Windows Tape Device Drivers

[Stephen_L]

6.5.4 AIX 5.3 Master, trying to make a Windows 2000 6.5.4 client a SAN client.  Problem is when I try to install the tape device drivers (downloaded .exe or from install media) I get "A valid Symantec product installation cannot be found on this system".  It does reference Backup Exec, but everything I have searched for sends me back to this same tape drivers install, SymantecDeviceDriversforWindowsServers20070215_287850.exe

[Will_Restore]

when installing on bare system.  I would suggest remove/reinstall your Media Server.

BTW, "20070215" version is the latest.

[Stephen_L]

This is a NBU client, not a media server.  I'm perplexed as to why it thinks there is no Symantec product installed unless it is specifically looking for a Master or Media server?

[Marianne · Accepted solution]

Tape devices can only be installed and configured on media servers - San media, full media or master server.

SAN Client is a total different ball game - it does not use local tape. It backs up via the SAN directly to the Media Server's tape drive(s). There are very specific hardware requirements (only certain Qlogic Cards on client and media server). Also - only Solaris and Linux media servers can be used.

Read up all available documentation before trying to config SAN Client:

• SAN Client Deployment - Best Practices and Performance Metrics http://support.veritas.com/docs/293110

• NetBackup SAN Client and Fibre Transport Troubleshooting Guide http://support.veritas.com/docs/288437

• NetBackup 6.5 Shared Storage Guide
  http://ftp.support.veritas.com/pub/support/product...

[Stephen_L]

Thanks Marianne.  We are already successfully running SAN clients, we just don't have a Windows SAN client yet.  The documentation is somewhat confusing:

"Windows SAN Clients do not require Tape Drivers for discovered Fibre Transport devices. If the Windows SAN Client discovers “Archive Python” devices it will place them under “Unknown Devices” in the Device Manager. When this occurs, the Windows SAN Client will write data directly to the SCSI port rather than the Tape Class driver. If Tape Drivers are installed, then the data will take advantage of the tape device driver."

On one hand it says you do not require Tape Drivers, then it says If Tape Drivers are installed, but like you said, you cannot install the Tape Device Drivers on a client.

Thanks for the clarification.

[Marianne]

"If Tape Drivers are installed, then the data will take advantage of the tape device driver."

You should be able to install the Vendor tape driver.