Can't backup 330 GB onto a single 400 GB NATIVE tape

[TargetIT]

Over the past couple of months our BE server has been failing to perform a full backup onto a single tape. The amount of data we're trying to backup is about 330 GB. We are not using compression and the tapes have a 400 GB NATIVE capacity. Yet BE just can't seem to fit 330 GB onto a single 400 GB tape. If I look under the Media tab, I can see the following stats for our tapes...

Used Capacity	Data
389.7 GB of 390.9 GB	179.17 GB
389.7 GB of 390.9 GB	170.48 GB
389.6 GB of 390.9 GB	248.55 GB

I can use brand new tapes and it won't make any difference. We've tried a number of things to correct this: upgrade all the drivers, make sure all the latest Symantec updates are installed, replaced the tape drive with a new one, tried new tapes, replaced the internal SCSI cable, etc. Nothing has worked.

I'm beginning to think this is software-related since we've replaced just about everything else! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Our setup:

• 
  Server: HP Proliant ML350 G5, Windows 2003 R2 SP2, 2 GB RAM
• Software: Symantec Backup Exec 12.0 Rev 1364
• Tape Drive: HP LTO Ultrium-3 drive
• SCSI Adapter: Adaptec SCSI Card 29160 Ultra160
• Tapes: FujiFilm LTO Ultrium 3 (400GB Native/800 GB Compressed)

- Michael

[Ken_Putnam]

I seem to remember a similar problem some folks were having with 11D and LTO-2

As I recall, the workaround was to Initialize the tapes using the manufaturer's utility rather than just labeling them in BackupExec.  You might give that a try - remember that a label  is the same as a quick erase, so don't re-initialize any tapes that you might want to restore from some time in the future

[sksujeet]

As you said it was working properly and now it doesn't work anymore. Is there anything that got changed recently, also if it stand alone drive then you can use NT backup and write on the tape to isolate as it is BE issue or library. If you already have changed everything then i am suspecting it might be the BE database that got corrupt. If that is the case then you can take the backup of data and catalog folder by stopping the services and reinstall the BE or do the load from base. But make sure you do the data backup before doing it

[pkh]

Check your job log and let us know what it says about encryption and compression.  For example, it might say  encryption : hardware and compression : software.