HELP!!! BE 11D, 3 different problems

[Al_Campos]

Since upgrading from 10 to 11d, I have had nothing but problems with my backup jobs.

1. Backup jobs take nearly 14 hours to complete, before hand the average rate was about 8 to 9 hours.

2. Backup job completes with exceptions because of Error V-79-57344-34110 AOFO & VSP related. Researched that error and Veritas comes up lame. I even created a script that will re-start the services, but the only true way to get rid of this error is to REBOOT the particular servers...and this can't be done every day since my servers need to be up 24X7.

3. And by far my biggest problem - we use an external 110/220 GB SDLT, and Super DLTtape 1 320 tapes, and we currently back up about 207gigs of data, but over the last two days BE 11d, needs for me to insert another tape hours after the backup job has begun and it's running...so now I have to use TWO tapes for a job that in the past required ONE SINGLE tape. Now compression is set on the device...I'm just lost at this point.

External SDLT 110/200 (compaq) on a Compaq Proliant DL360, P3, two installed, 1.5 gb memory, running on Windows 2003 Standard, with SP1.

[Philip_Pearson]

You must delete all 10d jobs, policies and selection lists that were present at the upgrade and recreate them. I don't know anyone who was able to upgrade and keep the same jobs. Someone may have an easier workaround but I have suffererd all these problems and solved them with the solution I suggested.

If you are backing up exchange do not expect great performance, it is very buggy and we are all hanging off some patches.

[Al_Campos]

Phil, Thanks but I did delete the jobs and recreate them...this upgrade isn't the very best at all...problems since day one. I have about two successful backups since the update, it's been over a month now...these patches don't fix a thing.

[Philip_Pearson]

Did you delete the policies (even the ones you are not using) and the selection lists also. you can try deleting the catalog files, it will recreate them, there are some threads here that explain what to do. But I recreated my jobs about 3 times before they worked, in the end I discarded the use of policies and since then I have had no issues.

It is a difficult product though

[Jay_Hughes]

Hi Al:

Recreating your jobs will not resolve the three issues that you are experiencing. And the version of the backup software is not the cause of the backup taking up more than one tape. The Super DLT1 Tapes can be used in either a 110/220 or 160/320 Tape Drive. Your tape drive only supports a native capacity of 110GB and a maximum rated capacity of 220GB. The only way to get more capacity out of those tapes than 220GB (which you most likely would never even get this much compression, even if software compression is used) is to replace the existing drive with a 160/320GB Model.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/UCR/SupportManual/TPM_201412e2(1)/TPM_201412e2(1).pdf?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

***The type of data you are backing up is also a major contributor to the amount of compression that can be achieved. http://support.veritas.com/docs/199542

***The Technote listed immediately above can also explain one reason why the backups are taking longer. Trying to use hardware compression to backup data that is already in a highly compressed state will cause the data to expand, take up more room on the tape, and slow the backup down.

***AOFO and VSP Errors usually occur for the following reasons:

1. Your anti-virus software is scanning the AOFO Cache Folder or the Hidden System Volume Information Folder where the VSP Shadow Copy Snapshot gets created. The virus scanning should never scan these folders or any folders where database transaction logging occurs (Exchange, SQL, Active Directory Domain Controller NTDS Files/Folders, etc...). http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822158

2. The hard disks are heavily fragmented or need to have a Check Disk run on them (chkdsk /f). http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/237444.htm

***Make sure also that the hard disks are not running out of free disk space. Each partition should have a minimum of 15% free disk space available.

3. There is not enough memory or the memory is mis-matched (different brands). If a machine is only a workgroup or member server (not a domain controller, Exchange or SQL Server) and only being used as a file server without AOFO being installed, then 1.5GB of Ram would be an adequate amount of memory if the machine got backed up at a time when there was minimal disk activity (after hours when no users are accessing it). But since Backup Exec 11D now uses SQL Express (SQL 2005 Desktop Edition that requires more memory), because of the amount of memory anti-virus software uses, and add in AOFO & any other third party applications - 1.5GB of Ram is not enough. Each application/installation/upgrade should be allocated at least 500mb of Ram. So if you install Windows fresh on a machine, it should have at least 500mb of Ram. If you upgrade it to a domain controller, add another 500mb. Install Backup Exec 11D, add another 500mb, install anti-virus software, add another 500mb, etc...

***Exchange, Oracle, Lotus Domino, and SQL Servers should have a minimum of 1GB of memory allocated just for their applications. The UserVA and 3GB Parameters should be enabled in the Boot.ini File also. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810371

***When you upgraded to 11D, at least 500mb minimum of Ram should have been added to the server. Memory is cheap now days, so I would adding at least 1 to 1.5 GB more and confirm it is all the same HP/Compaq Approved Ram.

4. Another third party application that uses a filter driver is installed or running at the same time the backup is. Products like Diskeeper should not run when the backup does. And any other third party replication or open file applications should not be installed on a machine if you want to backup that machine with Backup Exec.

5. The SofPaqs or RomPaqs are not at the latest level. The firmware also needs to be at the latest level on the tape drive and it should be cleaned per the manufacturer's recommendation.

6. Service Pack One for Windows 2003 needs to be re-applied. Microsoft claims that this is not necessary in the newer versions of Windows, but they also have claimed in the past that servers never have to be rebooted or that plug & play hardware can just be connected to a server without requiring a reboot or shutdown. Unless Backup Exec was installed prior to Service Pack One being applied, re-apply the service pack.

***Please realize that the backup software is only part of the total equation here. The tape hardware can only backup/compress what it is rated for. VSP/AOFO Errors occur because of other third party application conflicts, a lack of available memory (Ram), heavy disk I/O (excessive paging due to lack of memory), a lack of available hard disk space, heavy disk fragmentation, etc...

***If you perform the steps above, confirm that there are no application or hardware warnings/errors in the Windows Event Viewer, and the backups still take a long time or error out, then I would agree with you regarding there being an issue with the backup software. One other thing to realize is that some of the new Backup Exec Features, such as data encryption, are going to make the backups run slower, because of the additional processing it takes to encrypt the data. You also cannot use hardware compression when encryption is selected and software compression with encryption will make the backup run even slower.

Jay

[Jay_Hughes]

P.S.:

If you are backing up remote servers with a Remote Agent installed on them, the Remote Agent needs to be re-installed after all the latest patches for Backup Exec have been applied to the media server. Confirm also that the network card drivers are at the latest level on each machine (media server and remote) and review each machine's Windows Event Viewer Logs for warnings/errors.

Jay