Inventory Required?

[dtraeger]

Hi all,

I support multiple small/medium business clients, all using Backup Exec 2010 R2 or R3. Their servers contain a mix of internal and external scsi single tape drives, typically with LTO3-5 tape media. I use Symantec drivers for the tape device whenever available. Hardware is always listed on Symantec's HCL.

In all of these cases, Backup Exec does not recognise that there is a tape inserted unless I perform an Inventory task. Unless an inventory is done, the job will fail saying that no media was inserted. As a workaround, I've added a scheduled inventory job to begin shortly before the nightly backup job. 

I've tried contacting the hardware vendor of the tape drives, typically Dell or HP, who do some simple diagnosing then defer me to Symantec saying it's a software issue, except in one case where they replaced the device for me under warranty (but the replacement had the same issue). I've talked to Symantec support who advised the workaround described above.

I seem to recall with previous versions how this was not the case, a tape was inserted and straight away it'd be visable in the right hand panel on the devices tab. Is this functionality that has changed.

My process for the initial setup was as follows:

1) Install tape drive as per vendor's instructions

2) On the media tab create a media pool named something recognisable

3) Insert the brand new tapes 1 by 1, and for each: Inventory (to get it to display), Label (eg Monday), Assign to new media pool.

4) Create a backup job specifying that media pool

So basically, I'm just trying to establish whether I'm missing a step in my configuration process or whether this is expected behaviour.

[pkh]

In all of these cases, Backup Exec does not recognise that there is a tape inserted unless I perform an Inventory task.

This is the normal behaviour.

Unless an inventory is done, the job will fail saying that no media was inserted.

This is not normal.  By right, even if you do not do an inventory, the job will check whether the tape can overwritten or append to, depending on your job requirement.  If it is a suitable, your job will just use it.

Your symptom sounds like the tape cannot be overwritten/append to and it got ejected.  BE will ask for an overwriteable tape, but did not get one and fail.

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In your setup steps, after Step 1, you should go to Tools ---> Wizards ---> Device Configuration Wizard and install the tape drive in BE.  This way, you will get the Symantec drivers.

[dtraeger]

Thanks PKH.

1) I do use Symantec's drivers using the method you mention.

2) It does not eject the tape, just asks for one to be inserted (unless an inventory was done already - the inventories are always successful).

3) The tape's plastic overwrite tab isn't on, and in the right hand panel in the media tab shows the tapes as being overwritable / allowing appending.

The workaround procedure of scheduling an inventory job to be just prior to the backup job is working successfully. However, I don't like using workarounds much and I'm about to set this up at more client locations and want to ensure I'm doing the right thing.

Basically exactly the same symptons accross 3-4 clients now, all with different hardware spec.

[pkh]

2) It does not eject the tape, just asks for one to be inserted (unless an inventory was done already - the inventories are always successful).

Assuming that the tape is in the drive, what happens when you reply O.K. to the alert.  Does BE just accept the tape?  If so, you can set an auto-response to the media insert alert.  Go to Tools ---> Alert Categories.

It has been some time since I used stand-alone tape drives, but I do not have inventory the tapes each day when I pop in a new one and I can't remember whether there are any "tricks" that I used to achieve this.