SLP using just one drive

[jploui]

Hi,

Im running SLP jobs, NDMP configured robot.

It has 8 drives active,configured to the server.

The backup jobs completes, then when the duplicate job starts it only uses on drive of the 8 available.

Lets say 10 duplicate jobs kick off, 8 of them run and 2 queue.

Of the 8 that runs, only one job actually runs, using only 1 tape drive, job details of the other 7 stats that. no drives available. But theres 7 more drives.

When the job completes, the next one (of the 7 that had no drive available job discription) starts doing the duplicate job. but to a different drive??

So the drives arent faulty.

The duplicate job just uses only 1 drive instead of all 8?

Any suggestion.

Master server : Windows 2008 R2 Standard

NBu Version : 7.1.0.4

[Marianne]

Please show us you Storage Unit Config.

Run the following from cmd:

bpstulist -L
(command in <install-path>\veritas\netbackup\bin\admincmd)

Also confirm that all drives are UP:

vmoprcmd -d
(command in <install-path>\veritas\volmgr\bin)

[jploui]

Hi Marianne,

Heres the output of the relevant STU

Label:                123nt1032-hcart2-robot-tld-1-123ho-dxi6701

Storage Unit Type:    NDMP

Host Connection:      123nt1032

Number of Drives:     8

On Demand Only:       yes

Density:              hcart2 (14)

Robot Type/Number:    TLD (8) / 1

Max Fragment Size:    2000

Max MPX/drive:        1

NDMP attach host:     iecho-dxi6701

REgards

[jploui]

All the drives are up using, tpconfig -d and tpconfig -dl

[mph999]

Persoanlly I'd just delete the drives and readd them.

I'd also make sure that before you do this you have persistent binding in place to prevent the drive paths swapping round.

Martin

[jploui]

No Luck, Have Symantec engineer on the line now.

[jploui]

Marianne van den BergTrusted AdvisorPartnerAccreditedCertified

12 Apr 2012 : Link

Just found something else that also caused a similar problem for another Connect member not so long ago...

nbrbutil shows 6 tapes being allocated, but only 3 drives:

mediaId=0008L5 (no drive)
mediaId=0009L5 (no drive)
mediaId=0010L5 (no drive)
mediaId=0052L5 driveName=IBM.ULT3580-TD5.004
mediaId=0005L5 driveName=IBM.ULT3580-TD5.002
mediaId=0049L5 driveName=IBM.ULT3580-TD5.003

Now what we saw in the other thread is that a media id allocation/reservation seems to 'assume' that a drive is associated with the media allocation and therefore reduces the number of drives available.

Please release MDS allocation for these 3 media-id's and see if it resolves the queueing problem:

nbrbutil -releaseMDS 42
nbrbutil -releaseMDS 44
nbrbutil -releaseMDS 52

If you look at the allocation numbers for these 3 tapes in comparison with other allocation numbers (1118120, 2185063, 2210733, etc...) it looks like they have been 'stuck' for a long-long time....

[jploui · Accepted solution]

The LIFECYCLE_PARAMETERS file must be in <install_path>\veritas\netbackup\db\config folder on the master server. (Please also ensure that Windows explorer did not add a .txt extention.)

Explanation of TAPE_RESOURCE_MULTIPLIER setting in LIFECYCLE_PARAMETERS:

Another parameter that is only used in NetBackup 6.5.5 and above, this value determines the number of duplication jobs that the Resource Broker will evaluate for granting access to a single destination storage unit.
Storage unit configuration includes limiting the number of jobs that can access the resource at one time. The Maximum concurrent write drives value in the storage unit definition specifies the maximum number of jobs that the Resource Broker can assign for writing to that resource.
Overloading the Resource Broker with jobs that it can‘t run is not prudent. However, we want to make sure that there‘s enough work queued so that the devices won‘t become idle. The TAPE_RESOURCE_MULTIPLIER parameter lets administrators tune the amount of work that is being evaluated by the Resource Broker for a particular destination storage unit.
For example, a particular storage unit contains 3 write drives. If the TAPE_RESOURCE_MULTIPLIER parameter is set to 2, then the Resource Broker will consider 6 duplication jobs for write access to the destination storage unit.
The default is 2. This value is appropriate for most situations. This is not configurable for versions of NetBackup prior to 6.5.5; a value of 1 is used.

[jploui]

c

[Marianne]

Totally forgot abot TAPE_RESOURCE_MULTIPLIER.... 

Seems you found my post dated 12 April?
 https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/idle-tape-drives-duplication-jobs-queueing#comment-69...