???? How can I find what backup software was used to write to a tape?

[Mike Reddeb]

I have a customers ML370 G1 server w/ a Compaq DLT 4000 series drive (and tape). The system is DOA and needs to be restored from tape. I have reloaded the system with the intention of doing a full system restore (OS is NT4.0), but I have been unable to determine what Backup software was used to backup the system. I have tried Windows NT 4.0 native backup, CA's Arcserv and Veritas's Backup Exec.......NO LUCK!!!!


If someone can help, I would apreciate it.

Obviously......the customer can not remember what software was used.


Thanks a million in advance...

[CA713937]

Sort of a long shot, but...

If you have a unix box around with a DLT4K/7K/8K/SDLT1 drive attached (or move your current drive if it is not internal), you could read the header of the tape with the "dd" command and hope there's an ASCII label with the software name.

[Mohammed Ali_2]

Hi Mike,

If David's suggestion doesn't work, you may contact data recovery companies such as:

Computer Conversions 800-328-2911
Data Recovery Mon - Fri 7:30am - 6pm PST

That may be your only recourse.

Good luck and Happy Holidays

[Bob_196]

try tapeware - www.tapeware.com - that usually ships with the HP drives

[CA756694]

Didn't get HP's Tapeware with the pre -merger Compaq stuff though ...

Looks like there was no inbox software with the compaq models but the supported platforms were:

VERITAS Backup Exec v8.5 for Windows NT/2000
VERITAS Backup Exec v8.5 for NetWare
Computer Associates ARCserve 2000 for Windows NT/2000
Computer Associates ARCserveIT v6.6 for NetWare
Dantz Retrospect Backup v5.6 for Windows NT/2000 (Server & Workgroup version)


which narrows it down somewhat !

[Mike Reddeb]

FYI....I finally found a Windows utility to peform the same fnction that the Unix dd function does. Luckily the header of the tape was written in ASCII format and I located the manufacture of the backup software.

[CA713937]

> FYI....I finally found a Windows utility to peform the same fnction that the Unix dd function does. Luckily the header of the tape was written in ASCII format and I located the manufacture of the backup software.

Ok, so don't leave us hanging - which backup app was it?

Second, what was the little utility you found similar to "dd"?

[Mike Reddeb]

The utility was Novastor's NovaXchange
The Backup software was SnapBack

Yeah!!! I had heard of Snapback either!!!!

For a while I thought that the tapes were bad or the backup had not run reliably.

[CA713937]

Snapback is a new one to me as well (sounds similar to HP's One Button Disaster Recovery).

So do I get a few points for suggesting 'dd' :-?

[CA995574]

Which window utility you used to read the ASCII tape header ?