Backup Exec 12.5 + SP3 = tape drive going offline?

[Mark_Valpreda]

I don't know what has happened, but at multiple locations I have a problem with Backup Exec 12.5 x86 showing the tape drive as offline at seemingly random intervals. This has only started happening since SP3 for 12.5 was installed. Checked with a colleague and he is coming across the same issue since 12.5 SP3. I really don't want to uninstall, reboot, reinstall, reboot, patch to SP2 and reboot again. Has anyone else come across this? The error I am getting is: Final error: 0xe000810c - Physical Volume Library Drive not available. Final error category: Backup Device Errors The technote (http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/290495.htm) says to check the account for the Backup Exec services. It's not that. The drive is offline. I can force the tape drive online, recycle the services and it seems fine....only to bomb again the next night, 2 nights, or 2 weeks later. I would think it's the drive, but it does it at three locations since SP3 was installed.

[Dev_T]

Hello,


TRY THIS FIRST :
GO TO THE DEVICES TAB-->RIGHT CLICK ON THE SERVER NAME AND CLICK ON PAUSED...
RIGHT CLICK AGAIN AND UNPAUSE IT....


We can Disable and Delete the Drives and the Changer from Backup exec theand recycle services.

In the Devices TAB-->Right Click on the Drives and disable them-->Right Click again and Delete them...follow the same steps for the changer...then recycle all the services.....


Are you getting Event ID:5,7,9....etc...?
Make sure that
1  : Removable Storage Service is disabled
2  : Symantec Drivers for the TAPE Drive
3  : Medium Changer must be Unknoun (Microsoft Drivers)

As this started after installing SP3, power cycle will be a better option
1  : Turn OFF the Server and the Library
2  : Disconnect the Library and turn ON the server (This will erase all the entries for the library from the OS)
3  : Turn OFF the server and connect the library
4  : Turn ON the library and let it come up
5  : Turn ON the Server and check the device manager for the library

Make sure that the drivers are Symantec and the Medium Changer is Unknown

[Mark_Valpreda]

It is not a changer. Just a stand alone LTO2 drive. Removable Storage service *IS* disabled. Symantec drivers are installed.

The errors I see in the event log are:
34113
Backup Exec
Backup Exec Alert: Job Failed
(Server: "XXXX") (Job: "Daily Full Backup") Daily Full Backup -- The job failed with the following error: Physical Volume Library Drive not available.

34113
Backup Exec
Backup Exec Alert: Job Failed
(Server: "XXXX") (Job: "Quick Erase") Quick Erase -- The job failed with the following error: Physical Volume Library Drive or Robot paused, offline, or disabled.

Here is a fun one:
34578
Backup Exec
Backup Exec Alert: LiveUpdate Error
(Server: "XXXX") Update HOTFIX ? failed to install.  Review the Backup Exec installation log for more information.

"Hotfix ?" ? NICE!

[Dev_T]

Hello,

Have you tried this:

GO TO THE DEVICES TAB-->RIGHT CLICK ON THE SERVER NAME AND CLICK ON PAUSED...
RIGHT CLICK AGAIN AND UNPAUSE IT....

It works 99%

[Mark_Valpreda]

I have tried the pause/unpause thing in the past. It works for certain things, but not when the server thinks the drive is offline. That seems to work better when a job is stuck as Queued.

[L_Unger]

I've been having a similar problem with my LTO4 drive.  My problem is not random; Backup Exec sees the drive as offline after each scheduled backup has completed.  I have tried using both Quantum and Symantec drivers but the problem persists.  Restarting all Backup Exec services via the Services MMC Snap-in lets Backup Exec recognize the drive again.  I really don't want to have to do this after every backup, though.

My Environment:
Windows Server 2008 R2
Backup Exec for Windows Servers 12.5 SP3 w/ 3 hotfixes
Quantum LTO4 Ultrium desktop drive
LSI MegaRAID 8344ELP SAS/SATA controller

[ole_madsen]

I have the same problem after upgrading to SP3. Now my drive goes offline randomly in standby or in a backup.

I get the messsage that "the drive hardware is offline"

[Mark_Valpreda]

The only thing I have done to fix it is to uninstall BE12.5 (preserve settings), reboot, reinstall BE12.5, patch to SP2, reboot, turn off automatic Live Upate and run the jobs again. Since I have done that I don't have any issues. I have had to do that for 3 clients. It's annoying but it works.

Interesting is that this is only happening on my x86 servers. I don't have any issues with x64 servers....yet! Looks like L Unger has had the issue though since it's happening on 2008 R2 and that is only 64 bit. I don't even think Backup Exec 12.5 is completely supported on 2008 R2 though.

I hope Symantec is paying attention to this thread.

[girish_chakki]

the 2008 R2 edition is not supported for installing full version of BEWS 12.5.

Only agent is supported (RAWS)

LOOK IN THE BELOW LINK
http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/335868.htm

[rkw]

Encountering the same issue here.  Win 2008 64 bit Standard with an attached robotic library.

Trying the Pause and unPause does not work.  Forcing 'online' works for less than two seconds then goes back to offline.

[Mark_Valpreda]

Going on 4 days since I uninstalled 12.5 SP3 and reinstalled 12.5 and updated to SP2 on multiple systems. No issues on the places that I have done this. My systems definately would have gone "offline" by now.

Until there is another hotfix, I would highly suggest you uninstall, BE12.5 (preserve settings), reboot, reinstall BE12.5, patch to SP2, reboot, turn off automatic Live Upate and run the jobs again.

[A_ride_4_ever]

we had a similar issue, if you run tracer.exe in the bexec directory, start it and let it run while the jobs are running, Look for excessive TUR's, if you do see the TUR then you might want to verify that the symantec drivers are loaded and are current. If its a library the library should show as unknown and be Microsoft drivers, the tape drivers are listed separately.
There is a few issues i can think of that would cause the drive to go offline.
Is this SCSI, fiber, sas ? I can say that since installing SP3  we have witnesed excesive TUR's they have a tendancy of puting only one of our MSL4048's drives offline.

[Mark_Valpreda]

I surprised to see there has not been anything from Symantec on this. I hope that someone in their tech department has seen this thread since it's obviously not an isolated issue! I like to stay on top of hotfixes....and this is putting a bit of a crimp in that.

[onlyalex]

I have the same problem here to...

backup exec 12.5 sp3
windows 2003 sp2
ibm 3623-2lx

Backup worked fine on fresh install off version 12.5
I then updated to latest service pack 3, and backup jobb started failing.
Autoloader went offline atleast once a day. Event that was prompted "The drive harware is offline"
In the job monitor i was presented with jobb status failed and this error code "e000fe30"

Error category    : Server ErrorsError             : e000fe30 - A communications failure has occurred.
For additional information regarding this error refer to link V-79-57344-65072

Im now going to try the post marked as solution. If this does not work i will post again, if it does work i hope
sp3 will be corrected!

Can someone from Symantec confirm that sp3 did this and correct this "MINOR" error that has taken me 4 days not
been able to backup my data. 

[Shamus110]

I must admit we are having the same errors on our customers healthcare EBS system we look after.

Having to re-install the software to fix it, is a pain in the ar8e.

To me this smacks as sloppy quality control on the coding side.

The SSO piece in Backup Exec has always had issues.

I have had enough personally of the woefully poor support from Symantec here in UK and the awful outsourced helpdesk.

As Netbackup is way too expensive (Support and Product)

Going forward we are looking at HP Data Protector as it's more resilent in a EBS with fiber channel SANs.

Have a nice day Symantec...

Regards,

Sean

[saurabh46]

I am also having the same issue my drives shows offline"The drive harware is offline".

and i am struggling to see the drives in symantec backupexec.