Retrospect Server and Exabyte EXB-10e

[250LWB]

I have a PC running WIN98SE, a QLogic SCSI-2 controller, the Exabyte EXB-10e and Retrospect Server version 5.6 (the latest and greatest.) Retrospect does recognize the drive and loader and will even send commands when it starts up to scan the magazine (the loader is set for random operation, I might add.) However, once I start any sort of interaction in Retrospect, say, drag a tape from the loader to the drive the loader will run but it won't put the tape in the drive. It might go to that position and pull the tape then return it to the slot for example. The tape drive is set at SCSI address 0:1 and the loader at 0:4 per Dantz' recommendations.

 

 

 

Just for fun I've done some things manually and then let the loader scan the magazine to "find" everything. At that point Retrospect does recognize what's going on but it still won't respond to commands.

 

 

 

Understand that I have run other autoloaders on this exact setup without a hitch, so I know the software and hardware is OK. And I have run Exabyte's "Expert" diagnostic software and found the EXB-10e to respond to all commands without an error. I also have an EXB-10i right now and it acts the exact same way.

 

 

 

I'm wondering about a couple of things:

 

 

 

1.) Parity? Is this any issue? It's turned off on the EXB-10e.

 

 

 

2.) SCSI to SCSI-2. The EXB-10e uses a standard SCSI (50 pin low density connector) interface while my card uses a high density SCSI interface. I have a cable that goes from the HD 50 pin to standard SCSI plug.

 

 

 

I'm open to suggestions of any kind. I know this is something simple.

 

 

 

TIA,

 

 

 

250 LWB

 

 

[250LWB]

In addition to the previous comments I want to add a few more that might help clarify what's wrong:

 

 

 

1.) I also have an Exabyte EXB-10i here as well. It is acting up the exact same way as the EXB-10e.

 

 

 

2.) This same setup has worked just fine with an ADIC VLS library.

 

 

 

3.) When I do attempt to load a tape for example, the device does respond - it will go into the "pick and place" mode where it starts to check each slot for a tape, remove it, put it back, and move on to the next slot. When completed it stops and does not load the tape.

 

 

 

Help me out here. This has *got* to be something simple.

 

 

 

TIA,

 

 

 

250LWB

[AmyJ]

- Make sure the SCSI card supports multiple LUNS. IE: DLT and AIT loaders will not work properly if hooked up to a standard (SCSI-1) 25-Pin SCSI card.

 

- Disable the Windows Class Driver for the device

 

- Make sure ASPI is installed by running ASPICHK (installed into the Retrospect Program Files directory).

 

- Try updating the drivers for your SCSI card.

 

- Did you use this drive with another backup software program? If so, did it install any extraneous drivers? If it did, try uninstalling these.

 

- Try a different tape in your drive. If you're trying tapes of the same brand, try at least one of a different brand.

 

- Try minimizing your SCSI bus by taking off any other SCSI devices.

 

- Try using a different cable from the PC to the tape drive.

 

- Try using a different terminator on the back of the drive.

 

- Try swapping PCI slots the card is installed into.

 

 

 

Finally, try bringing this drive to another PC and trying the backup. If it works here, you could be having a problem with either the SCSI card on the original machine or with the PC itself.