Backup Exec tape ejecting during/before backup runs

[Martyk]

Hi

Hopefully someone can help.  I am running BE 2010R2 on a W2003 server.  I have 2 single Ultrium 3 drives and 8 backup jobs split between the 2 drives.
Recently I hve noticed that after 1 or 2 backups complete the next job cant connect to a tape and says either:

Media is write protected or the tape has been ejected.

I dont have the eject option ticked on any job and as far as I can see there is no overwrite protect timelimit in place.

All media is in the "daily" media pool.

I have an auto inventory and erase job for both drives and the tapes are changed daily.

I have noticed though that this only happens on a weekend where I have 1 weekly backup running from Friday night into Saturday morning.  This can take upto 18 hours on some weekends, where as everything else is a 2 hour max job.

But the ejects dont just happen on this one weekly job.  It can be any job thereafter.

Any extra info needed or any suggestions would be great.

thanks 

[pkh]

The tape is probably full and BE will eject it before issuing an alert requesting for an overwritable tape.

[Martyk]

Thanks pkh. Sorry, I failed to mention that the tape is usually less than a quarter full (half at most).  

[pkh]

It could be that due to the length of the jobs, the AP has been exceeded and the tape is no longer appendable. The next job would then require an overwritable tape. Try lengthening the AP

[Martyk]

Thanks pkh.  Sorry for being ignorant.  What is the AP and how do i extend it? I mainly use other backup solutions and use BE now and again but it is usually just to cover someone else. 

[Martyk]

Ah I have found it.  The OPP is set to "6 weeks" and the AP is set to "None.  Infinate-Allow Append"

[pkh]

Read my article below on some of the common causes of job not appending, especially the part about overlapping jobs which is probably applicable to your case.

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/why-my-job-not-appending-data-my-tapes