Backup tapes error (Maxell DLTtape IV)

[satchi]

Hello, I hope this message is valid enough to be on this section. Anyways, Veritas BE 8.5 (Win2000server) is popping up this Alert message saying: "Please insert overwritable media into the changer using the slot import command."

The funny thing is that my tapes are physically NOT write-protected, yet the program is telling me it is, and to insert it.

I have tried several tapes already (the tapes are not new btw, about 1-2 yr old) and they all are popping up the same message.

Is there write-protection other than the physical tab on the tape? Or is the tapes just getting too old?

Any suggestions is appreciated. Thanks

satchi

 

[SQLBill]

I don't use Version 8.5, but this should help

1. There is another way to write-protect the tapes. You should be able to check properties on either the media set or the tape itself. That should show you the overwrite and append settings.

2. The issue MAY NOT be what you think it is. You didn't give any information about the job itself. How much data are you backing up and what size are your tapes. It could be that the job requires more than one tape. Let's say you are backing up 2 GB and the tape is 10GB. You've had 4 successful backups (used 8GB). The next backup fails...that's because it puts part of the backup on the tape and needs a second tape for the rest of it (remember it actually needs more tape than what the backup size is). It cannot go to the beginning of the tape and put the rest there.

3. Are you using a tape library (autoloader) or a single tape drive? If you are using a library, how did you load the tapes? Veritas doesn't really like it if the tapes are loaded by hand - it wants you to use the IMPORT media command.

-SQLBill

 

[satchi]

Hello, thanks for the reply SQLBill. To add in the details, i'm using Maxell DLT IV 40/80GB Tapes. The jobs i'm backing up totals to about 30GB daily. According to BE's configuration, backups are done by overwriting and no appending is involved, so I guess a new tape is used each time. FULL Overwrite protection is set, while recycled media is used before scratch.

According to the ALERT message, it's telling me to insert overwrite media, (no tape is physically write-protected) and one tape appears to have no 'Overwrite Protection Time Left'; the other 5 does.

I was thinking that this tape may be bad media, but when i tested out several other tapes, just about all of them bounced the same message.

We're using an HP SureStore Tape Autoloader with 6 tape slots (not including cleaner).

Hope this is enough information to come to a solution. Thanks again for the help. Any further suggetsions is appreciated.

satchi

 

[Lordyboy]

We experienced this problem with a couple of our servers, the main problem for us was that with the overwrite protection level set to full it would not allow an overwrite function. Check in your tools, options menu for media overwrite, we change this to either partial or none (be careful with the none the tapes must be changed every day to prevent accidental overwriting).

Then look at the level set on your media set this should now reflect the change

Hope this helps

 

[search66]

Stupid question, but have you tried cleaning the drive lately? I would get a cleaning tape and give that a whirl.

It wouldn't hurt to change media to, I never liked Maxell... I specifically use Fuji.

 

[satchi]

Hello, thanks for the replies. I will test out the other write protections and let u know.

As for cleaning, the backup schedule also has cleaning scheduled each week so the tape slots are being cleaned. Thanks for the tip though; we are also planning on buying new tapes to resolve this problem, but we'll see.

Oh, on another note, something also came up that's probably worth mentioning: the 'write protected' tapes have NONE in their write protection time. I also could not erase or label them as well; the same error message pops up.

 

[Mikey12188]

I'm running 8.5 and had a simular problem yesterday. The overwrite protection level is set to partial and it would not write to any tape. I ended up rebooting and that soved the problem.

Hope this helps

 

[satchi]

Hello, just wanted to let you all know that I solved the solution by buying new tapes... Rebooting my system did not solve the probelm, but anyways thanks for all the replies aand help. I appreciate it.

satchi

p.s. I will try to unlock these buggers in the future, since there are one dozen of 'seemingly' defective tapes.