Backup Exec 12.5 unusable since optional Windows Update

[Olaf_Engelke]

Hello,

recently I manually run Windows update and found two driver updates sitting there for the Tandberg Exabyte Magnum 224 library and the integrated HP LTO3 drive. Since I had no negative experiences with driver updates in Server 2008 R2, I selected them for installation together with the other updates.

A few days later I figured out, that no backup completed any more (and I got no failure notification either, since the first afterpatch backup was still running!).

Backup Exec was always slow on that machine after changing to the LTO library (300 to 700 MB/minute), but this was still enough to run through a complete backup in the available time frame and not slower than on old DLT drive.

But now the speed dropped down to ancient floppy speed: 3 MB per minute!!!

What I tried:

• Power Cycling the library
• Pulling and reattaching the SCSI cable
• reverting to older Windows and Symantec drivers
• unchecking the Write single block mode and Write SCSI through mode and altering the block sizes in tape drive properties
• attempted an repair install of BE
• uninstalled the SCSI controller
• several reboots.

Believe me, its no longer fun on a Saturday evening and I'm in urgent need of ideas, since relying only on a Windows Home Server appliance to backup the machine is not really the best solution.

Best greetings from Germany
Olaf

[Olaf_Engelke]

I should add, its a local backup (Dell PowerEdge 2950), no network involved.

Best greetings from Germany
Olaf

[pkh]

Have you tried this sequence of actions?

1) Delete the library from BE

2) Stop the media server and the library

3) Start the tape library

4) Start the media server

5) Ensure that the library and tape drive is recognised and functioning correctly in the Windows Device Manager. The library should appear as an Unknown Medium Changer with a Microsoft driver and the tape drive should have a Symantec driver.

6) In BE, install the library if necessary.  Go to Tools --> Wizards ---> Device Configuration Wizard to do so.

[Olaf_Engelke · Accepted solution]

Finally after a lot of Vodoo in local morning time (around 4 AM) the rate went up to approx. 1000 MB/min.

The last steps I did were to replace the Symantec driver with the HP driver in device manager (again), unchecking this single block writing and SCSI pass through and adjusting buffer sizes (again), enabling and adjusting barcode rules (which made inventory fail, since it seems not to work with the prefix of my labels) and disabling them again.

Not sure, which if those steps finally led to success, but there is too much vodoo involved for a professional product in my opinion.

Wish you nice holidays
Olaf