Tapealert based cleaning in Backup Exec

[Paul_Sullivan]

I would like to know if anyone has seen Backup Exec 9.1 respond to tapealert based cleaning requests. I have seen evidence that automated cleaning is raking place in an environment that comprises of AIT-4 drives in a Spectra Logic library running with Backup Exec 9.1. There are cleaning slots defined. This site has put their cleaning jobs on 'hold' but cleans are definitely happening, we can tell via the Backup Exec logs and from the reporting enabled on the drives and library. I knowfor certain that the library is not initiating the cleaning. In a few cases, backup jobs were put on hold while the drive was cleaned, the job then resumed and completed successfully.

[priya_khire]

Hello,

Since when does the problem occur? At what time are the cleaning jobs initiated automatically? Check in the schedule if the jobs are configured to run at that time. How can it be ensured that the Library is not initiating the cleaning?
How many slots does the library contain? Which of them is defined as a cleaning slot?

Reconfigure the cleaning job as per the technote below and check the results:

Title: How to configure and submit cleaning jobs for autoloaders in Backup Exec 9.x and 10.0 for Windows Servers
http://support.veritas.com/docs/257265

Revert with details to the above questions if the issue persists.

Note : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked ‘assumed answered’ and would be moved to ‘answered questions’ pool.

Regards.

[Paul_Sullivan]

Hello,

I would not view this as a problem, if anything this would be an excellent new feature of BE. I am a Spectra Logic Engineer working in conjunction with Sony Engineering to attempt to understand behavior that we are seeing at a mutual customer site concerning AIT-4 drives.

AIT-4 drives have special cleaning routines that can only be initiated when the drive is cleaned in response to a 'tapealert' initiated clean. At this site, the customer has specifically put all the cleaning jobs on hold. The cleaning slots are still defined in BE. We are seeing evidence from drive traces and BE activity that cleaning is still occurring and more specifically that the special tapealert based cleaning is occurring.

I know for a fact that the library is not initializing cleaning because it is not able to. The library is aware of the cleaning bit, but cannot initiate cleanings on it's own, there is no programming in the library to do this.

I am not aware of the exact configuration of the library with regards to BE. I only that I have read over and over that BE is not capable of responding to tapealert based cleaning so I wanted to see if anyone else has seen evidence of this.

I was hoping that a Engineer from Veritas/Symantec would be able to address this question, but I appreciate all the help I can get.

Thanks,
-Paul

[Ajit_Kulkarni]

Hello,


Have you tried the technote given by Priya. Did it help you.

Kindly update.


Regards


NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked "assumed answered" and would be moved to "answered questions" pool.

[Paul_Sullivan]

Hi Ajit,

The cleaning jobs remain disabled and the drives are still being cleaned.

I just want to know if Backup Exec will respond to tapealert based cleaning requests as Netbackup does. I have not been able to find an official answer to that question and no one seems to know.

-Paul