BackupExec 10, Restore Job Empty

[hulahoop_]

Hi,

Ive need to restore one of our servers which also has our Media Server hosted on it and I cannot find the encryption key. I know the key will be one of four possibilities so am currently trying them out.

However when I tried the first option for the key and ran a catalog it came up with an error saying the backup jobs on the tape were empty. So I have a list of all the different jobs on the tape, but when you try to look in a folder and do a restore there's nothing there. Is this because I have got the encryption key wrong?

When you look at the stats on the tape itself you can see that 50% of the tape is already occupied. I'm sure I have restored things before from the tape so know that the backup was completed correctly.Is this just due to the encryption key?

I'm currently running Exec 10.00 Rev 5520, this was also the same version when the backup was made.

[CraigV]

Hi,

If you don't use the correct encryption key, you're not going to be able to restore anything. If you don't have the correct encryption key backed up, you've lost the data on the tape unless, by some miracle, you remember it, or pay someone a big sum of money to try recovering the data.

Thanks!

[hulahoop_]

I know its one of a few variations so I'm slightly relaxed about getting the key correct. My concern was that there was nothing showing in the jobs to be restored and wanted to check that this is due to the encryption key rather than a fault when the backup was originally done.

Thinking of getting it tattooed on me next time

[CraigV]

...a tattoo will work

But the encryption key obviously prevents any sort of unauthorised access to your data which is exactly what you want.

[hulahoop_]

Well, Hopefully I'll be able to guess it and all shall be well. It would be nice if BackupExec displays in the error that the encrytion key is in correct rather than showing me nothing is there.

[Colin_Weaver]

10.x did not use encryption so I assume you are talking about a media password which just encodes the tape header and stops a catalog operation.

If you can't remember the password itself then a data recovery company will almost certainly be able to help as they have software to bypass the header and directly read the (non-encrypted) data on the tape.

Niote: If you have the wrong password the catalog job log should show an error

[hulahoop_]

Hi,

Ive attached the last catalogue log file which failed. It shows that there was nothing backed up orginally, but the tape is shown as 60% used which is what I expected. Im currently running lots of catalogue jobs with different passwords to see if I can open it.

I presume the data's there, I just cant get to it because I havent got the correct password.... or have I missed something?

[hulahoop_]

OK.. Done a little more digging and there is an artical on the error (see below). Ive ran through this and Im just waiting to see what the outcome from the next catalog job is.

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH74872&actp=search&viewlocale=en_U...

[hulahoop_]

Update

Although I have folowed the instructions from the link in my previous post the job returns the same error.

Any Suggestions?