Backup Exec 9.1 and LT03 drive

[A_Lake]

I've upgraded our old DAT drive to LTO3 on Windows Server 2003 running BE 9.1.

Problem is BE will not do anything with the LTO3 drive - it always reports an 'incompatible storage media detected' error whenever I run any job.

I've tried using the manufacturers tape drivers (Quantum) and the BE own drivers but I always get the error.

Whatever drivers I tell BE to use, the device manager always shows the drivers as being the manufacturers, not Veritas.

Is there any way I can fix this? Other wise this LTO3 drive (apparently compatible) is no good?

[#2]

BAckup exec 9.1 is not comaptible with LTO3 drives 

[Ben_L_]

I would check the 9.1 HCL first to make sure that the drive is compatible with Backup Exec. 9.1 only supported a very few LTO3 drives, but as long as it can see the drive it should be able to use it.  Have you tried formatting the tapes using NTBackup before running a backup with Backup Exec?

ftp://exftpp.symantec.com/pub/support/products/Backup_Exec_for_WindowsNT/282347.pdf - link to HCL

[CraigV]

If you check the folowing link, you will be able to find out if your drive is supported or not. You don't state the model of drive, so check this out:

http://www.quantum.com/swcompguide.aspx?ATL_Lib_Model=&BU_App=Backup%20Exec&Drive_Type=LTO2%20Quantu...=

More importantly, check out Symantec's link below for the Hardware Compatibility List for Backup Exec 9.1.

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/282347.htm

[A_Lake]

According to the HCL, 9.1 does support a Quantum LTO3 drive. NTBackup can see it and use it OK, BE can see the drive and also read the tape label (using a tape from another server using Backup Exec 9.1 with an LTO3 drive!)

Bizarrely, if I tell BE to only use OEM drivers it makes no difference. If I configure it to use Veritas drivers, its says they are already loaded yet the device manager still shows the OEM drivers are in use.

Whatever I try and do with any tape causes the same error?

I deliberately bought a Quantum LTO3 as I have this working on a similar setup (same OS, same hardware and BE 9.1)

[CraigV]

Check to make sure your Removable Storage service isn't running. If it is, stop it and disable it, and restart the Backup Exec services. Then try a backup job.
If BE states the drivers are already loaded you can do the following to manually uninstall your device, and then reinstall it:

1. Remove the drivers from both your robotics and your tape drive in Device Manager.
2. Shut down the server and drive, and disconnect the drive.
3. Start up the server, and let it load the OS without the device attached. THis will ensure the device scan doesn't find anything attached on the SCSI port.
4. Shut the server down again, connect the drive up and power it up. Once done, start up the server and try reloading the Backup Exec drivers.

[A_Lake]

I tried the above and this is what seems to be the results:

- The device is detected in Windows and an 'unknown' driver is loaded (It says the device is working properly, but the provider etc is Unknown.
- BE can see the drive when running the wizard, but not through the console or device screen
- If I then load the OEM (Quantum) drivers the windows device driver is OK, and BE can see the tape drive but can't use it
At this point, no matter what I configure BE to do, the OEM drivers stay loaded and I get the error.

This is on a brand new Server 2003 install (I've done the install several times) with the Removeable storage service disabled

[Ben_L_]

Run through this technote to remove any bad / uneeded driver installs for the tape drive.
http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/308914.htm

Have you checked the system log for errors coming from the tape drive?

[CraigV]

Is this an autoloader, or a stand-alone tape drive? If it's an autoloader, and the robotics show unknown, it shouldn't cause an issue. Backup Exec would only install drivers for the tape drive.
Have you also tried to update to the latest Backup Exec drivers?

[A_Lake]

Thanks for persisting with me on this!

The tape is a standalone Quantum LTO3 - not an autoloader.

From a completely new installation, I used the Quantum OEM drivers and set BE to use those drivers (i.e not its own)

NT Backup works fine. In BE you can see the tape drive, and also it shows the correct media properties for the tape that holds the NT backup set (even shows the correct capacity and label name etc) However in BE the properties of the tape drive always shows the *** Media Type - not LTO.

Whether I specify using OEM drivers or BE drivers seems to make no difference to this? (I've also checked for unneeded drivers, nothing there but thats to be expected as this is now a fresh install of OS and BE)

I don't understand how BE is showing the inserted tapes properties correctly, yet cannot format/erase/inventory/backup to the same tape without this error?

[Ben_L_]

Can you locate the adamm.log file in the logs directory of Backup Exec and link it to your post for me?

[CraigV]

Silly question: But have you terminated that correctly? Have you also attached the drive to an on-board SCSI controller, or a dedicated SCSI controller?

[A_Lake]

Its attached to a dedicated SCSI (adaptec) controller and works 100% with NTBackup so the termination seems OK!

Here is the tail of the adamm.log:

[5868] 08/06/09 14:24:00 Device Discovery:

Scsi Address
Prt :Bus :Tar :Lun   Attributes
-------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0005:0000:0001:0000  Device Name             "\\.\Tape0"
                     Primary Inquiry         "QUANTUM ULTRIUM 3       2181"
                     Serial Number           "QUANTUM ULTRIUM 3       PW0845AME50172"
                     Device Flags            SCSI, SN(TYPE 1)
                     Device State            3, Online

                     Device IDs              1002, {D37B58B3-AAC2-4B18-B6E1-52A35CCB612F}
                     Device Name             "QUANTUM 1"
                     Device Type             0, ""
                     Device Features         0x00000000
                     Device Element          0, 0

-------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9999:0016:0001:0001  Device Name             ""
                     Primary Inquiry         "VERITAS Backup To Disk  1.00"
                     Serial Number           "VERITAS Backup To Disk  {D9083BEB-5198-484A-ABC4-4ECF4E445274}"
                     Device Flags            SN(TYPE 0), B2D
                     Device State            3, Online
-------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[5868] 08/06/09 14:24:00 Device Discovery End:


I've tried a backup to disk and that seems to work OK as well (onto a seperate NAS)

NTBackup has just completed a full system backup with no errors - so that tape drive/connection/media seem to be working ok! BE now recognises there is an NTBackup tape in the device (with correct media size shown) but it can't do anything with it.

[Ben_L_]

Unfortunately it appears that device is not on the 9.x HCL  That device did not start getting supported till version 10.0.  The only thing I could suggest would be to either upgrade to a later version or use a device that is on the HCL for 9.x

[A_Lake]

So it seems - I was convinced that this drive would work without being on the HCL (using OEM) drivers as I have the exact same setup on a similar server (same OS/BE and LTO3 drive) and it works 100%.

So what is the purpose of BE having the option to use OEM drivers if it won't work unless it has its own?

Looks like NTBackup is my only option now! Can't afford to upgrade (especially as this is an exchange server so the upgrade price effectively doubles to get the exchange agent)

[Ben_L_]

Can you get me the adamm log from the working server?

So what is the purpose of BE having the option to use OEM drivers if it won't work unless it has its own? it's really not a matter of drivers at this point, it looks like the commands aren't getting sent, recieved, or read correctly.

I wonder if the working server's tape drive has a lower firmware that is allowing it to work.