BackupExec, Hyper-V, HP D2d4009i, and HP 1x8 G2 Autoloader issues

[ArcOnondaga]

We currently upgraded everything in regards to our network.  We have implemented VM's using Hyper-V, replaced our old tape Changer with an HP 1x8 G2 Autoloader and implemented a HP D2D4009i Disk backup system.

We have the D2D connected via iSCSI and have noticed that we can only get BackupExec 12.5 to recognize it as a Robotic Library.  The new HP 1x8 G2 Autoloader shows as a Stand-Alone Drive and only when a tape is in the carrier does it recognize any media.  The backups take forever (sometime 13-40+hours) when they used to take less than 12 before.  What are we doing wrong?  Is there a better way to do this?

Here is how we are utilizing the system:
Daily Differential - Going to D2D
Weekly Full - Going to D2D
Monthyl Full - Going to D2D then to tape (only really needs to go to tape if we could get the backup time down from 40+hours so that a Weekyl can be written to D2D and monthly to Tape only for offsite retention.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Hemant_Jain]

For this autoloader, minimum firmware version of 1.20 is required. Check if that is the case. You may check the entries in adamm.log file located under c:\program files\symantec\backup exec\logs folder, for more information. Upgrade the firmware version, if it is still not updated.

Please mark it a solution, if this is useful.
Thanks

[ArcOnondaga]

We are currently running firmware 2.70/2.00n.

[Hemant_Jain]

Do you see mediumchanger in the device manager?

[ArcOnondaga]

In device manager I have HP2 in Stand-Alone Drives (which the serial # is from the D2D), and in Robotic Libraries I have HP1 (which is the serial # that the D2D is emulating as a HP 1x8g2, not by physical 1x8g2) and then stepped into HP3 (the serial # is that of the actual D2D) and slots (shows the 24 lto-4 drives the D2D is emulating).

[Hemant_Jain]

You started the thread with saying, that you see the autoloader as standalone drive, but from your last post, it appears that you do see the HP1 device under robotic libraries. So, that should be good.

Thanks

[ArcOnondaga]

The D2D4009i emulated 1x8 shows, but the physical 1x8 doesn't.  Now after a restart all the emulated disks show as cleaning media. 

[teiva-boy]

 Well since you are backing up to a VTL, you should do more parallel backups to your D2D device.  Send anywhere up to 4 simultaneous backup jobs to that D2D device.

That should cut down your backup times by quite a bit.

The other thing is to use jumbo frames between your BE server and D2D unit.
A dedicated iSCSI network
and dedicated PCI-e intel or broadcom NIC's for iSCSI traffic, not the onboard ones found on most server boards.  

[ArcOnondaga]

After hours of working on the issue I got the disks that are from the D2D (emulated 1x8G2) to work.  The backups are working again, but the physical 1x8g2 is not showing in the software.  It shows in the device manager under Windows 2008 though.  I have allowed multiple simultaneous backups to occur and since we are on a dedicated isci network, I will look into jumbo frames.