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Problem with verify / difference encountered in file data

Rob_Bosch
Level 3
Hi all. I have Backup Exec 12 installed, with SP1. I am getting verification errors on all three servers I am backing up (including the media server itself). In looking at things more closely, the verification errors all seemed to be related to open files. The system state on all 3 systems produces verification errors, and any open files which are backed up also appear to fail verification. I have installed the latest driver and firmware for my device (HP StorageWorks DAT 160 USB external). I ran some HP diagnostics on the device and the tests came back clean. I checked the installed options on the media server (I did not perform the install), and the open file agent is listed as purchased but not installed. I know that three remote agents were purchased, and the remote agent shows as installed. Isn't the open file agent now a part of the remote agent? Do I still need to install an open file agent separately? I can't help but wonder if this is part of my problem. Thannks in advance for any help you can offer.
8 REPLIES 8

Rob_Bosch
Level 3
I should add more to this description. 1. The backups and verify were working fine previously. This verify problem just started occuring a couple of weeks ago. 2. I have installed the remote agent with the open file option to my other servers.

Rob_Bosch
Level 3
C'mon guys...nobody has anything to suggest on this one? I'm at least hoping to get an answer regarding the open file option in Backup Exec 12. My client purchased three windows remote agents for Backup Exec 12. From what I understand, the open file option is now included in the remote agent. I went through and installed the serial number for the remote agent. Why does my media server show that the license for the open file agent is purchased, but not installed? Thanks in advance for any help that can be provided!

Assistant
Level 2
We are on Backup Exec 12 and our license includes the "Remote Agent for Window Servers" and "Advanced Open File Option". Even though it was part of the purchase, we still had to install the Remote Agent & the Advanced Open File for each server (Ex: Tools--"Install Agents and Media Servers on other servers...", Select "Windows Remote Agents", add ...select server... Check "Remote Agent for Window Servers", Check "Advanced Open File Option"......)
After we installed the agent for the Advanced Open File Option(AOFO), the Backup Job setting needed to be set to use the Advanced Open File Option (AOFO) feature.
 
I hope this information helps.
 
 

Rob_Bosch
Level 3
Thanks so much for the reply. Alright so I want to get this straight, as I apparently appear to be confused. On my media server itself, there are two installed serial numbers. One is for backup exec itself, and one is for the windows remote agent. I do not see any other serial number listed for AOFO...just those two. Should I see another serial number for AOFO? My client did not have any other serial numbers, and I figured that because AOFO is part of the remote agent that made sense. When pushing out the agents to my other servers, I did push out the remote agent AND I did check off AOFO for those servers. I also did configure the jobs to use the AOFO option. I left it at the setting "automatically choose open file technology" for the jobs. Now something interesting did happen yesterday. There is an AOFO wizard on the advanced open file option page which I tried to run to see what would happen. When I did I got a message which said something like "this wizard cannot run because AOFO is not installed properly". So I'm back to my main point, what is required to install AOFO properly on a backup exec 12 server? In previous version of backup exec I would install a separate serial number for AOFO and then push that agent out. Something's different and I can't figure out what that is. Thanks in advance for any help!

Assistant
Level 2

I'm not a Symantec expert but the following is what I believe to be true.

First there is a difference between a serial number and a license key. The serial number is used to activate the product (https://licensing.symantec.com). Once activated Symantec sends you the license key. The licence key is used to install the product/software. If a license key is not provided then the evaluation version installs instead. Evaluation version expires in 60 days.

There will be a license key for the media server (ex: BE 12 for Windows Servers) and a license key for the Agent/Option (RAWS) (ex: BEWS 12 Agent for Windows Systems). Advanced Open File Option(AOFO) is part of the 'BEWS 12 Agent for Windows Systems' license key. There isn't a separate license key for AOFO.

To help confirm that AOFO is really installed look for the file vsp.sys at <systemroot>\system32\drivers.

It might be one of those situations were you have to re-install the agents by doing the following:Uninstall the "Remote Agent" & "AOFO", Reboot the server, Reinstall the remote agent & AOFO and Reboot the server again.

I hope at least some of the above helps.

 

Ken_Putnam
Level 6
Starting with v12, AOFO is included in RAWS.  But that shouldn't affect Verify
 
In BESpeak, verify does not compare tape data to disk data (on a production server that could very well lead to no verify ever completing sucessfully )  Instead, verify reads the tape (b2d) data and calculates check sums, then compares to checksums on the backup media,  if they are the same, the verify completes successfully, if not, it fails
 
See http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/267554.htm for the trouble shooting steps for this error
 
 
 
 

Rob_Bosch
Level 3
So I figured out the AOFO problem...it had not been installed during the initial installation of the product (which I did not do). So we'll see what kind of affect that has on the backup this evening. Ken, thank you for your response on the verify part of the issue. I had gone through that symantec document already. The firmware on the device is the the most recent, as well as the driver. I also downloaded an HP diag utility for the device, and it came back with no errors although it did make mention of cleaning the drive. I used a cleaning cassette today so maybe that will help solve my problem. I'll post an update tomorrow. Thanks again!

Rob_Bosch
Level 3
Just a quick update on this. It turns out the tape drive was indeed faulty, even though the HP diagnostics were coming back as successful. I'm hoping the verify problems go away once the drive is replaced.