IDE channels and firmware - DVD Writers

[knokworst]

Hi,

 

Just a question regarding Retrospect 7 and DVD writer drives. I have recently setup a new Windows 2003 server, it has SATA Hard Disks (2 in RAID 1) and 2 x Sony DRU-720 DVD writers. I have had a strange thing happen in unattended backups - one of my current backup set members is not detected when R7 launches. When you log on and check - Devices shows the Disk as (empty) and (unrecognised media) - if I eject the disk and re-insert it shows busy, then displays the correct Media and is either ready, or continues the backup. When I close R7 and click "check media" it reports all set to go. I run two sets Mon-Wed-Fri and Tues-Thur, only the current Disk in the M-W-F backup set is not detected properly the T-T disk detects fine. The system is very clean basically just the OS and Retrospect - no CD writing software and the built in Windows burning service is disabled by default - I do have Sophos Anti-virus client installed but have removed the DVD drives as scanning locations. R7 is latest version and also the driver files. Using NT passthru - pretty much default settings - software compression - verify on (never had a write or read error)

 

This may be just one Backup set member - will keep a watch on it

 

Questions:

 

Noticed that the Server Builders have strung both DVD drives to the Primary channel as Master and Slave (the other channel empty) - could this be effecting the performance of Disk recognition? they are UDMA2, could there be an issue with R7 trying to access both drives simultaneously and getting some kind of interference by sharing the channel? I have the second drive populated with fresh erased Media and the backup uses this disk when the first disk is full (works well)

 

also - there is a Firmware update for these drives available (dosnt tell you what it fixes!!) - should I update the Drives? and if I do will I need to run another custom configuration?

 

- could it be the media? I am using Imation DVD+RW

 

- have looked at the secret settings (ctl-alt-p-p) but haven't touched - could someone pls give an idea of what these settings influence?

 

p.s it only takes around 45 min to erase a fresh disk (not hours like some say

 

thanks for any help

[knokworst]

Hi,

 

Problem is occuring on the Tues-Thur set also - drive not finding Media when auto-launch an unattended backup - as above, R7 reports ready when I "check media"

 

Today I will update the firmware of the Drives and change to a reccomended Media for this drive:

· Sony Corporation

· Ricoh Co., Ltd.

· Verbatim/Mitsubishi Chemical Co., Ltd.

· PRODISC Corporation

 

any clues re. IDE channels?

 

In the words of Pink Floyd "is there anybody .......... out there!"

 

thanks

[knokworst]

Hi, latest update - all going - according to today’s test runs

 

 

-------- correction to first post

 

>>>> Devices shows the Disk as (empty) and (unrecognised media) >>>>>>>

 

-------- should be:

 

>>>> Devices shows the Disk as (unknown) and (content unrecognised) >>>>

 

 

 

Performed Firmware update on DVDR drives. R7 (Single server version) ran thru a new Custom Config - no effect on "disk detection issue"

 

The Main Board is an IntelSE7221BK1LX Server Board – Windows devices described as: Intel 82801FB/FBM ultra ATA Storage Controller and LSI MegaIDE Disk Device #00 SCSI Disk Device. Device Manager also shows the two DVD drives connected to the Primary IDE Channel as Master and Slave in UDMA2 mode (shows secondary channel un-occupied)

 

In BIOS settings Hard Disk controllers are described as follows:

 

Primary Master (HDD)

Primary Slave (not detected)

Secondary Master (HDD)

Secondary Slave (not detected)

3rd IDE Channel Master (DVD)

3rd IDE Channel Slave (DVD)

 

Seems the chipset uses the Primary and Secondary Master for SATA if no IDE Hard Drive detects on those controllers, and has a third channel for additional devices.

 

 

 

 

Resolved unattended detection by using ASPI to communicate with devices

 

 

 

 

A couple of things in R7 I did come across after enabling ASPI

 

- On an occasion when I switched to the “environment tab” in Configure>Storage Devices, I received a BSOD with error on LSI MegaIDE - once set to ignore ID on “LSI Mega” and “SATA dummy device” it was fine.

 

- Also, in Configure>Storage Devices>Status the location of the storage devices (2 x DVDR drives) is described as USB CD:0 and USB CD:1 respectively.

* perhaps ASPI has miss-named the theoretical 5th and 6th IDE channel?

 

Anyway – it seems fine now (touch Blank DVD media ). I ran a short test backup – scheduling it to run in say two minutes time – then quickly closed R7 – checked media on way out – and logged off the server. I could recreate the error every time until I switched to ASPI.

 

also timed (not estimated) the duration of the Erase on a fresh DVD+RW media before it is used as a backup set member (running standard automated backup)

 

----------- a staggering 18 minutes!! ------ perhaps these Drives are fast

 

Hope this helps anyone out there

 

I’ll post if I strike anything else

 

Thanks,

[jhg]

I've been having "Unrecognized Media" problems with my Sony

DRU510A for 6 months now. I've had a support case open for

that long, but nothing ever seems to happen, even though I ping

the support guy every couple of weeks. I get the feeling nobody's

really trying to solve the problem.

 

I did just discover that the problem only happens when reusing media.

When writing to new media I don't get "Unrecognized media".

 

I rotate through 8 backup sets, each of which has 6 DVD members. When

I fill up 6 members I move to the next backup set. Recently I found myself

short of time and extended a backup set to 8 DVDs. For the entire time

I was writing incremental sessions to those 2 never-before-used DVDs

I did not get "Unrecognized media".

 

I finally rotated to the next backup set, and the first autorun incremental

stopped with "Unrecognized media". FWIW, all I have to do is eject and

reinsert the DVD for it to work.

 

I have a feeling this is a problem specific to Sony drives with reformatted

media, but that's a recipe for finger-pointing exercises if nobody at Dantz

wants to follow up on this.

[knokworst]

Hi jhq - have you tried the ASPI trick? My system has been working faultlessly since I switched to ASPI - NT Passthrough dosnt seem to "see" the DVD correctly when it wakes the Drives for an automated operation - not sure if you have the same issue

 

Good Luck