Cannot unlock a LTO tape library using Backup Exec Unlock command

[Alexandre_Miche]

Hi all,

As I am not getting any feedback on my previous question, I decided to repost it with a better plain english description

I have a few clients with HP LTO4 tape libraries all using Backup Exec V12. All are working well except for one where I don't seem to be able to control the library

The main issue I have is that I cannot unlock the library to swap tapes. Any jobs to unlock the library or eject tape will failed after 15 minutes with this error:
Error category    : Job Errors
Error             : e00081d9 - The Backup Exec job engine system service is not responding.

The Alerts tab also show this error:
Unlock Library 00006 -- The job failed with the following error: The Backup Exec job engine system service is not responding. with a link to V-79-57344-33241

The only way to unlock the library is to powercycle it which is a real non-sense

They are using BE V12 Rev 1364 on SBS 2003 SP1
This is an upgrade installation from BE V9.1 when we installed LTO4 Tape Library (HP StorageWorks MSL2024).
Using Symantec drivers
Ran Symantec LiveUpdate & up to date

Any suggestion on how to resolve this?

Thank you 

Alexandre

[Vijay_S_Mishra]

Are you able to run an inventory ? if all the device utility jobs are failing with the same error go to devices tab in

BE GUI , right click the server name and pause it . Right click again unpause it .

See if it helps.

Thanks,

[Alexandre_Miche]

Hi Vijay,

Thank you for your responce.

I ran an inventory and ... it does not even start. It is in the job queue with a starting time 1/2 hour old now.

By the way, the library seems to be working well otherwise. It reads the barcodes & recognises the tapes. It backs up to the right tape in the right media set, so BE has recognised the library and uses it.

Note: We are using BE 12 for SBS. Prior to installing the HP LTO4 tape library, we had a VXA2 tape library & were using BE 9.1 for SBS. When I installed the LTO4 library, I did an in-place upgrade of BE. The first time BE saw the LTO4 tape library, it winged about BE for SBS only allowed to have one tape library at a time. I deleted the VXA2 tape library from BE and the VXA2 tape drive now appears under Stand Alone drives. However, I ran the BE Diagnostic tool and see the following entries for example. Should I delete the registry entries for the VXA library?

-------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[8872] 02/27/08 13:49:33.010 Device Registry:

Scsi Address Prt :Bus :Tar :Lun   Attributes -------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0000:0000:0000:0000  "atapi", (Port Driver)

-------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0001:0000:0000:0000  "atapi", (Port Driver)

-------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0002:0000:0000:0000  "adpu160m", (Port Driver) 0002:0000:0003:0000  "EXABYTE EXB-210         E36r", (Changer Device), "\\.\MediumChanger0" 0002:0000:0004:0000  "EXABYTE VXA-2           2109", (Tape Device), "\\.\Tape0" 0002:0000:0005:0000  "HP      C5683A          C111", (Tape Device), "\\.\Tape1"

-------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0003:0000:0000:0000  "cpqcissm", (Port Driver)

-------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0004:0000:0000:0000  "Lsi_scsi", (Port Driver) 0004:0000:0004:0000  "HP      Ultrium 4-SCSI  B34W", (Tape Device), "\\.\Tape2" 0004:0000:0004:0001  "HP      MSL G3 Series   3.60", (Changer Device), "\\.\MediumChanger1"

-------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0005:0000:0000:0000  "Lsi_scsi", (Port Driver)

-------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0006:0000:0000:0000  "Lsi_scsi", (Port Driver)

-------------------  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cheers

Alexandre

[Alexandre_Miche]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any suggestion about this?

It is really frustrating. I am about to throw this library through the windows!

Alexandre

[higherorbit]

Hi Alexandre I've got the same problem, with the same equipment. W2K3 server, fully patched, with an MSL2024 LTO4 with latest firmware, SCSI connection.

The system was working fine with BE 11d, however on Monday I upgraded to ver 12 as we purchased some remote agents and wanted to take advantage of the additional agent-related features in ver 12.

Ever since, cannot backup, cannot inventory the library. The scan of barcodes works fine, but can't inventory it. Can't open the library magazines. 10 tapes inside, only one with data on it. We get the same E00081D9 error - when we run an inventory job it reads 'Queued' for 15 minutes and then dumps the same error as you receive. Halfway through the job it changes from 'Queued' to 'Communications Stalled'. The hp StorageWorks tape and library test tool shows no problems with the library/drive.

I have noticed that the job logs under 'Job History' in the bottom pane show the job as "Recovered", rather than Failed, shows the job type as "Unknown", and instead of showing the device name, that field is blank.

Did you end up resolving your problem?

[Alexandre_Miche]

Hi,

I did fix the problem, but I am not absolutely sure how! I tried so many things, none worked ... until I rebooted both the server & the tape library.

My problem was maybe different to yours in that I was upgrading BE at the same time I upgraded the tape library. BE for Small Business Server (and possibly other versions) wants to have a special ~$1500 option add-on to allow it to use more than one library. Nice "feature"!

All the solutions I applied were trying to resolve this issue. So I deleted the old tape library from BE itself, I cleaned up the registry, uninstalled it from the device manager, disconnected it from the server.

My next step was going to completely uninstall BE, cleanup the registry, uninstall all tapes & libraries, and then re-install it all from scratch.

Good luck and let us know what your solution is.

Cheers

Alexandre

[higherorbit]

I have rebooted both multiple times, including powering off the server, rebooting the library and letting it sit for an hour, firing the server back up.. to no avail..

We have the standard BEWS (not SBS version), however only one library with one tape drive inside so no need for additional options.

I haven't gone as far as removing the library from the system devices, will try that in the morning and see how we go.

[bungeecork]

I had a similar problem but don't have a library - just 1 LTO drive on a W2008 server. 

I could backup and restore.

I couldn't run Inventory or Eject jobs - they would report "communication halted", then go on hold - cancelling them would pause everything and require a services restart.

How wierd was that!

The solution was to Pause and later Unpause the server in the BE GUI as described above.

:)

Message Edited by bungeecork on 04-28-2008 09:24 PM

[Synermat]

Hello,

I can backup and restore, un can scan.
I cannot inventory, so cannot catalog and restore tapes wich are not in the inventory.

thanks,

[Larry_Fine]

Did you pause and unpause the server?

[yciglobal]

This solution worked for me Server 2003SP2 BE 12.  Thanks!