BE Exec 2010 BU Job stops/ hangs w/o error messages

[Frank_Kabiersch]

Hello Forum,

after the upgrade from 12.5 to 2010 I have begun experiencing the following errors:

The full backup jobs all stop after about the same amount of data written (44.286.655.293 byte). The job log says it's currently backing up a file on a Windws 2003 (x64) Server (our file server) named: "c:\wmpub\wmiislog" (wmiislog being an empty folder). Trying to cancel the job ends up in the job being in the status of "waiting to be cancelled" forever.

The next thing I do is stop all buexec-services, then reboot the device (DELL TL-2000) and then do a new inventory to find my tape empty.

I have tried reinstalling the remote agent on the x64 Server but to no success. I also have tried erasing the tape (LTO4). I hope anyone can help me with this issue soon, as by now I have no valid backups available other than volume shadow copies.

Thank you in advance!
Frank

[pkh]

Have you tried excluding c:\wmpub\wmiislog folder and then doing the backup?

[Dev_T]

Hello,

Create a dummy Text file in the folder and back it up.

Hope this helps.....

[Frank_Kabiersch]

Thanks for you replies so far.

I have excluded the formentioned file from the backup and now it hangs on a different one (same server though).
The only thing in common is that the backups stops @ about 44 GB again.
I will now try a different tape and then return to this topic with my news.

Frank

[Frank_Kabiersch]

I have now used a different tape and the backup hangs at 44GB again. I have received no error messages so far.
As I had excluded the thought faulty folder c:\wmpum\wmiislog before, it's now c:\windows\Wxsx that shows up last in the jobreport.

Cancelling the whole job is still only possible by stopping all BE Services, then rebooting the TL-2000 and then moving the tape from the drive to the magazine by using the webinterface or even the buttons right on the machine.

Any ideas for further troubleshooting are highly appreciated!

TIA
Frank

[pkh]

If you backup less than 44GB, does the backup job complete successfully?

[Frank_Kabiersch]

I tried backing up only the C: drive of my fileserver now (Win2K3SRV x64) and it stopped after 5GB at the same old folder called c:\wmpub\wmiislog again. The 44GB from my above posts came from other ressources (servers) that had been scheduled for backup and had been backed before reaching the faulty(?) folder.

In a second attempt I excluded c:\wmpub\wmiislog from the backup and now hang on a folder called c:\windows\wxsx (which has also happend before).

I still need to go through "the same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie" in order to get the drive to work again. This would be:

1. Cancelling the backup jop => it will then get stuck in the "pending to be cancelled" state forever
2. stopping all BE services
3. rebooting the lib (DELL TL-2000)
4. moving the cartridge from the drive (web-interface or console of TL-2000)
5. starting all BE services on the BE server

I will now exclude bothe folders from backup, but I believe this will go on with a third folder  ... and so on ...

Frank

[pkh]

Was this tape library working when you are using BE 12.5?

[Frank_Kabiersch]

Yes, it has been working fine and has been writing Backups greater than 1.2 TB every week, before the sw-update to BE 2010.
I am trying to backup a different server (Win2K3SRV x86) now ...

[pkh]

After upgrading to BE 2010, did you re-install the Symantec drivers for the library and tape drive?

[Frank_Kabiersch]

BU of the 32 bit Server is successful.

Is there probably anything special to know about backing up a 64-bit Windows System? A special version of remote agent or something?

[Frank_Kabiersch]

No, I haven't done so. Have NOT reinstalled any drivers. I did have reinstalled the renmote agent on the server that has the faulty backups, though.

[Frank_Kabiersch]

Udpated drivers to 6.1.8.0 and to 6.1.8.9 where possible:

IBM ULT 3580 => 6.1.8.0
IBM Total Storage 3573 Tape Library: 6.1.8.9
Changer Bus enumerator => 6.1.8.9
Tape Bus Enumerator => 6.1.8.0

Then I tested backing up said server again, but to no success.
The old problem persists.

[pkh]

How did you update the drivers?  Did you go to Tools --> Wizards ---> Device Configuration Wizard to do so?

If not, then

1) re-install the Symantec drives by going to Tools --> Wizards ---> Device Configuration Wizard

2) power down the tape library and the server

3) power up the tape library and then the server

4) in the Windows Device Manager, check that the library is listed as an Unknown Medium Changer and the driver of the tape drive is Symantec.

After this, try your backup again.

[Frank_Kabiersch]

As for now I am left with a total unusable device. :(

I tried to reinstall drivers as described in the 4 steps above. None of the two devices (neither changer nor the tape drive) is listed as a Symantec device. If they are listed at all, I find them as IBM devices. The changer's driver can't be initialized, so it remains with the yellow "! sign in device manager.
BE now notes a license corruption, as no license for a tape drive was installed (I never changed any licensing around, though ...). So I think this comes from the missing changer.  If there are any more helpful hints, they'd be really appreciated.

[pkh]

I am using a HP library and it shows up in the Device Manager as an Unknown Medium Changer with a Microsoft driver.   Only my tape drive shows up as a HP device with a Symantec driver.

Is your tape drive o.k. and is it using a Symantec driver?

Try re-installing the IBM driver for your tape library.

[Frank_Kabiersch]

I now managed to go back to the 6.1.8.0 drivers which do work. I created a new backup which excluded drive c:\ of my fileserver. It worked well until it reached the DELL Utility Partition on the fileserver (which I forgot to exclude, of course). Now it has stopped at this partition. I am pretty sure that we are not experiencing a driver problem here as my other serers are being backed up properly. I have already reinstalled the remote agent on the fileserver, not using the push-install, but copying the files locally and experiencing no error messages ion installing and running the remote agent so far. Is there anything ele I can try? Any tools that can be used? I'm about to uninstall the whole application and go back to BE 12.5 as I have no valid backup of the past four weeks now.

[pkh]

This is a long shot, but are you using the same tapes for all these failed backups?  How about trying some other tapes or new tapes?

[Frank_Kabiersch]

Thank you for so much patience, pkh!

As mentioned (way) above, I have tried using different tapes and have successful backups with all other servers but the Win2K3, x64 fileserver.
The thing that really puzzles me is that there is no error message (i.e. there's probably no error?) and the BU just stops ...