cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

List Tape Contents (Symantec BackupExec 12.5)

JJJCR
Level 4

hi guys, i'm on the task of recovering old datas from old tapes. 

I can read the tape contents using Symantec Backup Exec, by doing Inventory, and going to the device then clicking on the tape device name.

When I do a restore data, I can view the contents of the tape.

My question is, is there a way to list the contents of the tape to an excel file or text format?

I had downloaded the Catdump utility for Backup Exec 12.5 from this link--> (http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH87173)

The syntax for this catdump would be: catdump path-to-program-files-and-catalog-GUID.fh > dump-to-text.file

But my problem is when I tried to run that command, there's no data generated becaused the catalog.GUID.fh file does not exist anymore, or it might have been deleted.

Is there a way to print or list out the tape contents from old tapes if the catalog file has been deleted?

 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

pkh
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP    Certified

What I am saying is that you inventory and catalog the .bkf files once you have restore them to disk.  After cataloging, there will be catalog information for the .bkf files. You can then dump the catalog with catdump.

View solution in original post

17 REPLIES 17

pkh
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP    Certified

You should re-catalog the tape which will re-create the catalog information and then run catdump.

JJJCR
Level 4

hi pkh, i had tried to re-catalog the tape but i'm unable to find the xml catalog file. 

Where can i find the xml catalog file? 

Thanks.

SuperBrain
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

DEfault Catalog path is in the Backup Exec install directory (\\Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\Catalogs)

Easiest way to locate the catalog folder (or be installation directory) is right-click on the Backup Exec icon on your desktop - Find Target

JJJCR
Level 4

Hi Bhavik, i had tried searching on the \\Program Files\Symantec\Backup Exec\Catalogs but what I find is all 2009 catalog files.

And on the catalog job logs, there is media GUID if I search for that one I can't find it. 

Is the media GUID (on the job log) corresponds as the xml catalog file?

Thanks.

SuperBrain
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

Go to Tool - Options - Catalogs in Backup Exec

check what is mentioned in Catalogs path? That is your current Catalogs location, go to that path and check.

JJJCR
Level 4

Hi Bhavik, thanks for the prompt reply. Yes, you're right different path is specified.

But I had tried to run again the catalog media, it seems that there is no .xml or .fh that is being generated. 

Any ideas why there is no .xml or .fh that is being generated?

But the job summary information it says completed.

Thanks for any input. 

SuperBrain
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

When you run the catalog job, does it show any bytecount?

JJJCR
Level 4

Nope, it doesn't show any byte count, the job runs only for about 1:30secs.

here's what I did: click on Devices go to Storage devices on the right area, i click on the LT0006 (under media label), the i right click  and select "Catalog Media" on it then I run the job.

Is it the right way to re-catalog the tape?

but doing the same steps but I click on restore data, I can see the contents of the tape. But I want to list its contents to a text file or any editable and readable format.

Thanks. :)

SuperBrain
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

Yes it is the correct way to re-catalog the tape. Ideally it should catalog with byte-count, but if you are able to see the contacts of that tape, it should already be cataloged.

Try using one of the following and see if it allows you to export your catalogs:

 

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH87173 - Catalog Dump (CATDUMP) Utility
 
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH136392 - Catalog Tools (CATTOOLS.EXE) Utility

JJJCR
Level 4

Hi Bhavik, thank you so much for your reply.

I had downloaded the catdump, the confusing part is: for the catdump to work is you need to specify the filename-GUID.fh file, but the problem is I can't find the .fh file to specify because when i re-catalog the tape it doesn't generate one.

hmm..this will be a bit of homework for me, if not I have to resolve the print screen method hehehe...

But any ideas why it doesn't do byte count when re-catalog the tape? normally if an LTO4 tape (full capacity) how long will it take to re-catalog?

when I do the re-catalog it only last for a minute and 30 seconds..

thanks again ;)

SuperBrain
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

Theres one other thing you could attempt here...  Since the .fh files is (somehow) not present, and since you're unable to get a bytecount on your Catalog job.

1. Stop all Backup Exec Services including the SQL Service.

2. Browse to the catalogs location (as mentioned under Tools - Options - Catalogs)

3. Rename the Catalogs folder to Catalogs_orig

4. Start all services back up

5. A new (blank) Catalogs folder will be created.

6 Go to Tools - Options - Catalogs - uncheck "Used storage-media based catalogs"

7. Inventory the media and run a Catalog job. Check if you see a byte count now.

If you do get a byte count, let the job complete thn go and check if there is any .fh file in the Catalogs folder?

JJJCR
Level 4

Hi Bhavik, thanks  for the update.

Basically, I had done what you had suggested but it did not work.I still did not able to get a byte count, it was zero.

I think the reason why it did not work, because there was an existing .fh and .xml files, I never realized it.

Here's what I had done.

I click on the Device menu, goto  the LTO Utrium and click on tape name  (LTO00009).

Right click on LTO00009 choose restore data, then it will show the tape folder names (date + time + filename) 

when I click on the tape folder names, it will show  a window with the "General" headings.

Below on it there's Media Server Name: (my server name)

Underneath the Media Server Name,there was a catalog file name: GUID-filename-with-the.xml

So i search for GUID-with.fh extension and i found it.

I run catdump it does extracts the filenames of the bkf files on the tape drive.

Is there a way to get the listing what's inside the bkf files? 

Thanks.

SuperBrain
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited

I'm not too sure if there is a way to extract that informaiton to a text file.

You may want to Google for any third-party tools which may do that or probably consider using the traditional printscreen button. 

pkh
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP    Certified

 

I run catdump it does extracts the filenames of the bkf files on the tape drive.

This means that you backup the .bkf files.  This is akin to copying the .bkf files.  You should not do so.   Here is the reason why.

Reasons why copying backup to disk data files is NOT recommended.

You should always duplicate your media media, so you should have run a job to duplicate yoru disk media (.bkf files) to tape.

Is there a way to get the listing what's inside the bkf files? 

What you need to do is to restore the .bkf files to disk, then inventory and catalog them.  When these jobs are successsful, you then run catdump to dump out their contents.

JJJCR
Level 4

hi pkh, you mean when I restore the .bkf files to disk, the catdump can dump or extract the contents of the bkf files?

when you say dump out their contents is it the content itself or just the listing? 

I notice that the syntax of catdump is just for xml, what would be the syntax for catdump using bkf files?

Thanks.

pkh
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP    Certified

What I am saying is that you inventory and catalog the .bkf files once you have restore them to disk.  After cataloging, there will be catalog information for the .bkf files. You can then dump the catalog with catdump.

JJJCR
Level 4

Thanks pkh for your clarification :)