SpecFrog (Event ID 11) 1

[zeltar]

Here is my story. I have a server running W2K3. I have been using 8.6 without problems for 2+ years(roughly). Using a Sony 15 tape autoloader with one drive. I had to reboot the server for an Express Metrix upgrade and that proceeded to eat my PVL.MDB. Therefore BE 8.6 did not run. I called Symantec to get some help and they gave me the "Sorry that is end of life you will have to upgrade to V10". I have heard others in my company (100+ offices) having issues with upgrading so I held off.

Now post V10 upgrade, my changer and drive show up in device manager and in the devices tab in BEV10. Until I try to inventory or run a job. It sets the drive to offline etc. I have spent about two hours on the phone with Symantec and they are to the point of saying I nned to clear all of the Event ID 11's before they can help.

I've done some research on the Spectra 215 loader and they dont support my drive(Sony) stating Sony will help. Go to Sony's site and they dont even list my drive (Model:2000, LIB-152e). The only place I find this drive is on a Sony.UK site but no support they are just selling the drive.

So anyone able to find a way to upgrade the firmware on the Spectra 215 loader? Spectra Logics site mentions a degaussed tape that they furnish with the upgrade IF you have one of their drives.

Sorry for the long rant but getting to the end of my rope.

Thanks in advance.
--Eric

 

[Zelandakh]

Eric, You don't need an upgrade. The drivers are part of the tape drivers set from BE. I've got the same treefrog.

 

[zeltar]

Thanks, Zelandadkh, but if there correct drivers are in the BE why is the drive not functining correctly? The tech at Symantec claims they cant help unitl I can make the ID 11 stop. Here is the exact message from the servers event viewer:

"The description for Event ID ( 11 ) in Source ( SpecFrog ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. The following information is part of the event: \Device\MediumChanger0."

This error populates the log about every two seconds until it fills up.

Now if you are claiming I can go to device manager and update the driver for the loader at the system level using a BE driver I'm all for it. Hope it is that simple but will have to wait unitl my maintenance window, tomorrow moring at 6.

Hope that made sense.
Thanks

 

[Zelandakh]

When we see drive offline, we stop all services of BE, restart all services, go to BE, Tools, Hardware Wizard thingy, run it through using Veritas drivers for all and it just works.

Been using it with the treefrog since we bought it about 6 years ago.

 

[zeltar]

OK, I will give it a try. Thanks.

Can you tell me what version of firmware your spectra is?
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DEVICEMAP\Scsi\Scsi Port 2\Scsi Bus 0\Target Id 2\Logical Unit Id 0\Identifier=SPECTRA 215 S019

Thanks.

 

[steveot]

Take a look at

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/255502.htm

 

[zeltar]

Steveot, You rule. That was it. It really makes me wonder about the caliber of techs that they use at Veritas(Symantec). When they couldnt point me to their own tech doc.

Thanks I owe you one.

Also thanks to all that replied eariler. I will be able to sleep with both eyes closed tonight.

 

[zeltar]

OK, so I can use my tape drive now BUT........
The throughput is only 24MB/min. I dont have that kind of backup window (350GB full). I have just made sure the Veritas drivers were installed and rebooted and doing a test job now but it is running a 27MB/min.

Any suggestions on what might be the deal now? I really wish I still had 8.6 running memories of 700mb/min, ahhh those were the days.

 

[steveot]

What to the local backup run at? Were you running 8.6 on a Windows 2003 machined or have you recently moved the libary to a 2003 machines along with the new version of Backup Exec?

 

[zeltar]

BE is installed on the server itself. So it is backing up local drives no remote agents in this office. I have not moved it but could try installing on my print server, if that is what you mean.

This was running 8.6 until my pvl.mdb corrupted and hence the upgrade to V10 and all of these adventures.

Thanks.

 

[steveot]

Create a Backup to disk in the Devices tab in Backup Exec. Run a backup around 500mb to the backup to disk folder. Check the rate there. Then try NTBACKUP to disk with the same test. If you see a slight improvement over 24MB/min then somethig is wrong on the server. If you see a large improvement then it may just be a matter of updating the SCSI card drivers. I have seen cases just a mix and match of how the tape driver and scsi card drivers are talking. My want to try OEM drivers for the tape drive.

Im assuming that the 24 mb is not on Exchange Mailboxes

 

[zeltar]

I got it figured out. I had the newest adaptec driver for the 29160 card (sp5 driver, 6.4.630.100), I went back to the 4.2.0.0 (2/21/2001) rebooted and am no getting my 700mb/min.

Thanks fo your insight. FYI I did a backup to folder and it gave me 850mb/min on a 1.2GB backup test.

 

[Jesperrim]

Zeltar ... for future reference, specs and firmware for the Sony 152 Library is available at:

http://sony.storagesupport.com/tapelib/nas_library_152.htm

Well hidden, but available for anybody that searches for a couple of hours :-(

 

[zeltar]

Thanks Jesp..

Sont email support actuall got back to me today (3 days) with that same link.

Thanks for the link, hopefully it can help someone else in the future.