BE 12.5 - Cannot clean drive - Invalid element address

[murrake]

Hello,

    I've done my best to search before posting.  I have an existing system that I've used for quite some time with no problems.  I recently switched from LTO3 tapes to LTO4 tapes in this system and have had no problem backing up to the new tapes at all.  I am unable, however, to clean the tape drive.  I get the following error:"The job failed with the following error: Library error - invalid element address."  I wouldn't think the tape type would have anything to do with this problem - the drive can go a fair amount of time between cleanings, so it could be something else. 

   I should also mention that I have an identical system with identical patch status that does not have this problem.  So I would suspect it's not a bad patch etc.

  Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Ken

[AmolB]

Refer to http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH59712
 

[I_T_Guy · Accepted solution]

Apart from the suggestion given by AmolZeroCool , try following.

1. Try using a new cleaning tape.

2. Try using the existing cleaning tape in your other system which you mentioned is working fine.

3. go to Media Tab, go to Online Media and move the cleaning tape to retired media set.

4. remove the cleaning tape entry from the retired media by right clicking and deleting it.

5. Restart all BE services and try running a cleaning job.

[CraigV]

...stupid question, but what tape drive are you using now, and what were you using before...?

[murrake]

Sorry for the late reply, I was off for a couple of days...

AmolZeroCool, I did find that tech document that you linked in your reply.  The only thing is that I CAN backup, inventory, scan - everything except clean the drive.  I'm hesitent to remove and replace drivers that seem to provide the correct communication between BE and the library.  I will keep this as my last resort, however.

I will try your second response shortly and report the results - I did try a new cleaning tape, as well as the cleaning tape from the other system.  Both acted the same - BUT - the cleaning tape that's causing the problems has a CLN barcode on it.  My new cleaning tapes AND the one from the other system DO NOT have a barcode labels on them.  I don't seem to have any cleaning tape bar code labels to put on either.  So your setops 3-5 may prove profitable if the system continues to think that the bad cleaning tape hasn't been replaced due to the lack of barcodes on the replacements, retiring it may be the key.

CraigV - I've got TL2000 tape libraries on both backup systems which I've been using for 2-3 years now.

Trying to catch up from my exended weekend, will report back today with results...

THANKS!

[murrake]

OK, results!  So BE 12.5 certainly had a problem with the old cleaning tape.. It wouldn't allow me to move it to Retired Media, but it would let me delete it from the Cleaning Media media set.  It still, however, wouldn't clear the tape from slot 23.  And it wouldn't clean with a new cleaning tape in slot 23.  I then put one of my new cleaning tapes (without the barcode) in another slot and designated that a cleaning slot in BE.  It cleaned successfully!  BE still wouldn't release slot 23 and still showed the previous cleaning tape in the drive.  I put a regular backup tape in that slot and after a restart of the services and a scan, it registered the scratch media in slot 23.  Although it appears you can clean without the barcode, I've got barcodes on order as it was cerntainly a BE logical issue and not an issue with drivers/communication etc.

Thanks I_T_Guy for your input, I hope this thread helps someone in the future.

-Regards!

[pkh]

You can easily do your own barcode labels.  See my article

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/using-barcode-labels-why-and-how

I would suggest that you make a barcode label for your cleaning tape if you are using barcode labels for the rest of your tapes.  I had problems when I tried to use a mix of barcode and non-barcode labeled tapes in my library.