Backup Exec, Importing, Exporting and Mailsots in auto loaders

[JoeMartin]

The issue:

Tape Export operations are failing with error code E008113
 - No SCSI issues detected using HP L&TT

Background.
We have backups that run daily on a Windows 2012 R2 server running Backup Exc 2014 (14.1 Rev. 1786)

Backups complete successfully.

The backup destination is a cartridge in an HP LTO5 HP 1/8 Autoloader G2.
The Autoloader has been configured to use slot 1 as a mailsot and autoloader mode is set to automatic.

We have scheduled an export of the data cartridge containing the backup.
This kicks off daily at 9am with the view to allow local staff to collect the data cartridge from the mail slot any time between 9am to 3:59pm.

We have also schedule an import of a data cartridge containing the oldest backups.
This kicks off daily at 4pm with the view that staff have replaced the tape in the mail slot anytime between 9am and 3:59pm prior to the import operation starting.

At 4:10 we complete an inventory of the library.

Finally the backup to tape operation is scheduled to start at 6:15pm

Autoloader and Drive are both latest versions of firmware

The server is HP and running drivers and firmware from the September 2014 SPP

Anythoughts?  Should I be able to do as described above?

[pkh · Accepted solution]

How is the export job configured?  Is it exporting from a particular slot or is it an export stage after the backup job?  It should be the latter because the backup job can use tapes from any slot.

Running an inventory on the entire library daily is a wasteful exercise.  If you are using barcode labels (which you should), then you don't need to do any inventory.  The library status will be updated automatically after the import/export operation.  If you are not using barcode labels, then you only need to check the auto-inventory option in the import job for the import tape to be recognised.

If you schedule an import, you got a make sure that the target slot is empty every day.  Presumably the staff is not knowledgeable in tape library operation so I don't know how you are going to do this.  You might want to consider using my script below

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/downloads/bemcli-script-import-tape-first-empty-slot