message was edited by:
sharvari

[568303256]

Thank you for the information. Unfortunately, I tried all of that already before posting to the forum and, yes, my unit is on the "tested" list -- we would not have bought it oherwise. I did not load the latest Veritas driver since the latest driver indicates updates for several units, none of which are mine so I felt the driver update was not germane. I will do that anyway but at this point I don't think that is the answer.

[Jeff_Buddington]

I can't quote a Veritas Document ID, but does Removable Storage Manager in Windows have access to the device?

Are the drivers being replaced by Windows when you patch? Does the device show up in Device Manager?

[568303256]

Removeable Storage Manager must be disabled in this case, and it is. Maddeningly, everything shows up as installed, functioning, OkeyDokey, etc. The drivers are Veritas, not Microsoft, and the installed patches both this month and last, mainly addressed security issues in IE. No drivers have been changed since last December. Which really sucks since nobody uses IE on my servers anyway so I could have avoided this by just not doing the (unnecessary) patches.
I will install the latest Veritas drivers tonight, but the docs say they address newer loaders of which mine is not one, so I think it is a wild goose chase. But I have nothing to lose at this point. Very strange that everything should report "OK" and yet still be "offline". Oh, and yes, the devices show up in device manager. (We also have a pair of standalone DLT Dell drives which are working perfectly.)

[568303256]

If you uninstall the drivers and re-installl them enough times, eventually they "take". This morning I did the whole routine once again and this time the autoloader came online. Don't know why but I'll take it any way I can get it.
Case closed.