A customer has a Netware 5.0 Server that we back up with Backup Exec Ver 8.5. Using a Seagate External SCSI DAT drive, 12/24 Gb.
I have gone through the threads here, support for Netware is kinda thin, but I notice many threads about tape errors using DAT drives.
Backups have failed on this server on a regular basis, probably about 50%. Always the same problem, SCSI Bus Timeout error, Clean the drive, do not use this tape again, SCSI timeout errors are caused by SCSI cables too long, blah, blah, blah. (I can get an exact quote, I am not on site presently)
Installed this drive just over 2 years ago. Problem has been intermittent ever since. If I clean the drive, Set up a brand new box of DDS2 tapes, restart the software, it will get maybe 4 to 7 (approx) good backups before the failures start again. The drive has been to Depot repair twice.
Last time, depot repair folks said it was excessivlely dirty, recommended that I change tape manufacturer, should use SONY DAT tapes. Bought nothing but SONY since then.
Netware 5.0 has latest patches. Recently downloaded latest update for Backup Exec 8.5, and latest drivers.
Noticed a while back that when the backup failed, there was a message on the Console screen that a New Media was detected in the Sony SCSI CD-ROM Drive on the server, right in the middle of the failed backup. No one has put a new media in that CD-ROM drive in a dog's age, so I added a second SCSI adapter (Adaptec 2940 UW, upgraded to latest firmware) and put the tape drive on it alone. It failed 3 times since then.
In the past, I decided to send drive for repair after I replaced it with my own drive, and backups worked fine. I did this yesterday, backup failed again this AM.
After 2 years of struggling with this, I can say this much for certain . . .
Once a tape has failed a backup, it can NEVER be used again. The drive will fail any operation you try on it.
The average life of the tapes has been decreasing in this drive. We have to replace tapes (after failures) after only 2 or 3 uses.
I have 3 other clients, one runs Netware 5.1, two run MS 2000 Servers. The backup hardly ever fails for these folks, and it is never bacause of SCSI error. The difference that is obvious is that they all run Internal Travan 4 or 5 drives, one is SCSI (on Netware) and the others are IDE.
Does anyone have experience with multiple sites using the different hardware described?
The drive that is failing is actually a DDS3 Drive, we have been using DDS2 Tapes, because all our data will fit. Any chance that the drive would work using DDS3 tapes? It is supposed to be Read Write Compatible with both. Can't imagine any difference in the tapes except length.
I would like to continue to use the DAT drive, as the customer has a rather limited backup window, and this drive can backup the volumes in about 1.5 hrs when it works.
This is getting way too long, I have tried many other things with this problem, will appreciate any ideas from the folks here.
Thanks,
Paul Ray
Programming Languages -- .BAT Files
Preffered editor -- EDLIN
I have gone through the threads here, support for Netware is kinda thin, but I notice many threads about tape errors using DAT drives.
Backups have failed on this server on a regular basis, probably about 50%. Always the same problem, SCSI Bus Timeout error, Clean the drive, do not use this tape again, SCSI timeout errors are caused by SCSI cables too long, blah, blah, blah. (I can get an exact quote, I am not on site presently)
Installed this drive just over 2 years ago. Problem has been intermittent ever since. If I clean the drive, Set up a brand new box of DDS2 tapes, restart the software, it will get maybe 4 to 7 (approx) good backups before the failures start again. The drive has been to Depot repair twice.
Last time, depot repair folks said it was excessivlely dirty, recommended that I change tape manufacturer, should use SONY DAT tapes. Bought nothing but SONY since then.
Netware 5.0 has latest patches. Recently downloaded latest update for Backup Exec 8.5, and latest drivers.
Noticed a while back that when the backup failed, there was a message on the Console screen that a New Media was detected in the Sony SCSI CD-ROM Drive on the server, right in the middle of the failed backup. No one has put a new media in that CD-ROM drive in a dog's age, so I added a second SCSI adapter (Adaptec 2940 UW, upgraded to latest firmware) and put the tape drive on it alone. It failed 3 times since then.
In the past, I decided to send drive for repair after I replaced it with my own drive, and backups worked fine. I did this yesterday, backup failed again this AM.
After 2 years of struggling with this, I can say this much for certain . . .
Once a tape has failed a backup, it can NEVER be used again. The drive will fail any operation you try on it.
The average life of the tapes has been decreasing in this drive. We have to replace tapes (after failures) after only 2 or 3 uses.
I have 3 other clients, one runs Netware 5.1, two run MS 2000 Servers. The backup hardly ever fails for these folks, and it is never bacause of SCSI error. The difference that is obvious is that they all run Internal Travan 4 or 5 drives, one is SCSI (on Netware) and the others are IDE.
Does anyone have experience with multiple sites using the different hardware described?
The drive that is failing is actually a DDS3 Drive, we have been using DDS2 Tapes, because all our data will fit. Any chance that the drive would work using DDS3 tapes? It is supposed to be Read Write Compatible with both. Can't imagine any difference in the tapes except length.
I would like to continue to use the DAT drive, as the customer has a rather limited backup window, and this drive can backup the volumes in about 1.5 hrs when it works.
This is getting way too long, I have tried many other things with this problem, will appreciate any ideas from the folks here.
Thanks,
Paul Ray
Programming Languages -- .BAT Files
Preffered editor -- EDLIN