DC2000 Cartdridge error on B2D2T job

[TechGuru]

We're using BE2010R3 and have a B2D job configured that runs fine (aside from some SP issues) and then a duplicate to tape job that runs immediately after that first job. The original job is about 230GB in size. The duplicate to tape job will get to about 151GB and fail. The reason given is: e00084e4 - The DC2000 cartridge has was formatted with an unrecognized format.

I can use these same tapes for regular tape-based jobs and these tapes were used, successfully, previously in BE12.5. So, this doesn't make any sense. Why get to 150GB and then fail? If the media were truly invalid the job shouldn't even get past the first byte.

Searches on the Inter-webs don't yield much help. The situations described differ from my own. I would really like to get this resolved and have run out of ideas.

Our installation is current with the latest SPs and HFs. Like I mentioned earlier, I can use the same tape drive and tapes for tape-based backup jobs. In fact, this was the original setup until we decided we wanted GRT and then had to reconfigure the jobs as B2D but needed offsite storage so that lead us to the duplicate to tape job. I've follwed the "best practices" from Symantec and used the wizard to create the duplicate job. All should be well if not for the crazy media error we're getting about 55% into the job routine.

Anyone have any ideas or dealt with this before?

Thanks...

[CraigV]

...what happens if you manually erase the tape before being used in the duplicate job? Same error?

[pkh]

DC2000 cartridges are rather old.  I think they are not supported under BE 2010.  Check the HCL to see whether your tape drive is supported.

BE 2010|2010 R2|2010 R3 Hardware (HCL)

[TechGuru]

I get the same result if the tape is erased prior to use. I've tried a quick erase and a long erase. The same tapes can be used for normal backups, but for some reason are failing part-way through the duplication portion.

[TechGuru]

That would be obvious. The tape drive is supported on the HCL and the same drive and tapes will work for regular backup jobs. The DC2000 error message isn't even grammatically correct so I take what it states with a grain of salt. However, this is what makes the problem so perplexing. The fact that such a generic error message that isn't even related is being thrown up for a job that was running, fails at the same point every time, and that is being seen by others under a myriad of different circumstances. Unfortunately, I have not seen a forum discussion or KB article yet that references this condition and/or has a solid resolution to it.

[uweiss]

We have the same problem here after moving from W2k3 + BE2010R2 to W2k8 + BE2010R3.

Only thing changed on the hardware side was the SAS controller for the "HP LTO-4 Ultrium 1760 SAS" drive. It was a "HP SA P212" before which made some problems. We replaced it by an "Adaptec 1405".

B2D (full) works fine (~ 890GB), duplication to tape fails between 99 and 101GB.
Differencial backups (~ 280GB) are duplicated fine to the tape.

If i get the tape back from my collegue, i will try to format and/or write a new lable to it.

[uweiss]

Think i got it.

I thought i have installed all patches after BE2010R3 installation last week. But after running Live Update again today, it found two more patches to install (159965 / 164220). One of these seemes to have fixed the problem. It's at 500GB at the moment.

[uweiss]

Unfortunately it was not fully fixed with the patches.

After installing the patches i could run the duplication job manually with success, what i couldn't before. But, if it runs automatically after the B2D Backup, it fails with the same error after 101 GB again. I can select the job from "Job Monitor" then and select "Retry Job Now" which will work fine.

No idea what to try now...

[CraigV]

SP1 is out so you might also want to grab that and install it. once done, run LiveUpdate again as there is a DDI package that was released after SP1.

Try the backup again and post the results...

[uweiss]

Hello Craig

I have installed SP1 and DDI package last week.

Today it made the first full B2T2D after SP1 and DDI update, and, it failed. Then it also failed when i restarted the job manually.

Started Live Update and it told me that Backup Exec is not registered to use Live Update (or something similar. Didn't wrote it down). Klicked on yes to register it, and then it showed me SP1 again which i have installed last week, and still is installed. "Installed Updates" shows me "Service Pack 1" and "Hotfix 167567" (DDI).

Letting LU install the SP1 again fails. Manually running it results in a "error 1328: error applying patch to file config.msi ..."

[ASMEMax]

I am having the same problem.  We upgraded Backup Exec on a 2008 server from 2010 R2 to 2010 R3 SP1 with the latest HF's and our duplicate to tape job of our SharePoint farms (GRT) fails with the DC2000 Cartridge error.  This same job worked flawlessly when we were on 2010 R2.  The strange thing about the message is that we are using LTO4 tapes to a Dell PowerVault ML6000, which has the latest firmware updates.  As stated above the same tapes work fine on other backup jobs.  There is clearly a bug in R3.