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Problem with BE mis labeling and lossing tapes.

Andrew_Shaffer
Level 3
The problem I am having is on multiple systems running on different OS Windows 2000 Pro, Window 2000 Server, Windows 2003 with different versions of BE from 9.x to 10.x. The drives are Exabyte VXA2 and the library is the packet loader 1x10.

The problem with the system losing the tapes happens when the system starts to verify the backup and can not find the tape it was using. If you check the device slots you will find the tape. The job will just hang waiting for someone to insert the tape.

As for the miss labeling of the tapes. The software will mark a tape as cleaning media when it is not and use it as cleaning media. It will mark tapes as blank media when it is not blank.

I have worked with Exabyte on this and they say it is a problem with BE.

Any solutions and or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
45 REPLIES 45

m3tr1k
Level 2
Hello all,

I noticed some recent action in this thread so I figured I would give it a shot.

We've got BE 10.1d and an Exabyte Magnum 224 LTO3 with the same exact issues outlined in this thread (tapes claimed as cleaning after being written to, Media Labels getting dropped [which I understand BE doesn't use now], etc).

We've had this setup for approximately three months now, but it has not worked reliably for more than two weeks. Very frustrating. Anyone have any more recent information?

Thanks in advance for any info,
-Mars

Scott_Straub
Level 4
I am bumping this thread since I can see that this issue has existed in Backup Exec 10d as well, and it existed in 2006!  I guess that should remove any hope for Symantec releasing a hot fix for this issue any time soon, since it carried over from a major version change!   Argh!!!

m3tr1k
Level 2
Bump for GREAT JUSTICE!

Yeah this issue has been around for quite some time. It would appear that the best way to deal with it is to ... well ... deal with it. OH yeah, and never move any of your tapes, and don't label them, and don't use them with any other software (even LibTool ... see below lol) ... oh yeah, and never start a backup and unplug the scsi cable -- BE will report a successful job, but unless you verify, you'll never know that nothing was written. But I think thats for another thread ...

I find it increasingly annoying that the information displayed by LibTool and BE don't sync. Unless you leave every tape exactly where is was (and hope your media set doesn't default to scratch), you have to run an inventory in BE (which takes for friggin ever) to get the up to date information, AND an inventory in LibTool  (which isn't as bad as the BE inventory, but together is very lame), in order to move/unload the correct tapes.

Super-Argh. With gusto even.
Best of luck...

-Mars

Adi_IT_Works
Level 2

...and a bumpity bump.

 

I have BE 10d with Exabyte VXA2 1-10 on SBS 2003... and I am experiencing the exact same symptoms described in all the posts above - BE asking me to import tape that is already in the library (well not really, as the media database somehow spins another media with the exact same label in the different scratch pool)... Jobs hanging left and right... Then regular tapes suddenly being misinterpreted as cleaning tapes, all that...

 

I have the latest drive and library firmware, all the latest patches for Backup Exec. Yes, all they (Exabyte) can say is it's a Backup Exec problem. Smiley Indifferent

 

Before I found this thread, I've done pretty much everything I could think of including trying different drivers, even totally blowing away and re-installing BE from the scratch and generating brand new media database.

 

I have put more then a few backup solutions together using various backup software vendors and HW devices. I've dealt with a fair share of problems, and I generally found vendors to be responsive once multiple people report the same problem.

 

The fact that there's no fix on this over a year after being initially reported, or at least a recommendation what to do as a workaround, is rather scary...

Looks like very "legit" issue to me... Help is needed here.



Message Edited by Adi IT Works on 10-13-2007 10:29 PM

Bartosz_Kowalsk
Level 2
Hello,

I have the same problem with BE 11d loosing tapes.

Can anyone tell me if the problem has been solved in BE 12 ? I'm am thinking about upgrading my BE or switching to another backup solution.

Bartosz Kowalski

Ken_Putnam
Level 6
Nopew still the same in both v11 and v12
 
You either need to inventory every time you swap tapes,
 
or best
 
use Partitions and point each job at a separate partition