Question Mark - Needs Media

[c7043dac-09a0-460e-a81b-c3b70d14f0c8]

hi there,

 

i'm a very newbie.

 

working on the trial version of retrospective 8.x for mac.

hardware: macpro 10.5.x + hp storageworks 320 USB DAT external

 

my first back up worked fine (although it was aborted due to my switch off scheme of computer) .

but trying to make a new backup (from an external FW-drive) i get a message (blinking question mark) that says: needs media .... although it has media (the rest of the tape of my first back up).

 

any idea what i or 'the other forces' did wrong?

 

thanks in advance

ralph

 

 

 

BTW: image is taken from a previous post with the same problem (but with no answer).

Edited July 6, 2011 by r@lph

[Lennart_T]

it was aborted due to my switch off scheme of computer .

That may be your problem. Have you repaired the Media Set?

[c7043dac-09a0-460e-a81b-c3b70d14f0c8]

That may be your problem. Have you repaired the Media Set?

 

no i did not (don't know how to do that).

[Lennart_T]

no i did not (don't know how to do that).

 

[c7043dac-09a0-460e-a81b-c3b70d14f0c8]

i'm going to try.

i'll let you know.

thanks!

 

 

BTW: could you explain how a tape device works in terms of knowing 'which document is stored where?' and 'how many tape is left'?

[c7043dac-09a0-460e-a81b-c3b70d14f0c8]

 

 

i rebuilded the mediaset. however in overview screen (at status) I had to 'click' -> 'choose media first since there was a message 'media needed'. after giving the command 'finish' the mediaset was rebuild.

 

BUT trying to make another backup directly after that, did not succeed.

again the question mark. why o why?

 

after rebooting the macpro retrospect recognizes the HP StorageWorks 320. but somehow it will not start 'backing up'.

when choosing media i get a message that media set is already 'in use.'

 

 

Edited July 6, 2011 by r@lph

[twickland]

BUT trying to make another backup directly after that, did not succeed.

again the question mark. why o why?

You should click on the "Choose media..." button and see what Retrospect says. My guess is that the first tape member is full and that you need to insert a blank tape.

 

If you still have 135+ GB to back up, you're going to need several more DAT tapes before you're done.

 

In response to your other question, Retrospect has no idea how much space is left on a particular tape member. It depends on the type of data, writing speed, degree of compression of the files, etc. Retrospect will simply write to the tape until the drive reports that the tape is full; Retrospect will then request the next (blank) tape member.

 

Retrospect keeps track of where each file is written in the Media Set's catalog. Although the catalog won't display what files are on each tape member, it will ask for the appropriate tape member when you are restoring any particular file.

Edited July 6, 2011 by twickland

[c7043dac-09a0-460e-a81b-c3b70d14f0c8]

You should click on the "Choose media..." button and see what Retrospect says. My guess is that the first tape member is full and that you need to insert a blank tape.

 

If you still have 135+ GB to back up, you're going to need several more DAT tapes before you're done.

 

hi twickland,

 

thanks for replying.

 

the message i get (@choose media) is the same as in the attachment at my previous post. 'in use by another MEDIA SET.'

if i check the tape capacity, then it seems that there's enough space left for the 67GB (video) backup. (even if i try to make a backup 24GB that fits within the tape length (without any compression)..

 

 

Edited July 6, 2011 by r@lph

[Lennart_T]

the message i get (@choose media) is the same as in the attachment at my previous post. 'in use by another MEDIA SET.'

Retrospect thinks the inserted tape is part of another media set.

Have you previously used the tape for another Media Set? With the same name?

How many (tape) media sets do you have?

 

 

Tip: When posting screen shots, please post a browser/web friendly format, such as .png. That way, we see the screenshot in the forum instead of having to download the TIFF locally and then have a look.

[c7043dac-09a0-460e-a81b-c3b70d14f0c8]

Retrospect thinks the inserted tape is part of another media set.

Have you previously used the tape for another Media Set? With the same name?

How many (tape) media sets do you have?

 

 

Tip: When posting screen shots, please post a browser/web friendly format, such as .png. That way, we see the screenshot in the forum instead of having to download the TIFF locally and then have a look.

 

thanks for helping me out!

 

i've only one media set (with one tape). i did rename the tape after a erase. but that was before my first back up.

i did create another media set as well, but i deleted that later (because the 2nd media set did not solve my problem).

it might be -but i'm not 100% shure- that i've tried to link my tape to that 2nd media set. ... but i'm not sure about that.

 

thanks for the other tip!

 

 

Edited July 6, 2011 by r@lph

[Lennart_T]

thanks for helping me out!

 

i've only one media set (with one tape). i did rename the tape after a erase. but that was before my first back up.

i did create another media set as well, but i deleted that later (because the 2nd media set did not solve my problem).

it might be -but i'm not 100% sure) that i've tried to link my tape to that 2nd media set. ... but i'm not sure about that.

 

thanks for the other tip!

Have you managed to store something useful on the tape at all?

If not:

1. Erase the tape. (Just call it untitled or unnamed or whatever the default is.)

2. Recycle the Media Set.

3. Run the backup. If Retrospect doesn't automatically use the erased tape, it will ask you for a tape. Point out the newly erased tape.

[c7043dac-09a0-460e-a81b-c3b70d14f0c8]

Have you managed to store something useful on the tape at all?

If not:

1. Erase the tape. (Just call it untitled or unnamed or whatever the default is.)

2. Recycle the Media Set.

3. Run the backup. If Retrospect doesn't automatically use the erased tape, it will ask you for a tape. Point out the newly erased tape.

 

i've just tested if there was something useful on the tape; and it is.

i could easily restore some files.

according to the backup-log all backup were succeeded.

 

so what to do now? should i erase and reset? will it help?

[f30e6e60-a263-4d69-8f60-c92703669308]

when choosing media i get a message that media set is already 'in use

 

Look more closely at the screen capture you provided. I'll wait...

 

...

 

....

 

See the "Select media" dialog? It's asking you to provide a Member designated as "2-VDruw01".

 

But you are pointing the program at a different tape, one already named "1-VDruw01".

 

Of course, "1-VDruw01" is already a Member of a Media Set (we know that because of the tape's name), but the dialog is (characteristically) unclear/inaccurate. It's not a Member of "another" Media Set, it's already in use by _THIS_ Media Set.

 

Retrospect is finished writing to the first Member of this Media Set. This would happen if the tape had been filled with data. It would also happen if some sort of communication between the program and the tape drive resulted in Retrospect loosing confidence with the ability of the tape to handle more data, or if you had marked the previous tape as Lost.

 

I can't say if you had already added the "2-" tape to the Media Set, or if this is Retrospect way of asking for a new tape that will _become_ a new Member. If it's the latter, it's (yet) another poorly worded dialog. If it's the former, it's good old user error.

 

 

 

Dave

[c7043dac-09a0-460e-a81b-c3b70d14f0c8]

Look more closely at the screen capture you provided.

 

See the "Select media" dialog? It's asking you to provide a Member designated as "2-VDruw01".

 

But you are pointing the program at a different tape, one already named "1-VDruw01".

 

this makes sense .... (i'm so ashamed to be a poor dialog reader)

 

 

if i understand your post well than it could be that:

 

1. retrospect is confused about the capacity of tape 1 because is was aborted when my mac pro shut itself down due to the 'shut down scheme from the control panel energy.

2a. either retrosepct got more confused when i created a new media set

2b or (more likely) it didi not get confused. butretrospect thinks that i did put a new tape into my device after i ejected it hoping that i would give a sort of reset.

 

thanks to all your replies i will to as follow:

tonight i'll start a new backup procedure (after erasing this tape). and i'll secure my self that my macpro won't shut down it self.

i'll let you know if it worked.

 

any other suggestions are welcome untill toninght ;-)

 

thanks to all of you.

 

ralph, a little less newbie

Edited July 7, 2011 by r@lph

[twickland]

if i understand your post well than it could be that:

 

1. retrospect is confused about the capacity of tape 1 because is was aborted when my mac pro shut itself down due to the 'shut down scheme from the control panel energy.

2a. either retrosepct got more confused when i created a new media set

2b or (more likely) it didi not get confused. butretrospect thinks that i did put a new tape into my device after i ejected it hoping that i would give a sort of reset.

I don't think any of the above were involved.

 

The tape capacities that Retrospect lists in the Media Sets window are only rough estimates, and assume both that a generous amount of data compression will occur and that the data transfer to the tape drive will be smooth and as fast as the drive can accept. If your data is less compressible, or if the incoming data stream is less than perfect (both are quite probable), you won't meet these estimates. (In our situation, we tend to achieve data capacities of between 60 and 70 percent of what Retrospect estimates.) As I said above, Retrospect will write to the tape until the drive reports that the tape is full.

 

If something bad happens while the drive is writing data to the tape (like a power failure, unexpected shutdown, or a communication or writing error) such that the data on the tape lacks an end-of-file or end-of-block marker, then you will not be able to write any more data to that particular tape, even if there is otherwise more room on the tape. (Unless the tape itself is damaged, you can later erase the tape and then use the full capacity.)

 

I think that either of the above is a more likely explanation of what you experienced.

[c7043dac-09a0-460e-a81b-c3b70d14f0c8]

I don't think any of the above were involved.

 

The tape capacities that Retrospect lists in the Media Sets window are only rough estimates, and assume both that a generous amount of data compression will occur and that the data transfer to the tape drive will be smooth and as fast as the drive can accept. If your data is less compressible, or if the incoming data stream is less than perfect (both are quite probable), you won't meet these estimates. (In our situation, we tend to achieve data capacities of between 60 and 70 percent of what Retrospect estimates.) As I said above, Retrospect will write to the tape until the drive reports that the tape is full.

 

If something bad happens while the drive is writing data to the tape (like a power failure, unexpected shutdown, or a communication or writing error) such that the data on the tape lacks an end-of-file or end-of-block marker, then you will not be able to write any more data to that particular tape, even if there is otherwise more room on the tape. (Unless the tape itself is damaged, you can later erase the tape and then use the full capacity.)

 

I think that either of the above is a more likely explanation of what you experienced.

 

twickland,

 

your explanation makes sense.

 

i did run a backup script.

first i gathered my back up stuff in a folder to monitor if i did not exceed the 160GB (since you made me realize that my videofiles are already compressed).

the maximum was about 159GB. Right now my tape device stopped backing up because my tape is full. tomorrow i'll get new tapes.

can i just eject and insert the new one?

 

what surprised me is (according to retrospect) that I got 20GB too short on my tape (however my backup folder doesn not exceed the 160GB).

do i understand you correct that this could be the result of a external USB-connection with the tape device?

 

 

Edited July 8, 2011 by r@lph

[Lennart_T]

can i just eject and insert the new one?

Yes, you can. (Don't abort the backup, Just let Retrospect wait for new media until you have bought the new tapes and insert one.)

[c7043dac-09a0-460e-a81b-c3b70d14f0c8]

Yes, you can. (Don't abort the backup, Just let Retrospect wait for new media until you have bought the new tapes and insert one.)

 

okay, it took a while but today everything went well!

 

althought my backup-folder did not exceed 160GB, i had to use 2 DAT-tapes. (the second tape has space left, but i was needed because oen tape was not enough).

 

after the first tape the DAT-recordered ejected the tape itself. 2nd tape injected and after that it asked for the 1st tape again to do some verification.

100% okay.

 

thanks to all here who helped me.

 

ralph

[Lennart_T]

okay, it took a while but today everything went well!

Great!

althought my backup-folder did not exceed 160GB, i had to use 2 DAT-tapes. (the second tape has space left, but i was needed because oen tape was not enough).

If you have the right sort of DAT tape and if you can provide data fast enough in a continous stream, you could get 160GB natively on one tape. Assuming 2:1 compression and fast enough data stream, you could get 320GB per tape.

Now, the catch is: Many types of files today are already compressed: Video, audio and pictures to name three types of files that can add up to large amounts of data. These can not be compressed further.

There's another catch: If data isn't available fast enough, the DAT device inserts gaps on the tape between data blocks. If data is really slow, the DAT stops the tape a while, rewinds a bit and starts again. This, of course, wastes tape capacity. Many small files are much slower to backup than a few large files, even if both types add up to 160GB.

 

Thanks for reporting back!