Operation failed to acquire the minimum number of drives

[nextitadmin1]

Hi,

Using Backup Exec 2012 latest patches on Windows Server 2008 R2 with a Dell PowerVault TL2000 Tape Library.

For the nightly backups, we're backing up 5 different servers using Remote Agents.

I only need 1 tape to backup all 5 servers.

All 5 jobs are configured to use the same Media Set for which the tape loaded belongs to.

The 5 jobs are timed, eg;

Job1 - 5:00pm (runs for 45 mins)

Job2 - 6:00pm (runs for 45 mins)

Job3 - 7:00pm etc

One of the jobs, for example Job 2, took over an hour to run last night, so Job 3 started while Job 2 was still running.

Job 3 failed immediately with the "Operation failed to acquire" message.

I understand the reason why, ie there was no tape available for it to backup to. However, on our other backup server, (same Backup Exec version but it's only got a single slot LTO 5 tape drive connected to it), if a job is running while another scheduled job starts, it has a message with something similar to "No idle devices ready" (or something like that). It waits for the running job to finish, then the other job starts when the tape is idle.

Why doesn't the auto-loader do the same?

I know I can configure the jobs to be spread out a little more, but that just means, when data grows, I will need to constantly keep reconfiguring the jobs.

Is there anything that can be done to change this behaviour?

Thanks.

[Gurvinder]

Refer http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH70388

[nextitadmin1]

My error message isn't exactly the same. This one is;

V-79-57344-33035 - Error - Mount failed.
Physical Volume Library Drive not found

My one is;

V-79-57344-33037 - Error - Mount failed.
Physical Volume Library Media not found.

So not sure if it applies. But in regards to the document reference you provided;

The job IS set to terminate if no appendable media is found, but that is what I want. I don't want it to overwrite the tape, (or another tape). The next job should wait and append to the end of the tape when the first job is finished.

I checked the drivers. I've reloaded the Symantec drivers and rebooted the server. Same result.

At the moment, what I am doing to test is;

1. Put a single tape in the library that is overwritable. The storage is configured into 2 pools.
2. Configure a job to run say at 2:20pm. Configure it to overwrite and use the tape that I have put into the 2nd pool. The tape itself is part of a media set and it's status is "overwriteable". The job is configured to overwrite the media.
3. Configure a second job to run at 2:25pm while the other job is running. Again it's configured to grab the tape from the 2nd pool and from the same media set. It's set to Append.
4. The first job will run correctly, but as soon as the second job kicks in, it fails.

If I do the exact same setup on another server, except that server just has a single slot LTO5 drive connected, it runs as it's supposed to. The 2nd job sits there with "Ready: No idle devices". When the first job finishes, the 2nd job kicks in and both complete correctly.

[Colin_Weaver]

Go to BE 2014 and setup a multi-server job (much easier than trying to sort out the BE 2012 Append controls) and then each server will begin straight after the other which will both shorten the overall time windows (as no gaps between servers) and handle the situation where one server overruns on time in a better way.

[SSR_7767]

Upgrading to Backup Exec 2014 should help you in many ways.

Please refer to the Software Compatibiity List http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH217478 before upgrading.

If you have Exchange 2003 in your environment, the backup is not supported with BE 2014.

[nextitadmin1]

Is the upgrade to 2014 free??

[nextitadmin1]

Thanks for the suggestion Colin.

Obviously it's great that BE 2014 has this option, however, I can't really classify spending additional money to upgrade as a solution, when the old software should do what I need.

[Gurvinder · Accepted solution]

Nextitadmin1 mentioned in a private post this was the Issue when BE was running as VM and library attached to ESX. This works fine in a physical server setup. Hence it falls in a category of alternative configuration as per this article : http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH130609