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Why are the IMG0000xx folders not erased from a RDX Cartridge in the B2D cycle?

Philip_Lakic
Level 4

Below is a screenshot of the file structure of a RDX 160GB Cartridge.
Whenever I run the erase command on the cartridge only the \VERITAS\B2D\*.bkf files are erased.
These IMG0000xx folders continually remain and cause the backups to fail because the cartridges run out of disk space for the next backup.
These folders contain backups of Microsoft Exchange.

Why are these folders not overwritten or erased in the B2D cycle?

 

51 REPLIES 51

Peter_Sheridan
Level 6

Could it also be when Backup Devices come online?

ClarkL
Level 3

I've run into the problem with DLM grooming leaving orphaned BKF files and IMG folders. This appears to be due to the grooming process deleting the job information and catalogs. If the disk was attached it would delete the related files and folders from the disk storage. With the disk not attached the DLM fails to remove the backup files but doesn't have any process to work around offline disks, so they're simply left on the disk. In Backup Exec you'll see your disk as partially or entirely full, with no backup sets. If you run an Inventory and Catalog operation it will find those old backups, however Backup Exec assigns those files a retention period of 1 year from the time you catalogged the disk.

As a work around until the issue is fixed within Backup Exec I've written a batch file using the FORFILES command to hunt down backup files that were not removed and delete them as a pre-command on the job.

Here is the batch file I wrote to do this:



@echo off
REM This batch file will process old/expired backup files and folders
REM and remove files older than the time specified.
 
REM TIME PERIOD
REM Specify the maximum age of a backup file before it is deleted if Backup Exec has not done so automatically.
REM Specify the number of days as a negative value.
REM To delete backup files older than 30 days, specify -30.
REM To delete backup files older than 4 weeks, specify -28.
 
Set TimeValue=-30
 
REM SCRIPT LOCATION
REM Specify the file path for the script directory on the server.
 
SET ScriptLoc=C:\BackupScripts\
 
REM DRIVE LISTING
REM Specify the name of the file located in the Script Location which contains the list of disks to process.
REM Copy the full path from within Backup Exec 2012, under the Details of each USB backup drive on the Storage tab
REM to the contents of the DriveList file. Use a seperate line for each drive.
REM Drives must be assigned a local drive letter, Volume ID is not supported by FORFILES command.
 
SET DriveList=DriveList.txt
 
REM This command removes the BKF files found within the BEData directory.
 
FOR /F %%i in (%ScriptLoc%%DriveList%) DO FORFILES /D %TimeValue% /P %%i /M *.BKF /C "cmd /c DEL @file"
 
REM This command removes the Disaster Recovery files found within the BEData directory.
 
FOR /F %%i in (%ScriptLoc%%DriveList%) DO FORFILES /D %TimeValue% /P %%i /M *.DR /C "cmd /c DEL @file"
 
REM This command removes the IMG folders found within the BEData directory.
 
FOR /F %%i in (%ScriptLoc%%DriveList%) DO FORFILES /D %TimeValue% /P %%i /M IMG* /C "cmd /c RMDIR /S /Q @file"

pkh
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP    Certified

You would probably have a problem with your catalog.  When you just delete the .bkf and .img files, the corresponding catalog entries will not be removed.

ClarkL
Level 3

The catalogs are already removed, the DLM grooms them out but as the disk is offline doesn't do the BKF or IMG folders because it cannot and does not monitor or watch for those files later. DLM makes an attempt to remove them, fails and just doesn't ever try again.

Backup on Monday night at 11PM, completes at 11:30PM, retention period is 6 days. DLM will groom the backup catalogs and BKF files after Sunday at 11:30PM, within 4 hours. If the disk is online then everything is removed, catalog, BKF, IMG. However at the client in question, the disks are disconnected and a different day (Tue-Fri) is connected. So Sunday night the "Monday" disk is not online. At 11:30PM or within 4 hours DLM removes the catalogs, attempts to remove the BKF and fails.

Monday morning the "Monday" disk is connected and reports XX of YY full. Backup Exec shows no catalogged information. If there isn't enough disk space to run the Monday backup it just fails, it doesn't even attempt to overwrite the files because the files are outside the system, orphaned and unknown.

So to work around it I wrote that script, which runs prior to the backup. I use a retention period minus one day and delete files older than that. Basically, the script does what DLM should and hunts down orphaned files. Obviously not perfect but I'd rather have orphaned catalogs than orphaned BKF files that prevent the next backup from running at all. 

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

Just for info Clark L is describing the known DLM issue reported against disconnecting USB disks (caused by a DLM fault) and his script might work although obviously Symantec won't have tested it.

He is not describing the effects of the RDX issue which is still controlled by media sets and not DLM so is a different problem. Also the RDX issue will be a problem even if the cartridge remains online on the media server. The USB/DLM issue wil not be seen if the USB disk is never disconnected.

Also it if anyone is using RDX and seeing that BKF files are not being overwritten then we do need you to log a support case as this is not a known issue   (only the IMG folders on RDX not overwriting is the known issue)

 

 

EDIT:

TECH Article for disconnected USB/DLM issue = http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH196201

TECH Article for RDX/IMG issue = http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH192382

Bulbous
Level 5
Partner

Ok so, for clarity, this issue (IMG folders not erased from RDX) is a completely seperate issue that has nothing to do with (and does not involve) DLM?

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

Yes (well almost) the cause for the defect of why the RDX IMG folders are not reclaimed is because of the changes for DLM but that is an unintended relationship as RDX still uses media sets and one critical link between media sets and the IMG folders was accidentally affected by the DLM changes.

RDX backup sets whether BKF or IMG are still handled by media sets with the only 2012 difference being you cannot append into a BKF (you could not append into an IMG in 2010 anyway)

Standard disk storage (incuding USB) media sets are handled by DLM, with RDX set to also be handled by DLM in the next full version of Backup Exec.

Bulbous
Level 5
Partner

FYI, this was working but now IMG folders are accumulating again. I wonder if a new hotfix broke this?

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

1) If you don't have the orphan then you will almost certainly see this issue it has not been fixed by public hotfix yet,.

2) If you do have the orphan but have installed a Hotfix since  then the orphan has probably been overwritten. As the support case used to receive the orphan should still be open, please contact the technician working your open case and confirm if you need a newer version of the orphan because of your new hotfix levels.

 

Note we do deliberately give orphans lower file version numbers thabn hotfixes so that they should be overwritten. Also if you know you have an orphan you should be confirming via the support case for the orphan whether or not new hotfxies can be applied before you install them.

Bulbous
Level 5
Partner

Thanks, Colin.

I did have the Orphan and it did fix my problems. Then it stopped working, presumably overwritten by public Hotfix.

I replied to my case (02960920) and my tech gave me a new Orphan (26.11), which I applied, but my problem persists. IMG folders are no longer being reclaimed. Any chance this Orphan needs tweaking again?

 

Justin

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

You may need to run the SQL comamnd again and you also need the registry change, both documenetd in the Orphan notes - howveer you should be discussing this with the TECH that issued the orphan - he/she will at least need to know that you still have a problem as they may currently belive all is working.

Bulbous
Level 5
Partner

Thanks. I have run the SQL command again and cranked up the AutoExpireGRT registry value to a very high amount - enough to blow away all my IMG folders on all media - still no luck.

I am working with my tech on this, but have posted in case others have the same issue - which points in a different direction!