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Restoting NTBACKUP data in BE2014

syed_jahanzaib
Level 5

I have some very important data which was backup by windows 2003 base NTBACKUP.

When I insert TAPE and do INVENTORY and CATALOGUE, I can see this.

s1.JPG

.

Which means BE have recognized it, but I see no folders in backup set for restore, like this.

s2.JPG

I also see this message.

media have been moved to the retired media set because backup exec cannot recognize the data on the tape

33333.JPG

How can I restore the data sing BE, its too important for me  sad

 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

CraigV
Moderator
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...if this was a clean installation, the better option would've been to install Server 2003 which was the OS used to backup initially.

Thanks!

View solution in original post

18 REPLIES 18

pkh
Moderator
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There is no way to use BE to restore this tape because BE cannot recognise the format.  That is why the catalog fails.  You got to use NTBackup to restore the tape.

VJware
Level 6
Employee Accredited Certified

Actually BE should be able to restore data written by NTbackup, as they use the same "mtf" format while writing to tapes. I guess, in this case, the restore selections/backup sets do not appear as the tape is marked as "Bad Media". It may be worthwhile to try pkh's suggestion and try to restore using NTbackup.

syed_jahanzaib
Level 5

the backup taken by NTBACKUP is 100% tested few times on previous ntbackup system.

hmmm then in case I have to take a very long route of installing windows 2003 on any spare server, attach tape drive to it, restore and then attach back the drive to BE. I wish BE should have a compatibility option so that BE can restore from backup taken by NTBACKUP.

CraigV
Moderator
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...I believe that BE's B2D was the same as NTbackup's...and you should be able to restore the tape.

Have you tried the following:

1. Create a new media set with Append/OPP settings.

2. Manually move the tape to this set.

3. Try the restore again.

Thanks!

syed_jahanzaib
Level 5

Still not showing any data, its just showing the space in tape, but not showign any folder (as displayed in the image in first post)

 

pkh
Moderator
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The MTF format is used by both BE and NTBackup, but what data were written onto the tape by NTBackup are not recognized by BE 2014

CraigV
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...you might want to look at this:

http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=974674&kbln=en-us

Download it, stop the BE services, and then try restoring accordingly.

Otherwise you will have to install Server 2003 onto an available server, attach the drive, and then restore via NTbackup.

Thanks!

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

If the block sizes are some odd format that even though BE can normally read NT backup format it won't read that.

My guess is the tape drive you wrote the tape with is not the same one you are reading it with and may therefore have used an odd write format that is not being recognized

 

 

syed_jahanzaib
Level 5

the ntbackup restore fix is not detecting any tape drive.

(tape drive is installed correctly, I have installed it fresh windows 2008 R2 serveR)

 

syed_jahanzaib
Level 5

tape drive and tape cartridges are same , actually the whole server is same, just moved from 2003 to 2008 R2 and now BE is installed, and unabel to restore the data from the cartridges used with ntbackup,

now trying to install hotfix lets see. i will keep update

UPDATE: hotfix only installs ntbackuprestore utility (which interface is same like ntbackup), But it didn't detect any tape drive.

 

CraigV
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...have you stopped the BE services?

syed_jahanzaib
Level 5

BE server is not installed on this alternate server, only tape drive is attached with cartridge that i want to restore.

 

CraigV
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...if this was a clean installation, the better option would've been to install Server 2003 which was the OS used to backup initially.

Thanks!

Artegic
Level 6

It wouldn't. Tape support (specifically, RSM) has been dropped from Windows Server 2008 R2. Therefore the NTBackup restore utility for Server 2008 R2 only works with BKF files on disk.

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

Looks like you have chanegd both Opersting System and bite level both of which mean that teh driver servicing the tape drive is not the same and it is therefore still possible that tegh format as lais down on the tape originally is nto readable by the change in environment.

 

I'd agree with Craig V in thsi instance you may need to keep a 2003 server and NT vbackup available with teh oruigional tape drive just so you can do restore

 

Of course there is another scenario it could be a faulty tape drive (difference in read/write head alignments for instance) and not a software issue at all.

syed_jahanzaib
Level 5

After doing full day searching of Google and Symantec forums/links, I was not able to figure howto use the old ntbackup cartriges with BE. Finally I installed Windows 2003 on a spare server, attached the tape with, and now restore is in progress... A long excersise though as I have to keep the windwos 2003 as a standby server because I have around 30-40 LTO3 old cartridges with data.

Anyhow I really do appreciate quick response from symantec forum members. Thank you again yes and keep up the good work :)

 


 

CraigV
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...the long way around this is the following:

1. Install the same version of BE on that standby server as your production media server.

2. Put in a tape and restore the data to disk. Start up the BE services and back it up before stopping the BE services once completed.

3. Rinse and repeat for all your tapes...

A bit long-winded but it will work.

Thanks!

AntonQ
Level 2

I really appreciate the long detailed information provided to date.

I have exactly the same issue your having AACABLE..

Tried reading unknown tapes using BE2014 running on Win 2008 R2 server with exactly the same results you got. I suspect that they were written NT Backup software at some point in the past.

I've just started my research but what I've gathered so far seems to indicate at least older versions of BE should be able to read and restore NT backup files.

Do you think that if an older version of BE were used instead of BE2014 on a Windows Server 2008, that that might allow the NT backup tapes to be read?

I would appreciate any ideas and thoughts of how this might work.