NDMP Backups with Symantec Backup Exec and HP MSL4048 Tape Library

[cjscol]

I am doing NDMP backups using Symantec Backup Exec to a HP MSL4048 Tape Library connected to my NetApp Filers directly via FC.

Most evenings the backup jobs fail with an error of 0xe0008f4 - An unknown error has occurred.  If I rerun the job it sometime works.  I have always managed to get the job to work but it can take up to about half a dozen tries to get it to work.

I can see that a tape is loaded into the drive but then the job fails.  Sometimes it will leave the tape in the drive and sets the drive to prevent removal of the tape from the drive.  Once this has happened to all of the drives connected to the filer the only way I have found to unload the tapes from the drives is to reboot the tape library which resets the prevent tape removal flag from the drive so that I can either manually move the tape out using the Remote Management Interface of the tape library or let Backup Exec unload the tape when it tries to load a different one.

Anyone have any suggestions as to why these jobs are failing or some hints on where I can look to investigate the issue?  I am not sure if this is an issue with Backup Exec, ndmp (or something else on the filer) or a problem with the tape library.

As I have two Active/Active NetApp Filers and 4 drives in the tape library  have configured the tape library as two logical libraries and connected the first two drives to one of the Filers and the other two drives to the other Filer.

[Eemans Dany]

Hi,

Can you explain in more detail what exactly goes wrong, when i look op for the error message "0xe0008f4" i do not find any thing relevant exept your post.

I have also a netapp backed up with BUEXEC 2010 but on a MSL 8096.

In the beginning i had also issues, but you need to check that your lib is mastered by the filer, but when creating it as an ndmp device you need to share it between backup server and filer.

As i do not find relate info to the error message, can you post the explaination from BUEXEC here.

Thanks in advance

Dany

[cjscol]

Hi Dany,

The Backup Exec job starts and then goes into a queued state while a tape is being loaded into a drive.  Eventually the job goes into Pre-Processing and then fails with the error detailed in the original post.  Looking closer at the job log I am getting error V-79-57344-34036.

Sorry the final error code in the backup exec job was 0xe00084f4.  I have located a document on this and am looking at doing what it suggets.  http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH154620&actp=search&viewlocale=en_US&searchid=1333113785292

I have attached a copy of the backup log.

Calvin.

[Eemans Dany]

Hi,

A see why you posted this question, the error is stating unkown error, which could be anyting.

Stupid question maybe, is your backup server a windows 2003, if yes did you disabled removable storage service, manual is not enough it must be disabled.

Secondly, does your backup server also connect directly to the library thru FC, if yes, did you installed you library as a SHARED NDMP device.

During config of your drives you need to add them like "Add NDMP storage".

that was the error i had made when starting with BUEXEC and netapp.

Dany