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Backup Exec 2012 not compressing LT05 Tapes

JordanCSH
Level 3

Hi,

I have recently installed Backup Exec 2012 on two of my media servers and I have come across an issue when trying to compress data onto LT05 tapes. 

 

My backups are structured to complete a full backup every evening of the local media server and then 4 remote machines are selected to include into this backup also. I want to back up all these servers onto one tape and I realise in BE2012 you have to create seperate jobs to run over one tape and you cant put them all into one job like you where able to in 2010.

 

So my first job of the evening is set to overwrite and then each job following is set to append. 

 

I can see the compression rate is set to 1.0:1 which I dont think is right. The compression on each of the jobs is set to hardware and then software if no hardware is available. 

These jobs have now been imported from BE2010 and have been set up from scratch when the software was installed.

 

Any help would be great.

 

Thank you

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Rick_Okla
Level 3

The latest Hot Fix Dated July 3 I believe, fixed this issue for my Dell PE124T.  Just in time because I was going to go back to BE2010

View solution in original post

42 REPLIES 42

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

Hi Jordan,

Check that the tape drive has Compression enabled on it within BE. If it is a library/autoloader, log onto the web front-end and then make sure compression is enabled there too.

Thanks!

JordanCSH
Level 3

Sorry if im being a bit new ive had a look through and cant see where i would check if this enabled. I can see I have set it in the job is there any where else to check?

 

I have checked the tabe drive itsself outside of BE and compression is enabled here.

 

Thanks,

JordanCSH
Level 3

Apologies I have found it and it is set to enebled. 

Sush---
Level 6
Employee Accredited Certified

In BE 2012 console go to Storage tab and go to the details of the Tape drive (under Robotic Library) and then in the Properties screen you will see the option of Compression. Ensure that Compression is enabled.

 

Thanks,

-Sush...

JordanCSH
Level 3

Hi Sush,

That is all set to enabled and correct.

Thanks,

Jord

Larry_Fine
Moderator
Moderator
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Is the data compressible?  What type of data is it?

 

Does your job log show that compression was used/enabled?

Backup started on 5/2/2012 at 4:16:03 PM.
Backup completed on 5/2/2012 at 4:31:37 PM.
Backup Set Summary
Backed up 10 files in 2 directories.
Processed 10,737,420,400 bytes in  15 minutes and  34 seconds.
Throughput rate: 658 MB/min
Compression Type: Hardware

 

this should help with further troubleshooting

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH50960

pkh
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP    Certified

If you suspect that there is something wrong with your hardware compression, use software compression instead.  The compression ratio for the same set of data for both hardware and software compression should be about the same.

Towing
Level 2

I am also having the same problems.

I upgraded from BE 2010 and immediately disliked the new interface.  Too maany clicks to get to the same information, and it is spreadout over too many screens. Give me back th job view screen, but I digress....

I am using two LTO3 Ultrim 960 tape drives.  With BE 2010 and before I was getting compression ratios of 2.1:1 and 1.6:1 on the drives, because of the types of data being backed up, and only using one tape per drive per night.  Since the upgrade to BE 2012 I am unable to get anything other than 1:1, and the backups are running to more than 1 tape per drive.

I re-created all of the backup jobs from scratch to fit the new paradigm.  I have set the compression to in the job to "Hardware (if available otherwise software)" and checked the Compression option within the device and set to Enabled and applied the setting.

I have checked, and the tape drives are running the current firmware, and the HP Tape Tools tell me that the compression is working using their tests. Still no joy.

I have placed a call with Symantec support to see if they can help resolve the problem.  They suggested that I contact HP to see if they know why, but the engineer I spoke to agreed with me that as the only change was the upgrade to BE2012, that is more than likely the problem.

I am going to try software compression tonight to see if this helps, but I would prefer to use the hardware option

If I get a resolution I will let you know.

Towing
Level 2

After doing the testing in the cocument given by Larry Fine (Thanks for this) I have determined that even though the Job is set to "Hardware Compression" and the tape device has the compression "Enabled" on it, the tape drive is being set with the compression to Off

This was taken from the Tracer log.  It is the last Mode_Select6 prior to the writing starting.  There is a Mode_Sense6 after this one that confirms the settings

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Event:       262  Start: 15:48:33.637  Stop:  15:48:33.641  Duration:  0.003906
SCSI Address: 05:00:03:00
Function                                SRB_FUNCTION_EXECUTE_SCSI
SCSI Status                             SCSISTAT_GOOD
Sense Length                            0
Data Length                             20
Driver Result                           STATUS_SUCCESS

Raw CDB
15 10 00 00 14 00                               ......

CDB Operation                           MODE_SELECT6
 LUN                                    0
 PF                                     True
 SP                                     False
 Parameter List Length                  20
 Control                                0x00
Data
00 00 10 00 0F 0E 40 80 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 01 ......@.........
00 00 00 00                                     ....

According to the document, the value of 40 I have highlighted is compression disabled.  This appears about 6 times through the log, and they are all the same.  The value should be 80 or C0 for compression to be on.

After discussing this witht he support tech, some other logs have been gathered and the case has been referred to a higher level support tech.  I will keep you informed.

JordanCSH
Level 3

Thank you,

 

Towing I have exactly the same issue as yourself as for the tracer and compression being set correctly but the job being sent with no compression switches.

I have also logged this with support and If I receive any further information I will let you know.

Thanks,

MagnarE
Not applicable

Started after upgrading to BE 2012 from BE 2010. I am using one LTO3 Ultrim 960 tape drives and one LT05 Ultrium 3000 drives.

JordanCSH
Level 3

Just a quick update.

I have spent alot of today on the telephone to support with Symantec but dont seem to be making any progress. All of the Tracers have completed and we can see the commands are not there for data compression to the tape drive.

I have two tape drives of different models connected to two different servers both running backup exec 2012 and have the same issue on both.

Interestingly the compression when selected software only worked last night for one of the backups but this doesnt really help me I wont get enough compression required out of the LT05 tape.

I have spoken to my hardware vendor for the tape drives who has advised they have the latest firmware updates and there are no issues with the tape drives. I do understand what Symantec are advising that backup exec doesnt handle the hardware compression this is all completed by the tape device itsself. But i feel it may get to the point where i downgrade the licences on the server and re-install backup Exec 2010 and I believe i wont have this issue.

Jordan

CraigV
Moderator
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Partner    VIP    Accredited

...and if you do that and it works, you need to raise that with support!

Towing
Level 2

I have just heard from Symantec support.

This issue has been raised as a defect and forwarded to the Engineering team.

A technote will be issued soon hopefully by Monday.  When I have the reference I will post it here.

Hopefully we will have a hotfix patch released soon to fix the problem.

Judh
Level 4
I just upgraded a server to 2012 (Dat72 drive) and Compression went to 1:1 Hardware Compression was Enabled, Backup Job was set to Hardware (software if not available) Recreated Jobs, Reinstalled from scratch, Updated all drivers and firmware, and Hardware Compression remained 1:1 Just set Backup job to Software Compression, and Compression seems to be working, and throughput on the job nearly doubled. previous software, Backup Exec 2010, using Hardware Compression, getting 1.3 to 1.6:1 Compression using Hardware (software if hardware not available). I imagine there have been bigger coincidences in the world than upgrading a software package and breaking something that has always worked, although I do know that new software sometimes is incompatible with old drivers *shrug*

Rod7424
Not applicable

I've got the same problem after upgrade BEX 2010 r3 to BEX2012

I have a rebotic tape librairies, and there are the differents test :

1) only 1 full backup a server Windows Server 2008 x64 -> OK hardware compression (2:1)
2) full bakup only a windows server 2003 x64 -> OK hardware compression (2.2:1)
3) Full backup 2 servers one as a result of another without scheduled departure -> Compression hardware OK
4) Full Backup 2 servers one after the other with scheduled departure -> NOK Compression equipment

I supect the problem when the tape return on the slot and a other job begin directly without pause between each jobs   

Wath do you think ?

 

 

 

 

 

digone52
Level 3

Same issue.

Upgraded from 2010R3 to 2012. No hardware compression.

Is it worth phoning support, or is there a technote now / hotfix imminently? Don't want to bother phoning if I don't have to.

Ta.

JordanCSH
Level 3

You can try support you may get further than I did!

I havent had time to roll my version back to 2010 and test yet as its my sharepoint environment and would be out OOH downtime. 

Looking at this thread though it seems pretty oobvious all of these people cant have faulty Tape drives.......

If anyone does get anyway with support please let me know, and likewise I will post when I have rolled back to 2010 later on this week.

 

Jord

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

As an update Symantec have found two conditions relating to compression in BE 2012

1) is Do not use the compression setting "Hardware if Available otherwise Software" which is already mentioned in this thread. We are working on a fix for this but for now use "Hardware if available otherwise none"

2) is the Admin console displays the compression as 1:1 - this appears to be a cosmetic/display issue a full backup of a known set of datat to tape as an overwrite and then compare byte count of data set with amount used on tape youw ill find compression has taken place. Agsin we are working on a solution to this.

Of course there may still be an unidentified cause out there so please log cases if the above information does not solve your issue