DAT Tape help!

osaddictosaddict London, UK
edited September 2006 in Hardware
Hey all

I am backing up to a tape drive, which seemed to be going quite well. however, todays backup prompted me for more media as the existing media was full...

This has prompted 2 problems... 1. It was set to overwrite rather than append- so in theory there should only ever be 1 backup on the tape 2. the 'erase contents' in the right click menu of the program (nova backup 7.5) doesnt seem to work!

It complains that there is 'No tape unit found' yet clicking properties on the very same menu gives details about the tape drive- manuf., serial etc- so it clearly can 'see it'

Are there any freeware (or cheep) bits of kit to manage dds4 tapes- so you can see them more like a conventional drive?

Comments

  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    In answer to your question, the reason for the prompt for more media is simply because you have hit the maximum that the tape can store. You may wonder how this is possible when you only have 30GB of data and it's a "40GB" compressed volume but unfortunately, if files cannot be compressed... then you are more than likely to get less storage on a volume than expected.

    You cannot see DDS4 tapes as a "normal drive" because they are sequential media. This means that each bit of data is written in sequence, one after the other until the end of the tape. Hard drive storage writes all over the disk surface, which is why it is easy to navigate. Tapes require indexing with a run through the tape from start to finish.. before fast forwarding/rewinding to the segment of data you want.

    Im not too familiar with your backup software, so can't answer the question on why it suddenly cannot see the drive. Potentially it could be a bad driver install. Backup software (I used to use Veritas and ArcServe alot) in my experience.. can be a bit funky with the drivers :)
  • osaddictosaddict London, UK
    edited September 2006
    Hmm, Well, its impossible it could be out of space for the entire tape- I know for a fact the information its backing up is less than 10gb uncompressed- so on a 20/40gb tape it should fit no worries if its correctly overwriting the data.

    Ah ok- I see what you mean about the media and the way it works- I had a feeling it was something like that.

    It now seems very iffy--- we have a bank of 10 tapes- when i put in one and try to restore from it it refuses to see anything on the tape what so ever- I have tried about 5 tapes, very strange, and worrying...

    My experience of backup software is also that its a bit odd and tempromental - grr!
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    When was the last time the drive was cleaned..? Does the backup software read the hardware information that tells you that it needs a clean..? DDS needs regular (and I mean.. at least once a month) cleaning or you will get degraded performance, damaged/unreadable media and no backups!

    Try cataloging / running an inventory on a volume (tape) and see what it gives you back. You can also try importing it into microsoft backup (there is a slim chance that it's the same format that your backup software uses).

    From the command prompt type:

    ntbackup

    :)
  • mtroxmtrox Minnesota
    edited September 2006
    I second Shorty on both counts. You really have to clean those drives regularly...some people say as often as every two weeks.

    And......ntbackup has saved me when I inheirited a server with a crappy backup program (that Yosemite thing Dell has sold is just awful). Once you learn to use all the command line and switches, you can schedule backups that verify every night....and clients with too much to do to organize tapes can plug in any old tape with the right switch.
  • osaddictosaddict London, UK
    edited September 2006
    Blimey, the drive is a couple of months old, I knew they needed cleaning, but not that often!

    Whats the best process- just use the cleaning tape they supplied?

    As regards the backup- it must have been something odd on my pc- i installed the s/w on another pc and it was fine- then removed it on mine and installed it and changed a few bits- and touch wood it seems to be working ok!
  • mtroxmtrox Minnesota
    edited September 2006
    I'll admit, two months old is pretty young to be gummed up...but when you call tech support on a tape drive the first Q they always ask is if you clean it regularly. And yea, you just run the tape.
    osaddict wrote:
    changed a few bits- and touch wood it seems to be working ok!

    Let us know how that touching wood idea works. I might try it on a wierd Excel problem I have with a client.:wink:
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    It get gam up in one use. It's a tape drive :)
  • osaddictosaddict London, UK
    edited September 2006
    lol, touch wood happens to be one of those crap sayings ive happened to inherit somewhere along the line, i find it doesnt do anything (accept sometimes give you splinters if your careless!)
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2006
    Hence why I don't scratch my head ;D
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