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LTO3 Accepts only 186GB!!!! STRANGE

zalbuta
Level 2

Hi,

I have BackupExec 11d running on a server that has SCSI connection with IBM LTO3 Sequential drive. The LTO3 tapes are usually 400/800GB! But my backup job ejects the tape when it writes around 180GB, and ask for the second tape! with the following message:

 

Please insert overwritable media into the drive.

Overwritable media includes scratch, blank, and recyclable media. Please note that depending on the current Media Overwrite Protection setting, imported and allocated media may be overwritable as well. Consult the online help for more information on overwritable media.

Respond Yes to acknowledge.

Respond No to retry the operation.

 

When I go the Tape under media, I can see that the tape compression rate is only 1.45:1... It used to be a month ago 35:1!! I am using hardware compression!!!

 

In job setting I am having "When job Start: Ovewrite the media", and all the tapes I am inserting are overwritable!!

 

Any idea! Please helpppp

2 REPLIES 2

PcSysAdmin
Level 4

I'm not familiar with the IBM LTO3 Sequential drive.. However, you may want to check what the "Media Type" is set to on the tape in the "Media" section.  With my VXA system it typically only detects the tape as 8MM, and then I have to modify it to understand it as 8MM VXA.... 

 

Of course, the other issue I had with these tapes was if they somehow were formatted for the different capacity (even when new) they wouldn't write in that capacity till reformated by an application from the Hardware manufacturer.  You may want to check and see if IBM has an application that can allow you to test/format the media while Backup Exec services are shutdown. 

 

Other then that.. did you apply any updated drivers?  (Did Windows find some new ones for you?)

 

 

Ken_Putnam
Level 6

This problem reared it's head shortly after the introduction of LTO2s

 

The most consistent solution seems to be to use the Drive Mfg utility to "initialize" the tape volume, rather than just labeling in BackupExec