Backups Fail

[Howard_Mills]

Hello everyone,

Running:
BE 9.1 4691 SP3
Dell PV-110T/DLT- VS 80/ Firmware-5538
Tapes- Dell & Imation 40GB Native / 80GB Compressed

I am having a problem with compleating backups if data is already on media. If I erase the media, backups complete succesfully.
I have one media set configured to, "Append to media, overite if no appendable media is available". Backup method is set to "Full-Backup Files-Reset Archive bit. Using this option, should tapes with data be overwritten right?

Thank you.
HM

[Gauri_Ketkar]

Hi,

If media is set configured to, "Append to media, ovewrite if no appendable media is available" then if the job is set to run on that media,it will be overwritten.

Refer the links given below :

Technote http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/237374.htm
Technote http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/192265.htm

Hope this will help you.

Thank you
Gauri

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[Howard_Mills]

Gauri, thanks for replying. The media set is configured as you suggested, (and as I stated in my post) but the jobs will not complete. BE will not overite the media. The only way to get BE to use the tapes is to format them. Then I am able to do one backup job and start the process all over again. Helppppp.

Thanks,
H.M.

[Ken_Putnam]

Two things that you can do -

1) When you mount a tape, inventory it, then drag it to the scratch media set

2) Set OPP (OverwriteProtectionPeriod) for the media set such that the tapes have expired before you are due to re-use them.

[Howard_Mills]

Ken, sorry to ask what should be a simple task but how and where would I modify the OPP?

Thanks!

[Ken_Putnam]

From the Media Tab, right click the media set\Properties

Overwrite is calculated from the time that the last file of the last backup set is written to the tape. If you append, then the OPP is calculated from the time that the append finishes, not the time that the 1st backup set finished.

Append period is calculated from the time that the first data of the first backupset is written to tape, and is not affected by any subsequent append operation.

[Howard_Mills]

Ken, I went to my media set and right clicked properties. OPP is set to - None and Append Period to - Infinite-Allow Append. I attempted to change the OPP period but was unable to modify the OPP from this window, so I tried editing the OPP period from None to 48hrs by using the Media Set Wizard. After modifying the OPP options, I then went back to the media set\properties, but the changes were not reflected. I must be doing something wrong. How can I change the OPP from None to 48hrs?

Thanks for helping.

[Kishore_Natvarl]

HI

If you go to tools / options/ Media management you will be able to do the changes.

If it is set on Full & Partial you will be able to make your changes on the Media sets for the overwrite period

[Howard_Mills]

Kishore,

My Media option was set to "None", I then changed it to "Partial". I am now able to modify the OPP period. My question now is, will media which has 4 to 6gb free space be appended to?

Thank you.

[Shashidhar_Gili]

Hi Howard,

Did you manage to sort this problem, please let me know. I also have the same problem.

Thanks and best regards,

shashi

[Howard_Mills]

Sashi,

Unfortunately not. I came into work today to find my backup job from the 17th waiting for an appendable media. I have one media set which is configured to 2 days OPP and Infinate append period. Our officed are closed for the weekend, so on Friday before taking off I placed a media in the drive. The media had 4.5gb free space. In the past, backup jobs would overwrite old data. Now it wants appendable media.
I can't seem to figure out why this has started to happend, it's getting very frustrating.

Anyone have any other Ideas?

[Deepali_Badave]

Hello,

In the alerts tab please verify if you are getting any media related alerts.



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[Shashidhar_Gili]

Hi Howard,

I checked the alerts for any media related warnings, but theer was none.

Everyday, I am re-labeling the tape (each day's), otherwise the backup won't happen telling that the tape is overwrite protected (which is not in reality)

Thanks and best regards,

shashi

[Shashidhar_Gili]

Hi Deepali,

My apologies, instead of addressing it to you, I addressed it to Howard.

Thanks and regards,

shashi

[Howard_Mills]

Sashi,

I'm still experiencing the problem, are you?

[Ken_Putnam]

if you want to append to a tape the second/third/etc job must use the same media set as the first job on the tape. That media set must have Append enabled, and the Append time (Figured from the time that the first job started writing data to the tape) has not expired.

[Howard_Mills]

Ken,
I use 1 media set only. I have 7 media, for which I do a backup 5 days a week (Mon. thru Fri.). The media set is configured as follows;
OPP - 2 days,
Append Period:NONE - Infinate- Allow Append.

Do I have something configured wrong?

Thank you.

[Ken_Putnam]

Hmmm

The settings look OK to me.

Do you run the same job each nght, or does one day overwrite and the rest Append,

If one job, is it set for Append Else Overwrite?

(I'm trying to get a clearer idea of what you are trying to accomplish)

[Shashidhar_Gili]

Hi Howard,

It is the same story, no improvement at all, every day I am relabeling that day's tape, after that it is doing the backup.

If not, it fails.

Thanks and best regards,

shashi

[Ryan_Bernier]

I am experiencing the same overwrite protection problem. My daily tapes work fine, but my weekly tapes bomb after 70 to 85 GB is backed up (out of 105GB). I have no yet applied any service packs and I have not changed any settings which have been work so well for 2 years. The weekly tapes starting failing about 2 months ago. If I format the tape it backs up fine. However I should have to do that every week, obviously.