BE can't see StorageLoader's 8th slot

[Gundagai]

Backup Exec 2014 is being used in conjunction with a Tandberg 7813 StorageLoader robotic tape drive (LTO5).  This unit has 8 slots.  All has been working satisfactorily for some time, but now BE cannot see the last slot (#8) in the robotic unit.  The Tandberg web software shows the slot operational and holding a tape, but BE cannot see it and reports only 7 slots.

No slot is marked as a cleaning slot or mail slot.

I have done a repair installation on the BE software; a scan and inventory on the device, a full reinstall of the device drivers, all to no effect.

The Knowledgebase doesn't have anything helpful.  Can anyone suggest a fix other than a complete reinstall?

[CraigV]

Hi,

Remove the library from BE and Windows and reinstall it after a server reboot. Make sure the robotics shows up as "Unknown medium changer", and that you're using the SYmantec drivers for the drive.

Thanks!

[Gundagai]

No luck.  I removed the robotic device and the tape drive (using the big red X in the storage window) then shut down services, removed the windows tape drive and media device, rebooted the server, checked that the 'unknown media changer' was listed, used BE to install Symantec tape drivers, rebooted, did an inventory, and I still only have 7 slots.

[A side problem with this is that you have to manually retarget all the jobs to put them back on the device, unless there a way to do it as a batch?]

Maybe I'll learn to manage with 7 slots!

[pkh]

Mailslots are not marked in BE.  You got to access the library using its Web interface and check.

If you are using partitions, try removing them and see.

[Gundagai]

No mailslots and no partitions.

If I have a spare few hours, I'll reinstall everything and import the database backup.

[pkh]

Did you configure the library to do automatic cleaning? This means that one slot needs to be used as a cleaning slot and BE will not be able to see it

[Gundagai]

I'm not sure in BE 2014 that you need to do anything to configure the library to do automatic cleaning.  As I understand it, if a slot is marked as a cleaning slot, then in the event that the tape drive sends an alert that it needs cleaning, BE performs a clean. 

However, as I noted above, no slot is (or was) designated as a cleaning slot, and none of the recognized slots has a cleaning tape in it so BE would be unable to automatically do anything.

[pkh]

There are two ways to configure automatic cleaning, on the library itself or using BE.  If it is the former, then BE would not see the cleaning slot.  Check your library's user manual.

[Gundagai]

The library is not configured for automatic cleaning, no library slot is configured as a cleaning slot, and the library web interface continues to see all 8 slots.  Nothing about the library configuration has changed since BE was able to see all 8 slots.  I'm still looking for a solution to this issue, which I believe is with Backup Exec, not anything else.

[pkh]

Is the library properly licenced for all its slots?

[Gundagai]

Yes, it is.  There have been no changes to the licensing or hardware setup since everything was working.

[Larry_Fine]

can you post your adamm.log file?

specifically interested in this part:

                     1st Slot Number         1
                     Number Of Slots         44
                     Portal Slots            3
                     Import/Export           Robotic
                     Drives                  4

[Gundagai]

Larry: fascinating reading!  This is an extract from the file which shows two sequences, one where it was working (and reports 8 slots) and the most recent, which shows 7.  The only other difference I could see in all of this was the drive (not the mediachanger) is listed as 1 and then 2 (somebody at one stage suggested removing it and restoring), but everything else looks the same.

Kevin

[Larry_Fine]

Try stopping BE services, then open a command prompt in the BE install directory, then run discover.exe.  Look for the changer section (ByName: MediumChanger), then look for your library (mediumchanger0), then look for the line starting with STE.  The number after it is the number of slots. 

That will tell you the number of slots that the library ius currently reporting, without any involvement from BE or the BE database.  If htat number is 7, then focus on the library or it's configuration, as it is not a BE issue.  If that number is 8, then focus on BE or the BE database, maybe opening a BE support case.

[Larry_Fine]

0002:0000:0000:0001  Device Name             "\\.\MediumChanger0"
                     Primary Inquiry         "TANDBERGStorageLoader   0495"
                     Serial Number           "TANDBERGStorageLoader   AA35NA015883"
                     Device Flags            UMD, SCSI, SN(TYPE 0), SN(ELEMENT)
                     Device State            3, Online

                     Device IDs              1010, {9E270076-1B90-4152-AEDC-7ABB363B634A}
                     Device Name             "Robotic library 0001"
                     Device Type             2131755008, "CHANGER FS=1"
                     Device Features         0x00006004: IBE,RMP,RRD
                     1st Slot Number         1
                     Number Of Slots         7
                     Portal Slots            0
                     Import/Export           Manual
                     Drives                  1

                     Drive Element 0         1009, "HP      Ultrium 5-SCSI  HU1219NBV2"

That is weird.  The number of slots number is provided by the library and BE simply uses it.  Normally the step that Craig mentioned in the first reply is all that is needed to get BE to rediscover any changed hardware or changed configurations.  Is there a chance that the library and tape drive didn't really get disabled and deleted?

[Gundagai]

It's been busy all day doing a monster backup, so I've only just been able to get at it.  I stopped the services and ran discover.exe; the log is attached and shows 7 slots in the STE line.  Then I went to the Storageloader's web interface and it showed me all 8 slots, identified the tape in slot 8 correctly, and let me move it to the drive and back.  Its own log (also attached) says that there are 8 slots.

Will removing the device again do any good, do you think, or is it just going to use the discover program and call 7 slots?  I'm loth to take it out again simply because I'll have to manually reset all the backup jobs to the new device once it's back.

As I've said before, I think the nuclear option is to zap everything and start from scratch, importing a database backup.  I can do that, but it'll take a few hours, I suspect!  Meanwhile, the seven slots I have are working just fine.  I'll report back afterwards.

K

[Gundagai · Accepted solution]

Now I need a large glass of Scotch.  I mentioned above that it had been doing a huge backup (all weekend and most of today) so I needed to change tapes.  I ejected both magazines, but on a hunch decided to shut down the storageloader and take the power out of it while I was switching tapes (five minutes).  I then gave it power, replaced its magazines and did a scan in Backup Exec.  Lo and behold, I have 8 slots!

I know for a fact that I've previously cycled the power on the Storageloader, so this may just be coincidence.  I've also previously removed the magazines and checked the tape in slot 8, all to no effect.

So I suppose this is a solution, but I'm not exactly sure why!