Backup Central

I'm having problems with my LTO-4 tape library (it's an Overland NEO
4042). Drives will just sort of stop working (as in: reading a tape label
will just never finish. If I unload the tape, and try a different drive,
it will read fine). Overland Tech Support says that the version of HP's
LTO-4 tape driver I have on my Windows 2003 NW server (1.0.6.3) is known
to cause problems, and they suggest downgrading to 1.0.6.1. Problem is, I
can uninstall 1.0.6.3, but I can not install 1.0.6.1 - the installer
errors out. I can't install from GUI, from command line, extracting out
individual INF files and installing that way, etc. Nothing I do will
install 1.0.6.1. I can re-install 1.0.6.3 just fine .. but that leads me
back to problems.

So: anyone else having problems with this version of the drivers? This is
on Win2003 SP2 (32bit, in my case). NW 7.6.2. Tape library is fiber
connected.

Or does anyone have a hint on how to downgrade properly - perhaps some
driver cleanup tool is needed to completely wipe things clean before
downgrading? I haven't found anything, or even hints to it, but I did have
to use a cleanup tool years ago for some Symantec software, so it's not an
unknown phenominom on Windows ...

(and why Overland doesn't have it;'s own drivers, for drives in it's own
library, I don't know. But they sent me to HP for drivers, so the actual
drives are HP, apparently. Or use the HP drivers, anyway)

--
Michael Leone
Network Administrator, ISM
Philadelphia Housing Authority
2500 Jackson St
Philadelphia, PA 19145
Tel: 215-684-4180
Cell: 215-252-0143
<mailto:michael.leone < at > pha.phila.gov>

Hi Michael,

I have seen this or a related problem on different sites using (always) new
(2011-2012) overland tape libraries.
The workaround was to label the (blank) tapes on a different server. Does it
happen with labelled tapes or only blank ones?

If you cannot downgrade, that may happen because the 1.0.6.3 driver files are
still on the windows directories. Try uninstalling the 1.0.6.3 driver, remove
all the 1.0.6.3 files and reboot the windows machine. That might work.

jee


On Friday 27 Jul 2012 10:39:14 you wrote:
I'm having problems with my LTO-4 tape library (it's an Overland NEO
4042). Drives will just sort of stop working (as in: reading a tape label
will just never finish. If I unload the tape, and try a different drive,
it will read fine). Overland Tech Support says that the version of HP's
LTO-4 tape driver I have on my Windows 2003 NW server (1.0.6.3) is known
to cause problems, and they suggest downgrading to 1.0.6.1. Problem is, I
can uninstall 1.0.6.3, but I can not install 1.0.6.1 - the installer
errors out. I can't install from GUI, from command line, extracting out
individual INF files and installing that way, etc. Nothing I do will
install 1.0.6.1. I can re-install 1.0.6.3 just fine .. but that leads me
back to problems.

So: anyone else having problems with this version of the drivers? This is
on Win2003 SP2 (32bit, in my case). NW 7.6.2. Tape library is fiber
connected.

Or does anyone have a hint on how to downgrade properly - perhaps some
driver cleanup tool is needed to completely wipe things clean before
downgrading? I haven't found anything, or even hints to it, but I did have
to use a cleanup tool years ago for some Symantec software, so it's not an
unknown phenominom on Windows ...

(and why Overland doesn't have it;'s own drivers, for drives in it's own
library, I don't know. But they sent me to HP for drivers, so the actual
drives are HP, apparently. Or use the HP drivers, anyway)

Hi Michael,

I have seen this or a related problem on different sites using (always)
new
(2011-2012) overland tape libraries.

This library is from 2008 ...

The workaround was to label the (blank) tapes on a different server.
Does it
happen with labelled tapes or only blank ones?

Labeled tapes. (altho I have seen it happen once, maybe twice, when
labeling blank tapes). And I don't have another server to use, nor another
LTO-4 drive to label tapes.

If you cannot downgrade, that may happen because the 1.0.6.3
driver files are
still on the windows directories. Try uninstalling the 1.0.6.3
driver, remove
all the 1.0.6.3 files and reboot the windows machine. That might work.

I don't know what all the 1.0.6.3 files are. I did reboot between
uninstalling, and trying to re-install, to no luck. I will try again
today, if I can.

I have an Overland 4000E Lib with LTO3 and LTO5FC drives
working like a charm with Win2008R2 and NSR75.
I have standard Win2008 LTO Tape drivers and reg key for
permanent device naming.

Th

-----Message d'origine-----
De : EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER < at > LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU] De la
part de Michael Leone
Envoyé : lundi 30 juillet 2012 14:52
À : NETWORKER < at > LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU
Objet : Re: [Networker] Anyone having problems with HP LTO tape drivers for
Windows?

Hi Michael,

I have seen this or a related problem on different sites using (always)
new
(2011-2012) overland tape libraries.

This library is from 2008 ...

The workaround was to label the (blank) tapes on a different server.
Does it
happen with labelled tapes or only blank ones?

Labeled tapes. (altho I have seen it happen once, maybe twice, when
labeling blank tapes). And I don't have another server to use, nor another
LTO-4 drive to label tapes.

If you cannot downgrade, that may happen because the 1.0.6.3
driver files are
still on the windows directories. Try uninstalling the 1.0.6.3
driver, remove
all the 1.0.6.3 files and reboot the windows machine. That might work.

I don't know what all the 1.0.6.3 files are. I did reboot between
uninstalling, and trying to re-install, to no luck. I will try again
today, if I can.

Michael,

at the very first, i would go ahead and see whether an unconditional write would be successful. What i mean is that you use a tool whch does not try to read the label first. Such are available from NetWorker (tapeexer) but you can also of course use HP's tape utilities.

I have an Overland 4000E Lib with LTO3 and LTO5FC drives
working like a charm with Win2008R2 and NSR75.
I have standard Win2008 LTO Tape drivers and reg key for
permanent device naming.

2 things about that - according to the Overland tech guy I had here on
Friday, the "E" series is a completely different build that the non-"E"
series. They use completely different circuitry and builds, he told me. So
a 4000 and a 4000E are not similar hardware (he said).

Also, I am not yet on Win2008. I hope and plan to, when the budget cycles
again in Sept/Oct. I'm trying to make it through to the hardware refresh,
where I will migrate from my Win2003 32bit to Win2008 R2 64bit. Then
ideally, this problem will go away, since I will be using the Win2008 LTO
drivers.

I use the reg key for permanent naming, too. In my case, I've had more
problems with the SCSI ID changing (even though it's a giber connected
library).


Th

-----Message d'origine-----
De : EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER < at > LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU] De
la
part de Michael Leone
Envoyé : lundi 30 juillet 2012 14:52
À : NETWORKER < at > LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU
Objet : Re: [Networker] Anyone having problems with HP LTO tape drivers
for
Windows?

Hi Michael,

I have seen this or a related problem on different sites using
(always)
new
(2011-2012) overland tape libraries.

This library is from 2008 ...

The workaround was to label the (blank) tapes on a different server.
Does it
happen with labelled tapes or only blank ones?

Labeled tapes. (altho I have seen it happen once, maybe twice, when
labeling blank tapes). And I don't have another server to use, nor
another
LTO-4 drive to label tapes.

If you cannot downgrade, that may happen because the 1.0.6.3
driver files are
still on the windows directories. Try uninstalling the 1.0.6.3
driver, remove
all the 1.0.6.3 files and reboot the windows machine. That might
work.

I don't know what all the 1.0.6.3 files are. I did reboot between
uninstalling, and trying to re-install, to no luck. I will try again
today, if I can.

So I tried to downgrade my drivers again. Did (almost) all the same steps
I did last week. But this week it worked.

I stopped Networker, and put the services on disabled, so they wouldn't
autostart. I stopped the antivirus (Kaspersky). This time, I didn't just
pause the service, I actually exited the program completely - last time, I
just paused it. The old drivers uninstalled. I rebooted (just on general
principles, you know). I installed the older drivers ... and this time,
they installed.

I then started the AV back up; re-enabled and re-started Networker. It all
seems to be OK - the driver version shown in 1.0.6.1, which is what Tech
Support suggests.

So I will keep an eye on it, and we'll find out, I guess ...

Just in case of and to be sure,
Do not forget to disable the CDI from networker device resource.
I always got probs or strangeness with CDI enabled
HTH

Th

-----Message d'origine-----
De : EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER < at > LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU] De la part de Michael Leone
Envoyé : mardi 31 juillet 2012 15:32
À : NETWORKER < at > LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU
Objet : Re: [Networker] Anyone having problems with HP LTO tape drivers for Windows? - UPDATE

So I tried to downgrade my drivers again. Did (almost) all the same steps
I did last week. But this week it worked.

I stopped Networker, and put the services on disabled, so they wouldn't
autostart. I stopped the antivirus (Kaspersky). This time, I didn't just
pause the service, I actually exited the program completely - last time, I
just paused it. The old drivers uninstalled. I rebooted (just on general
principles, you know). I installed the older drivers ... and this time,
they installed.

I then started the AV back up; re-enabled and re-started Networker. It all
seems to be OK - the driver version shown in 1.0.6.1, which is what Tech
Support suggests.

So I will keep an eye on it, and we'll find out, I guess ...

Just in case of and to be sure,
Do not forget to disable the CDI from networker device resource.
I always got probs or strangeness with CDI enabled
HTH

I don't know how to do that. Don't think I've ever done that before, even
inadvertently. Can you expand - what more should I be doing, and why
should I be doing it?

I often met probs with fc attached devices wrongly reporting errors
when CDI were enabled. Resulted in hw swap or wrong medium errors.

Look at nmc/nwadmin, at drives. Edit properties and set CDI as "disabled" or "not used".

That's all folks !

HTH

Th

-----Message d'origine-----
De : EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER < at > LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU] De la part de Michael Leone
Envoyé : mardi 31 juillet 2012 15:53
À : NETWORKER < at > LISTSERV.TEMPLE.EDU
Objet : Re: [Networker] Anyone having problems with HP LTO tape drivers for Windows? - UPDATE

Just in case of and to be sure,
Do not forget to disable the CDI from networker device resource.
I always got probs or strangeness with CDI enabled
HTH

I don't know how to do that. Don't think I've ever done that before, even
inadvertently. Can you expand - what more should I be doing, and why
should I be doing it?

I often met probs with fc attached devices wrongly reporting errors
when CDI were enabled. Resulted in hw swap or wrong medium errors.

Huh. Never heard of that ...

Look at nmc/nwadmin, at drives. Edit properties and set CDI as
"disabled" or "not used".

I'll try that, thanks.