Job failing at the end when additional media required

[MagPie_Wat]

Hi,

I'm new to my backup support role so apologies if I'm missing something basic here.  I'm after some helps or pointers please to a strange situation.

I have a backup job running on Backup Exec 2014 (SP2 installed).  The job itself takes over a week and the last time it ran I gave it 11 tapes to chew through as this is what it needed last time, however, this time the data had grown and an extra tape was required.  I inserted a brand new tape, scanned the slot, and the job continued.  The issue I have is that when it got to the end, the job failed with the error:

A communications failure has occurred

The connection to target system has been lost. Backup set canceled.

If the job will fit onto the tapes that I give it from the start then it doesn't fail, if it requires more then I get the failure, the same happened the last time it ran.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm just getting to grips with all of this so any help or pointers would be much appreciated.

[CraigV]

...do you have an import slot defined on the library? Simply putting a tape in and scanning the slot isn't good enough for BE. An import job is automated within BE and it allows the system to accurately scan the slot and use the tape.

Thanks!

[Colin_Weaver]

This might be a "keep alive" settimg against the network environment. In the past we have seen issues like this where because the NDMP control port has almost no traffic during the data transfer phase that the network itself drops the connection on the Control Port but keeps the NDMP data connection open. Then when we get to the end we need try to use the original control port conversation and because it is no longer there, you receive a communication failure message.

When we saw something like this previously it was a backup to deduplication job across a WAN link and the routers of the WAN link were dropping the Control connection before the job ended. I believe the engineer that helped the customer at the time had to debug both Backup Exec and also use network sniffer tools (such as wireshark etc) to identify the issue.

NOTE: this is just a guess we do not have enough info to really say you have the same problem. I am concerned that a job that runs for a week might be subject to something similar and to be honest would suggest you take steps to adjust your backup strategy to reduce how long the job takes to run (even if that means investment in hardware and software to run deduplication and/or parallel backup jobs)

One thing that does slightly put me off my guess being correct it I would have expected the insert media request to trigger at least some traffic on the NDMP Control Port.

[MagPie_Wat]

I would say no, how do I define an import slot?

Anything is worth a try.

Thanks.

[Larry_Fine]

The number of import/export slots (also called mailslots or portals) are configured within your library.  Backup Exec then detects this the next time that the BE services are started.

I don' t think that the BE GUI will make it obvious how many import slots are configured.  The best place to check this is within your BE adamm.log file.

You are looking for the section similar to this:

                     1st Slot Number         1
                     Number Of Slots         15
                     Portal Slots            3
                     Import/Export           Robotic
                     Drives                  2

[backupcnx]

Check if the Backup Exec System Logon Account (SLA) on the Backup Exec server is either missing or its credentials has changed. If neither is the case, create a new account and assign it the SLA role. Verify that the backup job in question is using the updated or newly created SLA before its next use.

To check for a system logon account

1. In Backup Exec do one of the following:
   1. On version 2012 - Click the Backup Exec button | Configuration and Settings | Logon Accounts | Manage Logon Accounts.
   2. On version 2010 R3 and earlier - Network | Logon Accounts
2. Do one of the following:
   1. If no account has as a description System Logon Account and none of the accounts listed can be made into this role then skip to section, ‘To create the system logon account,’ below.
   2. If an account does or can have the description System Logon Account proceed to step 3
3. Select the Backup Exec logon account you want to change, and then click Edit.

NOTE: If not logged on to Backup Exec server with the same user name as the Backup Exec logon account being edited, Backup Exec prompted to provide the account owner’s password before the account can be edited. If this password is not available, select a different account or skip to section , ‘To create the system logon account.’

4. Do the following:
   1. If the account does not have the description,’System Logon Account,’ depending upon version, click, ‘Set as Default,’ OR ,’This is my default account.’
   2. Enter credential information:
      1. In the User name field enter the fully qualified username (e.g. DOMAIN\Administrator)
      2. Click Change Password to enter the current password for this user in both the password and confirm fields.

NOTE: The password entered is encrypted for security.

5. Click OK.
6. Do one of the following:
   1. On version 2012:
      1. On the Edit Logon Credentials dialog box, click OK.
      2. On the Logon Account Management dialog box, click OK.
   2. On version 2010 R3 and earlier:
      1. On the Account Management dialog box, click OK.

To create the system logon account

1. In Backup Exec do one of the following:
   1. Version 2012 - Click the Backup Exec button | Configuration and Settings | Logon Accounts | Manage Logon Accounts | and select System Account.
   2. Version 2010 R3 and earlier - Network | Logon Accounts | and select New
2. Do the following:
   1. Enter the appropriate account credential information. For more information please review Edit Logon Credentials options: http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO74104
   2. Be sure to select This is my default logon account  account option.
   3. Then click OK
3. Do one of the following:
   1. Version 2012:
      1. On the Edit Logon Credentials dialog box, click OK.
      2. On the Logon Account Management dialog box, click OK.
   2. Version 2010 R3 and earlier:
      1. On the Account Management dialog box, click OK.
          

[CraigV]

...which TN was this taken from?

[pkh]

If you are going to cut and paste from this document

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH28737

then it is better to provide the link to the document.