Media detected as cleaning media when using robotic library

[Chris_Scott_2]

Ihave a new exabyte VXA 2 autoloader which has all the latest firmware for the drive and the library and the latest Veritas drives but cannot currently perform a backup because Veritas thinks the media is cleaning meadia and will not load. I have the cleaning media in the proper slot and the loader is configured for cleaning media in that specific slot. I haven't had a good backup in a week. Any help would be appreciated.

Chris

[Swati_Joshi]

Hi Chris!

This may happen in case a cleaning job is configured to run as a scheduled job and if this alert is not responded to, then other jobs are prevented from starting.

Second thing would like to: know what happens when you run the inventory?

Do you get any errors in the System event log with the event ids:15,9,11


Do revert back on this.

Thanks and regards,

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[R_H_2]

1st, Make sure your firmware is up to date on the drive(s) / Library

2nd, http://support.veritas.com/docs/190522
SCSI ID's are very important

3rd, SCSI bus errors can cause a tape to show as cleaning...

Once you have the firmware up to date and the SCSI ID's low and sequential (I recommend 2 for the library and 3 for the drive), then reconfig Backup Exec and try it again.

If that fails, and you aren't getting SCSI errors (ID 5, 9, 11, 117) it is possible that the drive is completely clogged and can't read the headers on the tapes. At that point you might want to call Exabyte and see if they can help. They will have you test the drive outside the software and get a diagnostic log so they can see what is going on inside the drive.

Hope that helps!

[Chris_Scott_2]

Hey Swati,
Now all my tapes are listed as cleaning media and I got these messages in the application event viewer

Event Type:Warning
Event Source:Backup Exec
Event Category:None
Event ID:65313
Date:4/11/2006
Time:11:39:48 AM
User:N/A
Computer:SERVER1
Description:
Backup Exec Alert: Tape Alert Warning
(Server: "SERVER1") (Job: "Inventory Library 00006") Warning - There is a potential problem with a drive or the robotic arm loading cartridges, or an incompatible cartridge.
Robotic Library for Device: EXABYTE 2

For more information, click the following link:
http://eventlookup.veritas.com/eventlookup/EventLookup.jhtml

This Message was in the viewer Approximately 9 times and my loader holds 10 tapes and one is an actual Cleaning tape.

[Chris_Scott_2]

I also deleted the scheduled cleaning. Also regarding the SCSI ID's I have them listed as 1 & 2 on a seperate SCSI card with the library being first. The device was working fine until all the tapes were about to be overwritten and I also recently upgraded to Windows 2003 Server. I upgraded all drivers and firmwares immediately. Not sure if any is related???Message was edited by:
Chris Scott

[Peter_Ludwig]

IMHO it has nothing to do with a cleaning job (which is useless in most cases anyway).

I do not have a cleaning job configured and also get this strange phenomenom from time to time.
What I do:
Go (in the BE GUI): to Media -System Media - Cleaning Media and delete all the unwanted tapes out here.
Attention: The tapes themselves are not deleted here! (It is not possible to delete tapes in the Medi menu).
Then re-inventory your library.

Sometimes I do not even to have to make the re-inventory.

Keeping your firmware up to date is a good idea anyway.

greetings
Peter

[Amruta_Bhide]

Hello Chris,

The SCSI IDs, as recommended by Symantec, should be kept between 2-5, such that the changer has a smaller ID than the Drive.

You could also try installing the latest Drivers:
http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/281696.htm

Also just make sure that the SLOT itself is not configured as a cleaning slot in its Properties.

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Thanks.

[R_H_2]

What library and drive do you have? There was a known firmware problem on Exabyte's 1U library that was fixed some time ago correcting false "there is a potential problem" tape alerts.

Make sure both your library and drive firmware are both up to date.Message was edited by:
R H

[Chris_Scott_2]

I got the latest greatest Firmware for both the Drive and Lib. I have changed the SCSI id's to 2 for lib & 3 for drive. Am running new inventory and have fingers crossed :)

[Chris_Scott_2]

It didn't work.:( Any Suggestions... Still recognizing all media as cleaning media. I even removed the only actual cleaning media. Help

[Ashutosh_Tamhan]

Try installing the OEM drivers for everything i.e the changer and tape drive and then inventorying the tape drive to check if the tapes are still reported as cleaning?



Regards,
Ashutosh

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[Alex_Tamarin_2]

I have such problem on IBM TotalStorage 3582-23L. Firmware installed latest (307b). Latest drivers (6.1.2.30) from IBM correcly recognise 2 Ultrium -2 and unhappy "Unknown Autoloader". After using Veritas drivers all hardware in BE 10d SP1 look fine....but i put tape in slot, BE reading correctly barcode, inserting in appropriate slot. I selecting type of media - LTO (question for tech support - WHY you in predefined type of media dont include LTO2 and LTO3?????), putting in media set.... When backup job starting, media in drive after 20 minutes changing on "cleaning media" and i canceled job. So i dont know how i can solve this problem.....

[Gauri_Ketkar]

Hi Chris,

Please update us on the issue and revert for any further Query


Thank you
Gauri


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[Peter_Ludwig]

I just had an interesting case of a backup media misleadingly labeled as a cleaning media:

While backing up a server directly to the tape the connection was lost. The backup job failed, as it should be, but the tape was labelled as a cleaning media afterwards.
The following jobs, of course, started a new tape and went on without any problem.

As I usually do, I just deleted the tape from the 'cleaning media' set and clicked on 'scan' and it is a backup medium with a bit of space left on it again.

greetings
Peter

P.S.: for the Veritas/Symantec people: I'm just telling my experience and not seeking for support (this time), so give us a break from asking about details.

[Owen_Iverson]

Tired of non-helpful tech support? I have yet to gain any helpful/useful information from the Symantec/Veritas techs. They want to move as many topics to the "answered" section as possible. The "two-day, automatically assumed answered" policy is absurd, in my opinion.

For these reasons, I have started a new backup exec group at google.

If you're interested, please check it out, and spread the word if you like it.

http://groups.google.com/group/backupexec

Owen

[Michael_Shelton]

I have the same device as you do and my problem was the cleaning slot sometimes rotates around the library. Make sure you do not have an automatic cleaning job sceduled on the Exabyte VX2 itself. Also make sure the device is operating in random mode as well. When I had these two items changed, my device did crazy things as well.

[Russ_Perry]

First, understand why the tape gets marked as cleaning media... When the tape is loaded in the tape drive, Backup Exec expects the tape header to be read and returned. In some cases, the tape is loaded in the drive, the drive does not report any errors, no OS hardware errors are reported but nothing ever comes back from the drive about the tape header information. In these cases, Backup Exec then reports the tape as cleaning media. The three most common reasons for this occurring are:

1) There is a media compatibility or readability problem where the drive just can't read the tape (remember, the drive doesn't report any errors, but just can't read the tape).
2) There are 2 or more tape drives in the library and the SCSI order does not agree with the driver element address order the library is configured with. In these cases, a tape is loaded in drive A and Backup Exec is communicating with and waiting for a label from Drive B. See the admin manual section 'Configuring multi drive libraries.
3) Communication problems with the library. Driver, firmware, SCSI controller/hardware issues prevent proper communication with the device.

I know I didn't give you the 'fix' for the problem but hopefully understanding it better can help.
Russ

[shweta_rege]

Hello,


- Could you please update us on the issue....




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[Michael_Shelton]

1) I'm using the VXA media I purchased with the drive and it's not very old (6 months). The library tools from Exabyte shows everything is working fine.

2) There is only one tape drive and library and this is the only item connected to the card. I recently reviewed some SCSI card and configuration settings and made some helpful changes according to BackupExec and Exabyte.

3) I have the latest firmware for all the devices and I am using the latest Symantec device drivers, somethat that was suggested to resolve an offline media issue and it hasn't helped that problem either.

Any suggestions to my responses ?

[shweta_rege]

Hello Chris,




- Could you please update us on the issue....




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and would be moved to answered questions pool.

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