Tape library misreporting available media

[MattDavies_SW]

Hi there,

We are using Backup Exec 2010 R3 w/SP3 with a HP Overland Neo 4000 series tape library attached vis SCSI.  We currently have a problem where the tape library is misreporting the media available in the library.  At the time I type this, we have no trays currently present in the library but Backup Exec reports that there are 30+ tapes present.

The status on the front panel of the library shows that there are no tapes present so it looks like Backup Exec is misreporting the media in the library. Backup Exec can see the drives and any tapes we manually insert into the LTO4 drives (via the library panel on the front).

Is there any way to clear or re-initialise Backup Exec so that it reports the correct media in the library?

Kind regards

Matt

[CraigV]

...either perform an Inventory, or a Scan from within BE if you have bar codes on the tapes.

Thanks!

[Jaydeep_S]

Have you performed Inventory in Backup Exec?

Edit: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH33576

[MattDavies_SW]

Forgot to mention we tried both before posting here to no avail.  Scan doesn't appear to do anything, whereas Inventory tries to run but the logs show :

"the device is busy and not yet ready to process a command, please check the device"

...per slot.

[Jaydeep_S]

How is the library configured in Windows. From the device manager ensure that the tape drive is using Symantec trpe drivers and the Medium Changer is listed as Unknown medium changer and is using Microsoft Drivers.

Also, stop all BE services and run the vendors diagnostic utility.

[Larry_Fine]

At the time I type this, we have no trays currently present in the library but Backup Exec reports that there are 30+ tapes present.

If there are no magazines or tapes present in the library, the library is probably returning an error.

I would suggest activating the BE SCSI tracer and running an inventory job of one slot.  Tracer should give more clues about the device status.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH49432

Normally a scan job will update BE to indicate that all the slots are empty, but since they are no magazines in the library, the library may not be responding properly to the scan commands either.  In BE 2012, a scan job is a silent operation that happens in the background.  That also means that it doesn't have a job log or a methods to easily report success or failure.

I would suggest inserting the magazines back in the library.  It is up to you if the magazines have tapes in them or not.

[MattDavies_SW · Accepted solution]

We had a spare server, so installed BE10 onto that, connected the library and it showed the correct tapes in the library.

Reconnected the library back to the original server and still the same problem.  We put 4 magazines back in to the library with 1 tape in each magazine and still no update.  Did the same thing again with 1 brand new tape per magazine, hit scan and it shows correctly.  We put the tapes in that were originally in and it now updates correctly.

Can't quite explain why the database wasn't updating correctly with the original tapes in but all seems to be okay now.

Thanks everyone for your help.

[CraigV]

...are the cards you have in each server the same?

Have you verified that the card in the production backup server has the latest firmware installed on it?

Thanks!

[MattDavies_SW]

Servers are identical as far as specification and firmware.

Odd error, but glad its working again.