Backup Central

Hi there.
I have a problem with performing backup jobs.
Server: W2K3 SP1 Standard
Backup Device: Dell PV TL2000 (SAS). Medium changer IBM TotalStorage 3573 Tape Library (f/w 6.60), Tape drive IBM ULT3580-TD4 (f/w 8371), driver version 6.1.8.9 non-exclusive (from Dell). As well tried exclusive.
ARCserve 11.5 SP4, tape/optic library module activated.
ARCserve sees Tape library. Device is configured, device group is configured too (by default GROUP0), but when trying to perform backup job, on Preflight Check it says: "no media found in GROUP0".
In HCL for ULT3580-TD4 noted f/w 74H8. But I can't downgrade f/w, at the same time it's possible to downgrade TotalStorage 3573 Tape Library f/w to any older version.
Anyway, I can work only with Media Pools. Formatted a couple of medias and assigned them to the pool. On the destination tab pointed an appropriate media pool, with GROUP0 and any media(*). Only in this case it starts the job.
But, I'm using WORM tapes and can't format them as many times as I want. On the other hand no other madia except formated can't be assigned into the media pool.
So I'm in big trouble, any help is appriciated.

isn't WORM only writeable once?

Yes, that's right. I have resolved the problem. Formated only 2 medias with "full" and "diff" names (i.g. servernameFULL). And assign them to an appropriate pools. Scheduled backup jobs. When a media is full ARCserve performs new formating of first blank media with the same name, ID and even Time of First Format. But the Serial No. and Sequence No. are different.
It works for the last 4 months at least.

As for the firmware versions posted on the Certified Device List, that is what they tested and not the only version that works.

If the media is blank as in not formated or erased, then as long as it is in the same group the job will automatically use it and assign it to the media pool.

Hi,

Media pools are a way for Arcserve to "count the days" a media can be reused for a backup job. Media pools have two containers Scratch Set and Save Set. Everytime a tape is written , and a pool is assigned, this tape is assigned to the Save Set. It will stay there for the amount of days confgured in the properties of the pool. When the days pass it will be moved automatically by the system to the scratch set. Arcserve Jobs will look for tapes in the scratch set to use. I will advise you to use GFS rotations. Using GFS each tape will be assigned a name automatically by the system, and if you are using an autoloader with bar code reader it will automatically assign the bar code number as the serial number. You will be able to locate a tape by serial number, name or by a 4 digit HEX number called ID.
Creating several groups and using these in a tape library environment allows you to program more than one job at a time, and if your library has more than one tape drive it will run as many jobs concurrently as the amount of drives available in the library
Regards,
Carlos Alberto