BES12.5 / Server 2008 x86 / Tandberg LTO2 HH / Backup Job requests 2nd Tape after only 134GB

[Florian_S__Korn]

Hello,

I m running BES 12.5 on a Windows Server 2008 RTM x86 with an external (SCSI) Tandberg LTO 2 HH Tape Drive (200GB/400GB).
   My data backup is about 140 GB and should be backed  up on one tape. The LTO 2 Tapes got a capacity of 200GB (uncompressed).

Everything worked fine, but since 4weeks i ve got the problem that my backup job requests a second tape after 134GB?!
   The BES 12.5 is pateched and the newest tape driver are installed and loaded in backup exec.

I configured the same backup job with a backu to disk folder, and the backup went trough without any problem.

I bought new tapes, but this also changed nothing.

Why does a backup job requests for a second tape when it has loaded tapes with enough capacitiy?

Does anyone experienced the same problem.

best regard, Florian

[AmolB]

Hi Florian 

Your backup job is configured to overwrite or append ? 

Is there are any media set associated with the tapes with an  Overwrite Protection Period ?

[Florian_S__Korn]

hi amol,

thanks for your reply.

- The Job is configured to override.
- there is no overwrite protection period configured

regeards florian
 

[sksujeet]

So the jobs are set to overwrite, in that case it should write atleast 200gb on the tape considering without compression. Please check below things to isolate the issue.

1> you are using lto 2 tapes, make sure you are using the same drive as well(lto2 drive)
2> In the device tabe what is the capacity it is showing for the tape.
3> I have seen this behaviour couple of times and sometimes cleaning the drive resolved it
4> Try using the software utility of your drive and write as much as data you can from it., it will tell us if the problem is with the drive or not.

[Florian_S__Korn]

Hi Sazz,
thanks for your reply.
The Tape Device hast he Capacity, i backed up more than 134GB to one tape some weeks ago. I also took  the cleaning cartridge to clean the drive and also bought new tapes.
So here ist he Drive Configuration:





best regards, Florian

[Florian_S__Korn]

The same job configured as backup to disk runs trough, so it must be a tape config. think, i guess.
   flo

[pkh]

Check your job log and let us know what it says about encryption and compression.  For example, it might say  encryption : hardware and compression : software

[Florian_S__Korn]

I gonna check it and let you know.

[Florian_S__Korn]

Auftragstyp - Sichern
Sicherungsoptionen Medienvorgang - Überschreiben. Komprimierungstyp: Hardware [falls vorhanden, sonst Software] Verschlüsselungstyp: Keine

 The job log says:

I gonna translate it for you:

Compressiontype: Hardware [if not possible, software instead]
Encryptiontype: None

So it has nothing to do with Compression or Encryption.

regards, Florian

[Florian_S__Korn]

no idea, anybody?

[sksujeet]

do you have a tandberg utility from which we can fill the tape to its maximum. If you use that it will tell if it is the issue with the drive or not. I am suspecting the issue with the drive itself as it is not able to write after a certain GB

[Florian_S__Korn]

I gonna check it and let ya know.

[Florian_S__Korn]

I know, this is kinda late, but i´ve been abroad and just came back.

TANDBERG LTO-2 HH external Tape Drive (SCSI ID 2)
Firmware Level: S619 (latest Firmware)

I just ran trough the Tandberg Data Diagnostic Tool, fullfilled the tape, and this is what i got:

Param: Fill, 64, Random Data
Checking block size info...Completed
Get current compression status - Disabled
Rewinding...Completed
Erasing Tape...Completed
Retrieving tape capacity log...Completed
Resetting IO log parameters...Completed
Writing logical beginning of tape...Completed
Writing 200.448 MB data to the tape...Completed
 >>> The device reported End of Tape at 99.587 MB
Retrieving log status parameters...Completed
Write Transfer Rate = 643 MB/min
Rewinding...Completed
Locating the first data...Completed
Reading 200.448 MB data from the tape...Completed
 >>> The device reported End of Tape at 99.587 MB
Retrieving log status parameters...Completed
Read Transfer Rate = 657 MB/min
Rewinding...Completed


- The Diagnostic Tool erased the tape
- The Diagnostic Tool tried to fullfill the tape with 200.448MB
- The Diagnostic Tool reported the end of the tape at 99.587MB! .... and this is the Problem

I´m realy getting rid of this behaviour. The Tape Device is 1 year old, the tape is brand new.
Why does my LTO 2 Tape Drive cannot backup more than this 100GB to the LTO2 Tape?
It should have at least 200GB native and 400GB compressed (not included the backup software overhead, which sould not exceed 15GB)

Does someone experienced the same problem?

I realy appreciate every hint.

thanks, florian

[pkh]

Have you spoken to Tandberg yet?

[Florian_S__Korn]

No, but i gonna do that.

Now i loaded the tandberg driver. I gonna run the fullfill test again.
Let´s see if it is the driver.

thanks

[Larry_Fine]

re: Writing 200.448 MB data to the tape...Completed
>>> The device reported End of Tape at 99.587 MB

Are those numbers REALLY in MB? 200 MB isn't much, it certainly wouldn't fill a tape. End of Tape at 100 MB sure doesn't sound right.
So, assuming they made a typo and menat GB, then it is weird that the tool implied that it was able to write 200 GB...

[Ken_Putnam]

Larry

European numbering flip-flops the comma and period from US usage, so 99.587 MB  would be 99 1/2 GB

[Ken_Putnam]

Florian, I seem to recall similar problems with v11d and LTO2  drives (specifically)

the work-around seemed to be to use the manufacturer utility to initialize the tapes rather than labelling them in BackupExec

if you do this to tapes with data on them, that data will be non-retrievable, so only re-initialize tapes when they are due to be overwritten anyway

[Florian_S__Korn]

@Ken, thanks,  you are right. I ment 99 587MB.  A fullfill of the tape with the latest Tandberg Driver had the same result.
@Ken, I´m using BES 12.5 not 11d. But i gonna heck if tandberg provides a tool to initalize the tapes (it is not possible withb the Tandberg Data Diagnostic Tool)

I´m also contacting Tandberg Support.

thanks, Florian

[Larry_Fine]

Florian, any news from Tandberg?