Backup exec using a single drive but multiple tapes

[deanne]

I am trying to backup >4TB of data onto LTO 5 tapes and have run accross a problem.  Here is my senerio.

I have a tape robot with 16 LTO 4s that runs the monthly, weekly and daily backs.  This works as advertised.  In addition to this hardware I have a single LTO 5 tape drive.  This drive sits idle while the other does most of the work.  I have been charged with backing up individual data sets onto LTO drives.  I did not ask why and so I cannot answer that.  Let's just say when these folks ask for somthing I can ether find a way to do it or find another job.

This process has been working fine.  I just use BE and create a one time backup job designating the single LTO 5 as the device and away it goes.  This last one is the problem.  The data would need to span several tapes.  I thought the system would be intelegent enough to figure this out but alas, it did not. When the first tape was full it spit it out and sat there waiting no matter what I did.  I eventually just cancelled the job.

The problem seems to be that the system cannot recognize that I have inserted another tape into the drive.

My question is, how do I do this?  There must be others with single tape drives and needing multiple tapes?

D

[pkh]

There should be a outstanding alert asking you to insert an overwriteable tape.  Did you respond to the alert?

[CraigV]

Hi,

Is your tape at least overwritable or appendable? You can verify that by loading it into the drive, and checking it's status.

If not, that explains why it won't continue with the backup. Check the Append/OPP settings on the media set.

Thanks!

[deanne]

Hello,

Thanks for the replies.  

First, yes the tapes are overwritable.  I preped four LTO 5s by inserting new tapes, erasing them, then asscoiating them with the media set for this purpose.  The media is set to overwritable.

I do not recieve any message, and I have tried this twice now.  Both times the first tape of the set is ejected and the system waits with the job set to "Loading" status.

D

[Ken_Putnam]

I preped four LTO 5s by inserting new tapes, erasing them, then asscoiating them with the media set for this purpose

Do not associate the new tapes with a media set (don't  move them into the media set in  the console)

When you do this, they take on the OPP  of the media set as of the time of the move.  Thus if the OPP is 13 days, you will have to wait until the 14th day to use them

Label/Initialize them and leave them in the scratch media set.  Let BackupExec move them when it uses them

[CraigV]

...OK, open up the job itself and change to Append, otherwise Overwrite. See if this makes a difference.

[deanne]

I have yet to come up with a process that makes this work.  It is very frustrating because nothing about this makes sense.

I have used other backup and archiving software and was able to get it to work in a variety of different ways.  This software seem far too complicated and inflexible to be really useful.  

On top of this, the folks at Symantec don't seem to care.  I have spoke to their reps at shows and events and none of them will call me back.  Seems they don't want to be the product that we continue to buy and use.  They don't need our money or our loyalty.  Why would anyone buy a product without sny real support?

D

[CraigV]

Deanne: Just be aware that there are NO LTO5 drives listed on the BE 11d HCL...you can confirm this on the link below:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH46703

The reason for it working? You might be lucky...but if it isn't supported, neither are you.

BE 12.5 was the first version to support LTO5 drives (http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH46703).

Your best bet to get that drive working would be to upgrade to BE 12.5 at a bare-minimum (and this is over 3 years old now). Alternatively, do an in-place upgrade to BE 2010 R3 with SP2.

Thanks!

[Ken_Putnam]

As Craig says, the only supported solutiojn is to upgrade to a newer version

IIRC, v12.5 would accept v12.0 serials.  To verify go to the link beloiw and enter the serial you have.  If v12.5 shows as the version, go ahead and down load the installation files, along with the driver files and the latest Service Pack from the second link  Filter for Patches and then Drivers and then select v12.0 (they don;t offer v12.5 in the menu)

Run the install and tell it to upgrade the existing install

https://fileconnect.symantec.com/licenselogin.jsp?localeStr=en_US

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&key=15047&channel=TECHNICAL_SOLUTION&bas...

[deanne]

Thanks for the replies guys.

This would not be the first time that someone suggested upgrading software for a system that didn't work as expected.  While common there is a logic problem in that I have a product that has been just short of a constant frustration and someone suggests that I spend more money to make it work as expected.

On the other side, I have tried contacting the sales folks at Symantec, phone, email, and even going to an event that involved a "geek treat" movie.  On the later, I spent my time discussing issues with the reps and taking contact info and never stayed for the movie as it was just a waste of time.  Time is something tha I have very little to waste.  To this day, I have yet to have any of them give me a recommendation on what products they have that would meet this need and others that I have yet to solve.  Neither can i get any of them to return an email or phone call.

The current product was lagacy from the former IT person and he was let go for incompetence.  The nagging feeling is that this software is another of his questionable and irresponsible choices.  Since my budget year has just rolled over I have an allocation dedicated to solving this issue.  I just don't want to through good money after bad.

If there are ANY Symantec people reading this forum, please find me someone that gives a hoot and have them contact me.

D

[CraigV · Accepted solution]

11d is old now (released 2006), and so support for LTO5 drives was non-existant.

In this case, upgrading IS your only option in order to get it to work properly. You'll never get that drive working with 11d. If you do, and you log a case, you'll be running an unsupported solution...

You can also escalate your case on the Symantec support line by making it a higher priority. Try that and see if it helps.

But upgrading is the only way to go in this case...