hchristle Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 I've added a Quantum 1280L to our Exabyte VXA storage pool. The Quantum 1280L is in a shake down cruise with Restropect 6.5.319, the two problems I'm about to describe are unacceptable in a production backup product. The Quantum 1280L was selected after checking Dantz supported hardware list. Locating.. problem. During an immediate or proactive backup, monitoring execution window, the window displays "locating..." for hours. The correct tape is in the drive, the storage device reports "writing..." The job cannot be cancelled, exited, nor will retrospect quit. The sytem is hung. Power down everything. There is only one way I've found to recover from this state: Power upt he 1280L wait 5 minutes. Power up the Dell 1600, W2K, SP4 all patches, 1G Start Retrospect 6.5.319, latest drivers. From the DLT ALT 1280L inventory the storage media From Retrospect Scan Media Now this is important, skipping this step and it will go back to "locating..." when the backup runs. Retrospect Tools\Verify Media. As you know this will take a couple of hours, and it always verifys, and now the backups will run. this process must be followed after a power down on the Quantum or Server. There is a second problem which I think is related. The Storage Device listing reports incorrect library contents, arbitrarly. The symptoms are some slots report blank, while everyone of the other Device Names and Location is the same as the media in the drive. If the media is returned from the drive it's magazine slot, then the Storage Device screen is refreshed somehow and displays correct contents. Both these problems I think are related to Retrospect not being able to communicate with the 1280L. So far the test back ups and restores work well. A patch or workaround is required for this problem, unless Dantz is willing to step up and resolve this issue, I'm going to be forced to move to another backup application. Thank you for your help. Henry Christle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natew Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 Hi Don't give up on Retrospect just yet... Usually stuff like this happens due to SCSI communication problems or firmware issues. It is obvious that you have good equipment but we still need to verify the basics: -You have Retrospect driver update version 4.4 -The tape drive and loader are both disabled in the windows device manager -There are no other BU software programs installed on the machine -The SCSI cable is as short as possible -You have tried another cable (if possible) What SCSI card are you using? What firmware is on the drive? Is running the backup device on another machine as a test an option? (If if fails on 2 machines we can start to consider Retrospect is the source of the problem) Thanks Nate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hchristle Posted September 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 Really, I don't want to give up on Retrospect, I've used it since version 1, and have never once failed to do complete a restore for a client. and if you work with me on this Quantum 1280L issue, it can be solved... I'll pursue our suggestions and reply in a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hchristle Posted October 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2003 Hello Again - Status Upate The symptoms are unchanged. Basically Restropect 6.5.336, with rdu4.5, is unable to manage tapes which are inventoried in the Quantum 1280L. Even when a blank media is required, the script dialog box presents the message "..please select a new tape it will be named"........" " . Using the GUI, I move a tape from the Magazine to drive, and tape message is satisfied. I am using an Adaptec 31960, Drivers are 6.1.300.100 7/15/03. I don't know if these are Microsoft of Adaptec Drivers. Quantum tells me the Adaptec drivers should not be used becuase they have poor through put. Our thoughput is excellent. I have disabled the Windows Device Driver for the tape drive. Nothing in my many configuration changes seems to affect this problem. The tape will not change as required eventhough Retrospect displays the tape inventory. Please help. Thanks Henry Christle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natew Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 Hi Sorry for the slow Response. Try holding down the shift key and clicking eject all in the Retrospect devices window. This should clear the loader table in Retrospect. If the problems continue try using a new set of configuration files. Just rename your old configs and a new set will be created when you launch Retrospect. rename this folder C:\documents and settings\all users\application data(hidden)\Retrospect Also try Installing ASPI if you haven't already http://www.dantz.com/index.php3?SCREEN=kbase&ACTION=KBASE&id=26670 Nate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hchristle Posted November 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2003 I really need some help, I can only use the 1280L autoloader as a manual changer. Retrospoect is doing nothing with the data it's reading from the autoloader. You have suggested "trying" aspi. Will aspi fix the problem? I see we are using NT pass through in the Retrospect Dialog, But there appears be no way to specify using aspi. How do we flip between ASPI and NT Passthrough? I need someone to talk to about this issue soon. This auto loader just has to work. The Quantum Manual Lists the following supported Backup Applications: Veritas, CAI, ARC Serve, NetBackup, BackupExe and Trivoli. I'm going to call Quantum and see what the the current in formation is about Retrospect. I was lead to believe it Quantum 1280L supported Retrospect.. but right now thats in doubt. How about giving me the facts, or giving me someone to talk to on the phone about this issue. Thanks, Henry Christle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natew Posted November 4, 2003 Report Share Posted November 4, 2003 Hi If you run the ASPIINST.EXE installer located in the Retrospect program folder it will load when you use Retrospect. You can then tell Retrospect to ignore ASPI if needed in the hidden preferences. Type Ctrl + ALT +P + P at any Retrospect window. Under Execution there is an entry about NT passthrough. Nate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hchristle Posted November 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2003 Nate, Quantum support told me my 1280L DLT1 did not support Retrospect, only the LTO version supported Retrospect. I told them the Dantz Supported hardware page listed the 1280L DLT1 as "qualified". After insisting, I got kicked around enough to find someone who agreed the DLT1 would work, but the fimware version was critical. Over the next few days, Quantum will help me resolve the firmware issue, and maybe, the autoloader will work. I will provide you with detail information if it does work. If you have an specific information about the qualification parameters firmware, please let me know. .thanks Henry Christle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natew Posted November 5, 2003 Report Share Posted November 5, 2003 Hi It looks like this drive has been qualified for quite a while. I see the firmware at the time of initial support to be V22.0. More that a year has passed since then so I am sure there have been some updates Nate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hchristle Posted November 7, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2003 Nate, Current Status is I've tried everthing you and quantum have suggested and Retrospect 6.5, the Quantum 1280L DLT1, autoloader in not working. I've been delayed for months troubleshooting this with non-specific, and often incorrect information. I think I really need someone to talk with about this. Finally Dantz and Quantum have agreed that the 1280L Retrospect combination was qualified on the DLT1 v22 firmware. HOWEVER was this for Retropspect 6.5??? Our DLT1 was delivered 3 months ago with firmware v13. This week It was upgraded to v35. and running the ASPI mode, configured as you suggest. The problems are still the same, only worse. After copying one backup, the Media labeled unknown by the software. So I put it back to NTPassthrough, and restarted it and it's off and running. Retrospect is not controlling the magazine. This week, Retrospect was waiting for blank media, it would not find it, and finally the script timed out, so I've lost he session contents. If I manually move the media required by proactive script to the drive, it works. the problem is the robotics is not receiving commands from Retrospect. Quantum is a quality autoloader. We want to run our backups on a quality autoloader. It would seem wise for Dantz to give this 1280L DLT1 some support so we can get it going. Please help me! henry christle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natew Posted November 10, 2003 Report Share Posted November 10, 2003 Hi The adaptec website has a newer set of drivers that you should try: http://www.adaptec.com/worldwide/support/driverdetail.html?sess=no&language=English+US&cat=/Product/ASC-39160&filekey=u160_xp_2000_sp4.exe There is also a firmware update there that you should look into. I have talked to a couple of customers who had trouble with "combo" drivers for the 39160 card. Apparently there are some drivers for the 39160 that can cause problems. Unfortunately I don't have any more detailed information than that but you may want to check in with them too. Thanks Nate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hchristle Posted November 10, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2003 The drivers you refer me as "newer" are we have been using from day one, Adaptec Version 6.1.6300.100. Please understand writing to tape from network drives is running great. The SCSI bus is fast and without errors. It's beginning to look like Retrospect 6.5 will not work with a Quantum 1280L DLT1 unit. Certainly I've tried everhting, and the loader will not work. No one at on this news group can tell me it works. I really need an answer about this. Henry Christle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hchristle Posted November 11, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2003 Hi, IT WORKS! IT WORKS! Retrospect 6.5 and Quantum 1280L DLT1 v35, autoloader is not working just fine. Thanks to everyone for their efforts. I nearly gave up, I was down to my last day or two of trying. My config65.dat files were corrupt. Corruption might have occured with all the original hacking done with originally installing the Procative License Code, (which never actually appeared in the license window, but proactive backups worked). Or maybe the v13 firmware on our Quantum as it was delivered in Sept 2003. Inaccurate information from Quantum and Dantz web sites did not help. Quantum Claims the DLT1 doesnot support Retrospect, only their LTO, one man at Quantum after days of pounding did tell me DLT1 would work. Dantz web site claims Quantum V22 firmware was the Qualifing firmware. When I tired to get v22 from Quantum after a day, they told me there never was v 22. NTPassthough works ASPI does not!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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