GMRMacBackup Posted July 13, 2009 Report Share Posted July 13, 2009 I have an odd problem, recently I have had a tape that 'toggles' it's classification as a cleaning tape. The tape number doesn't change but it's classification changes from a named media tape to 'Cleaning tape' almost every time I open the Retro 8 application. This has happened on the last 3 versions of Retro 8 (currently running 8.1.148). If I click on the tape in question or move it to the drive, the tape is properly reported and it changes it's classification again. I have manually erased the tape but upon exiting and reopening the application (on the Retro computer and via remote) the tape will say "Cleaning tape" until I rescan or click on the tape itself. Has else anyone experienced this? System specifics: Intel Xserve (10.5.6 Server, 2 x 2Ghz, Apple Raid card, 3 x 750GB Raid 5, 10GB RAM) EMC Retrospect Single Server Unlimited 8.1.148 Apple 4Ghz 4 Port FC Card (driver 2.02) Promise 610f 9TB (Raid 5, 4GB FC controller, connected to Apple FC card) HP StorageWorks 4048 LTO4 dual drive w/4GB FC controller (connected to Apple FC card) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhwalker Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 Does the tape have a barcode? If so, what is the barcode? Have you designated a "Cleaning slot" on the autoloader, and would that be the slot in which this tape is inserted? Some barcodes ("CLNxxxxx") have special meanings to Retrospect and to some autoloaders, and some autoloaders allow you to designate a slot as a cleaning slot, such that a tape in that slot becomes a "cleaning tape". Likewise, did you tell Retrospect that this slot is a "cleaning slot", or was this tape, if barcoded, previously in a slot designated as a "cleaning slot"? Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMRMacBackup Posted July 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Thanks for the reply. My previous system required that I define a cleaning slot, this unit appears to work with the tape barcode. Out of habit I assigned a specific slot for the cleaning tape and assigned it as such in Retrospect. I have the "Enable as cleaning slot' selected for slot 24, it is named 'CLNU00L1'. I am using HP pre-barcoded LTO4 tapes, the number is CB8027L4, tape is named '3-Weekend - F' and it is in slot 3. I do not believe the cleaning tape and/or media tape has ever been exchange in their slots. Attached is a rather unremarkable picture of how they appear. NOTE: Now that the tape has been used in a backup set I have not seen the 'toggling' issue since. It's odd that it was doing it previously on a remote login and a local login and now neither has an issue now (fingers crossed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhwalker Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Boy, that's an odd bug. It's almost as if the autoloader is reporting to Retrospect that the slot holds a cleaning tape, and that Retrospect (or the autoloader) fixes things up when it sees a valid header in the drive. Does the autoloader have an ethernet or console interface? If so, does that interface show what type of tape, or whether the slot is configured as a cleaning slot, for slot 3? Has this only happened for slot 3, or did it follow this tape (before it had data) ? What happens if you take that barcoded tape out of slot 3 and replace it with an erased tape? Retrospect should be able to figure out where the tape is from the barcode if you move it to another slot. Did this computer ever run Retrospect 6? If so, did the same thing happen with Retrospect 6 (before the tape had data on it) ? That's a real head-scratcher. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMRMacBackup Posted July 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 After reviewing the PNG I uploaded last week and checking the drive just now it may be a communication error with the autoloader. I missed it previously but the 3rd tape in the second group is marked empty (with the associated icon) but Retro 8 indicates there is a tape in the slot as indicated by the [bY8140L4] ID. Checking the web interface shows the slot is empty. I used the web interface to move a tape into the slot then back to it's original position. Now Retrospect is properly reporting that the slot is empty. Occasionally I get a condition where Retro indicates the drive is empty but one of the tape slots says it is in the drive. If I click on the drive and tell it to eject the system ejects the tape and puts it back in the slot. To answer your questions, I was monitoring the autoloader (HP StorageWorks 4048 LTO4 dual drive w/4GB FC controller) via it's web interface and I never noticed the tape ID change. The tape had been in a few of the other slots, but it had never (as far as I know) been manually moved to the designated cleaning slot. If the autoloader shuffled the tape around in the past I didn't see it. This autoloader was used with Retro 6 and it worked pretty well, the first version of Retro 8 was 8.0.608. I have upgraded to 8.0.733 and 8.1.148 but it was only 8.1.148 I had noticed this behavior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhwalker Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 the first version of Retro 8 was 8.0.608. I have upgraded to 8.0.733 and 8.1.148 but it was only 8.1.148 I had noticed this behavior. You really ought to upgrade to the current version of Retrospect engine and console and try the test again. A great many bugs were fixed with the recent updates: EMC Retrospect 8 Release Notes Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMRMacBackup Posted October 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 Just when I thought the bug was gone it resurfaced this week. It appears to be an issue with the way the library is communicating with Retrospect. When this one particular tape is in slot 3, the slot toggles it's physical type despite the fact the slot has not been designated a cleaning slot, very strange. During the toggling issue the tape drive and transport is moving, loading and unloading tapes during a restore from a massive crash this week. I captured a movie of it's antics and have it attached Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhwalker Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Interesting. Note that several tapes seem to have this problem (compare your PNG graphic upthread with the toggle movie). Perhaps it is just coincidence, but, as you noted upthread, notice that the third slot of the second library group (slot "15", barcode "BY8140L4") has a remarkably similar barcode to the toggling tape in the third slot of the first library group (slot "3", barcode "BY8143L4"). It's unclear whether, since the time the thread started, you have updated to the current (8.1.525 and 8.1.526) Retrospect engine and console. What versions are you running? Many bugs are being fixed as time passes. Perhaps eventually the software will reach "release" status and pass out of beta testing. Oh, it already has, perhaps prematurely. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMRMacBackup Posted October 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 The tape numbers are similar because they came from the same box, if I need to shuffle them up before I load them I'd be willing to live with that (lol). I should have posted my latest specifications, I have indeed upgraded to 8.1.526. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a bug, at least I can reproduce it on command if anyone is interested. Maybe a parlor trick... hmmm. System specifics: Intel Xserve (10.5.8 Server, 2 x 2Ghz, Apple Raid card, 3 x 750GB Raid 5, 10GB RAM) EMC Retrospect Single Server Unlimited 8.1.526 Apple 4Ghz 4 Port FC Card (driver 2.02) Promise 610f 9TB (Raid 5, 4GB FC controller, connected to Apple FC card) HP StorageWorks 4048 LTO4 dual drive w/4GB FC controller (connected to Apple FC card) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhwalker Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 No, it's definitely a bug. Whether hardware or Retrospect, unknown as yet. Does this same cycling occur if there is no Retrospect activity with the drive, doing unloading and loading at the same time as was occurring in your movie? Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMRMacBackup Posted October 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Slot 3 is the only one involved with this bizarre activity, and it does not appear to be isolated to certain tapes. If I use the web interface to move, load or transport tapes the type changes for slot 3, all Retrospect should be doing is monitoring the tapes. Last I thought it was only when Retrospect was actually controlling the library, now it appears that anytime Retrospect is communicating with the library it cannot keep it's facts straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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