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Only catalog backups are failing with media write error on Netbackup 6.5

ajinkyaD
Level 3

Hello,

 

I am facing this strange issue with the netbackup 6.5.

Only Hot catalog backup is failing with media write error but usual solaris backup is working fine.

I did raised this concern with IBM but they suggested to use new medias.

I did procured new medias.

While labeling them I selected volume pool as Catalog but labeling job too failed with same media write error for new media.

is there any different procedure for media read/ write for catalog than usual backups in Netbackup?

12 REPLIES 12

Twinkle_Sapra
Level 5
Certified

share output of

bppllist <<< catalog_policy >> -U and

bppllist <<< policy name for which it is working fine >> -U

Yasuhisa_Ishika
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified
There are no particular operations while writing catalog backup data. Are there any clue in syslog that is relevant to labeling error?

mph999
Level 6
Employee Accredited

Hmm, strange it is only catalog backups. However, we have some good info:

"While labeling them I selected volume pool as Catalog but labeling job too failed with same media write error for new media."

Can you supply the details from the Activity Monitor job for the failing media label operation.  What details are there in the system mesaages file (or event viewer if windows)

For info, NBU does NOT write to the tapes, the write operation is carried out by the operating system, so a write failure will almost certainly be due to the drive/ media /firmware or SAN

Martin

Mark_Solutions
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

Did you do the label from the GUI or command line

I am assuming you mean CatalogBackup pool rather then catalog pool?

I could understand if they were used tapes as you could only label one of those from the command line as you need to answer the prompt to overwrite a catalog tape but new tapes should be OK (although there was something i heard about the catalog pool being protected so may want to try the commad line)

Only other thought is if the right protect tab is on

If everything else is OK i would be surprised if it was a tape or hardware issue

As a test drop it into another pool (but not a scratch pool) and label it from the command line to see if that works

ajinkyaD
Level 3

Out put for bppllist:

ajinkyaD
Level 3

Hello All,

Thanks alot for your suggestions.

I want to add 1 more thing here that I have standalone drive configured and not a robotic library.

As per my understanding if this is a hardware related issue it should affect normal backups as well.

But normal OS backups are working fine and the issue is only with the catalog backups rather catalog medias.

Regards

mph999
Level 6
Employee Accredited

I agree, but, the overriding factor, is that NBU does not write to tape.  Write operations are carried out by the OS.

We need to see if there is anything in the system event log showing the error 

bptm log might show something.

What is in the details tab of the failing job from activity monitor ?

Martin

Marianne
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

Replacing every bit of info that we are looking for with ##### does not help.

Give us SOMETHING to look at. If you do not want to share names, please replace them with something more meaningful than #####.

Use names like master, media1, client1, etc.

We need to see if anything is different about the STU (residence), local or remote backup.

Please ensure that you have bptm log enabled on the media server doing the backups as well as VERBOSE entry in /usr/openv/volmgr/vm.conf.
Restart NBU after adding VERBOSE entry. This will ensure that device-type errors are logged in /var/adm/messages.

Twinkle_Sapra
Level 5
Certified

Is storage unit of Working policy and catalog policy is same?

If not change the catlog policy storage unit as working policy.

ajinkyaD
Level 3

Hi Marianne,

 

Sorry for the inconvenience..

I have only 1 server which is master server itself and backs ups itself.

So whatever i replace are the same things..

ajinkyaD
Level 3

Hi Twinkle,

Bothe are same..

Mark_Solutions
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

As well as the other suggestions i have made please set up the bptm logs (\usr\openv\netbackup\logs\bptm\) and then re-run the catalog backup and attach the bptm log file.

As Marianne says also enable the verbose logging.

We need to see something that can give us a clue to help you

Thanks

#EDIT#

One other thought - what media types are you using and what drives types are you using (so for example LTO5 drives and LTO4 catalog tapes - just wondering if your catalog tapes are not compatible with you tape drives)