Backup Exec 2010 R3 filled, out of disk space

[Rob_Walker]

I have Backup Exec 2010 R3 backing up an SBS 2008 server alternating between two USB hard drives we swap out.  I created backup to disk folders and set them in their own pool and allowed maximum size for backup.  This is the error I got:

"Job ended: Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 12:32:41 AM Completed status: Failed Final error: 0xe000848f - Insufficient disk space. Final error category: Resource Errors"

Overwrite protection=none 

Appendable period=none

Overwrite protection until=overwritable 

Appendable until = not appendable (full).

I thought I had this figured ot but apparently ot.  I have never been able to get this to overwrite.  Help, please.  What have I missed?

My backup set is called "Rotate" and the two backup drives belong to this pool.  This is set to 'overwrite media'.

Thanks

[pkh]

Check these couple of things

1) Go to Tools - Options --> Media management

2) check that the Overwrite Protection Level is set to at least Partial

3) select Overwrite recycleable media in the media before scratch media

Set your OPP and AP to 1 hr.

For the disk that is full, go to the Media tab and associate one of the .bkf files on that disk to Retired media, delete it from BE and then physically delete it from the disk.  This will free up some space.

In the Media tab, click on your remaining .bkf to make sure that they can be overwritten when your next job starts.

Change your job property to Overwrite and not Append.

Try again.

If you have successfully overwritten an existing .bkf file, change your OPP to a more appropriate setting and you can delete some of the unwanted .bkf files using the method above.

[Rob_Walker]

Thanks PHK,  What is the "Set your OPP and AP to 1 hr" and where do I find it.  I'm a lettle new to BackupExec.

Thanks.

[pkh]

OPP and AP are the properties of the media set. Go to the Media tab and right-click on the appropriate media set to set these. You should familiarise yourself with the Media Management chapter of the Admin Guide. You cannot operate BE without understanding this.

[Rob_Walker]

I have to OPP and AP = 1 hr

Media overwrite protection level = partial

Media overwrite options = Overwrite recyclable media create in the targeted media...

Does that sound right?

[pkh]

Yes.  Once you manage to get BE to overwrite your recycleable media, you got to set the OPP to a longer period to suit your data protection needs.

[Rob_Walker]

This still isn't working for me.  My last post was July 2 so I have had 6 good backups rotating only two drives.  This mornings backup, number 7, failed.

After making all the changes described in this thread and double checking everything, one of my backup jobs using one of the external drives cancelled this morning after 3 hours because of low disk space.  I have 'low disk space threshold' disabled.  This time the disk was not 'paused'.  The job monitor said 'no available media is availabe...'.  The Devices page had 'low disk space' appended to 'Backup-To-Disk Folder 001'

I only rotate two disks and this happens to be the same disk that was causing problems earlier in this thread, however, after making the changes described here it worked for a few days.  I do not kow if that was because I retired a backup file and cleared up some room.

What has me most concerned is that I have two more Hyper-V installations like this scheduled for the fall and I would like to get the backup bugs fixed.  Two days ago out of the blue I started getting a warning that \common files\symantec shared\eengine\eectrl64.sys was missing from the backup.  It puzzles me how everything works so well since April 10 and then all of  sudden these problems develop with missing mystery files and full hard drives.

I could sure use some help, thanks.

[pkh]

What you observe is the expected behaviour when the low disk space theshold is disabled.  If it is enabled, then you have a chance to clear out some disk space for the job to continue.

Before you run your jobs, did you check that the media on the disk is overwriteable?  They should be overwriteable when the job starts.

[Rob_Walker]

Yes, the media is overwritable.  It is set to all the settings described in this thread, basically as suggested by the posts in this thread. 

I expect the disk to overwrite as it gets full.  I am not expecting a warning that would require me to go in there and clean out space.  Otherwise, what is the point of having overwritable media if you have to clean it out? 

This would be OK if I was a network administrator and looked after this everyday but these are systems I am installing for customers.  They are expecting the disks to overwrite and not require manual intervention other than swapping out the drives.

I have almost the identical setup in my company: Dell PE T410, Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V, two VMs, Backup Exec 2010 R3.  The only difference with my system is a USB 3.0 card and USB 3.0 external drives.  My disks seem to overwrite without any problems.

This has me stumped.  Just to recap, this is what I have for settings:

I have to OPP and AP = 1 hr

Media overwrite protection level = partial

Media overwrite options = Overwrite recyclable media create in the targeted media

Media is set to overwrite and this is confirmed

Please see my attachment.  Thanks for your help.

[pkh]

Are the jobs creating new .bkf files or overwriting them?

Did you set the .bkf files to allocate the maximum?

[Rob_Walker]

The customer has swapped the drive out so the one in there right now is creating new bkf files dated July 8.  The oldest files are July 6 so it must be overwriting.  I will have to wait until Monday when the problem drive that is full gets swapped back in.

When I was creating the backup-to-disk folders, my media set called 'rotate' sees both drives as the same drive, Backup-to-disk Folder 001.  No matter which drive is plugged in, Backup-to-disk Folder 001is active.  If I look at the drives in my media set called Rotate, the only drive that is part of that set is Backup-to-disk Folder 001 even though I swap two identical drives.

When I was creating the backup-to-disk folders, should I have left the first USB hard drive plugged in and then connected the second USB hard drive forcing it to become Backup-to-disk Folder 002?  Then I would have had two drives to add to the media set.

Right now I have a Backup-to-disk Folder 002 but that is for a different backup job involving a 3rd USB hard drive that just backs up the VHD on Sunday.

I am wondering if this might be part of the problem?

[pkh · Accepted solution]

If you want to rotate disk, you should set the disk up according to the method outlined by my article below

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/how-rotate-external-harddisks

Also, if the disks are already full, you should delete some of the files before continuing.  I would start with having half of the disk free.