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Backup Exec and Dell ML6000

mprophet
Level 3

We have a Dell ML6000 which Backup Exec (2012) connects to via a SAN on Windows 2008 Server R2. Unexpectedly the Backup Exec server does not see the library any more. No changes were made outside of replacing a bad drive. My question is - should Backup Exec be using the generic 'unknown media changer' within windows, or should it be using its own driver? It doesn't show up in Device Manger, and using tapeinst.exe doesn't seem to do anything other than see the two LTO drives. Thanks for any info in advance!

10 REPLIES 10

CraigV
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Hi,

 

Unknown medium changer is correct. Can you see the replaced drive in Windows Device Manager, because BE sees what Windows sees.

You can also try running tapeinst.exe to install the Symantec drivers for the replaced tape drive.

Thanks!

pkh
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If your tape library does not show up in the Device Manager, then BE cannot use it. The tape library needs to to show up in the Device Manager as an Unknown Medium Changer with a Microsoft driver and functioning correctly before BE can use it. You may need to get the tape vendor to get the library to show up in the Device Manager. Are you using a VM for your media server? If yes, then this configuration is not supported

Larry_Fine
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This may help  http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH124860

tapeinst has nothing to do with the changer, so don't expect to see it there.  You should only see the tape drive in tapeinst.

If you replaced the tape drive that had the "control path" enabled, please make sure that one of the drives in the library has a control path enabled.  This is done from the library web interface.  The "control path" is how the server communicates with the library.  If no drives have a "control path" enabled, then the server will not see a library.  Unless you are an advanced user with a specific need, then only ONE drive should have control path enabled.

 

mprophet
Level 3

Not seeing the changer nor the drives in Device Manager, so it must be a communication issue. The library has an IP attached to it, but its on a separate subnet. I guess the first thing would be to get it on the same subnet and see if the server can then see it.

Larry_Fine
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Is your SAN an FC SAN or an iSCSI SAN?

If you are using an FC SAN, then the ML6000's IP address is irrelevant to Windows seeing the library or drives on the FC SAN.  The ML6000's IP address is simply for the web console, but it is critical to you managing your library and configuring it, such as selecting which drive has the control path.

As far as I know, changing one drive in a library on an FC SAN should have no impact on the ability for the server to see the remaining drive (since they are separate FC connections), so I suspect something else also changed.

FYI, your statement that Windows Device Manager doesn't see anything contradicts your earlier statment that tapeinst saw the two drives, so the more clarity you can provide about your situation will help us provide better advice.

mprophet
Level 3

Thanks for you help.

It's an FC SAN

Using tapeinst gives me this;

Finding tape devices
Finding plug and play tape device names
Finding IDE plug and play device instances
Finding SCSI plug and play device instances
Hardware ID = SCSI\SequentialIBM_____ULTRIUM-TD4_____85V1
Hardware ID = SCSI\SequentialIBM_____ULTRIUM-TD4_____85V1
Finding Symantec device drivers
Hardware scan complete.

Then;

Removing the IDR CD-ROM burner driver (drvmcdb.sys) association for tape drives.
Updating Symantec inf file
Installing Symantec "halfinch.sys" for "SCSI\SequentialIBM_____ULTRIUM-TD4_____85V1"
Driver load failure 0x800F020B for SCSI\SequentialIBM_____ULTRIUM-TD4_____85V1
The device instance does not exist in the hardware tree.

Installation complete.

So it looks like its having issues loading the Symantec driver. What I can't figure out is how my server is supposed to see the library if that IP isn't needed. They are on the same network. The LCB seems to be working.

 

mprophet
Level 3

Not using VM. Just a FC SAN. Trying to get aserver within the SAN to see the ML.

mprophet
Level 3

Control Path is enabled on the second drive.

CraigV
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...comes down to what I said in my first post...what Windows sees, Backup Exec sees.

Check the zoning on the FC switches and make sure this is correct. You can use the same zone created initially as long as the tape drive is included there. Otherwise redo the zoning for the library and the media server if you know how too and then run a device scan in Windows Device Manager again.

Larry_Fine
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Tapeinst gets some info from the Windows registry.  If you haven't rebooted the server lately, there may be confusion due to stale information in the registry.  Please reboot the server and check Windows Device Manager again.  If you don;t see the tape drives listed there, then don't worry about tapeinst.exe yet.

 

What I can't figure out is how my server is supposed to see the library if that IP isn't needed. They are on the same network.

You said this was an FC SAN, which doesn't use IP addresses.  FC and Ethernet are two different networks in most peoples minds.