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How to configure VERITAS Backup Exec (tm) to automatically respond to media alerts, including when a backup hangs at 99%, until the user responds to a tape eject prompt
Details:
VERITAS Backup Exec (tm) for Windows NT and 2000 can be configured to automatically respond to several media alerts after a specified period of time. This can be useful in all versions of Backup Exec since 7.01 (build 1223 or later) to resolve an alert to remove the media from a drive while the backup job pauses at 99%. In versions of Backup Exec starting with 8.0, more granularity is available, as described below.

The backup fails to complete because the option Eject Media After Job Completes (Figure 1) is selected when performing a backup operation on a tape drive (such as Digital Linear Tape (DLT), Linear Tape-Open (LTO), Travan, and Onstream drives) that requires the user to manually remove the tape after the backup completes or any tape drive (supporting either automatic or manual tape eject) controlled by RAIDirector.  

Figure 1
 

This issue can be resolved by following these steps:

Backup Exec 7.x for Windows NT

1.   Download and install the latest version of Backup Exec for Windows NT 8.x, 7.3, 7.2, or 7.01 (build 1223 or later). The latest version of Backup Exec can be found on the Backup Exec Technical Services Web site  http://support.veritas.com/ .
2.   Close Backup Exec
3.   In Control Panel | Services, stop all the Backup Exec services
4.   Run Regedt32.exe from either a command prompt or through Windows NT Explorer

Warning: Incorrect use of the Windows registry editor may prevent the operating system from functioning properly. Great care should be taken when making changes to a Windows registry. Registry modifications should only be carried-out by persons experienced in the use of the registry editor application. It is recommended that a complete backup of the registry and workstation be made prior to making any registry changes.

5.   Locate and highlight the following registry key (Figure 2):
     Registry Path (for Backup Exec 7.2 or 7.01) : /HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Seagate Software/Adamm/
     Registry Path (for Backup Exec 7.3) : /HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Veritas/Adamm/

Figure 2
 

6.   On the Registry menu, select Edit | Add Value
7.   In the Value Name field, type "Media Request Timeout Seconds" (do not include the quotes) (Figure 3)
8.   In the Data Type field, select REG_DWORD (Figure 3)

Figure 3
 

9.   Click OK
10. Change the Radix to Decimal (Figure 4)

Figure 4
 

11. Enter the number of seconds Backup Exec should wait before responding to the alert (Figure 4). For example, entering 30 means that Backup Exec will respond to the alert after 30 seconds.

Note: A value of 0 means infinite timeout (i.e. no timeout).

12.  Click OK
13.  Exit Regedt32.exe
14.  In Control Panel | Services, start all the Backup Exec services

Note: Not only will the above registry key respond to the prompt to remove the media from the drive, but it will also automatically respond to the following prompts (the response is also listed):

Backup Exec for Windows NT 7.2 (build 1223) or 7.01 (build 1223)
 
Prompt Automated Response
"Do you want to overwrite imported media '%media%'?" "Respond No"
"Do you want to overwrite allocated media '%media%'?" "Respond No"
"Please insert overwritable media into the cascaded drive group" "Respond Cancel"
"Please insert overwritable media into the drive" "Respond Cancel"
"Please insert media '%media%' into the drive" "Respond Cancel"
"Please insert the other side of the media into the drive" "Respond Cancel"
"Please remove the media from the drive" "Respond OK"


Backup Exec for Windows NT 7.3, 7.2 (build 1616) or 7.01 (build 1616)
 
Prompt Automated Response
"Do you want to overwrite imported media '%media%'?" "Respond Cancel"
"Do you want to overwrite allocated media '%media%'?" "Respond Cancel"
"Please insert overwritable media into the cascaded drive group" "Respond Cancel"
"Please insert overwritable media into the drive" "Respond Cancel"
"Please insert media '%media%' into the drive" "Respond Cancel"
"Please insert the other side of the media into the drive" "Respond Cancel"
"Please remove the media from the drive" "Respond OK"



Backup Exec 8.x for Windows NT:

Backup Exec 8.x for Windows NT has further subdivided the responses for the seven prompts listed above in Figure 2 into three groups:


These groups allow you to respond to one group of responses without having to respond to prompts for another group. To respond to the prompts, six registry keys must first be created. Once the registry keys are created, the responses and response timeouts for these categories can be changed:

To create the registry keys:
1.    Close Backup Exec
2.    In Control Panel | Services, stop all the Backup Exec services
3.    Run Regedt32.exe from either a command prompt or through Windows NT Explorer

Warning: Incorrect use of the Windows registry editor may prevent the operating system from functioning properly. Great care should be taken when making changes to a Windows registry. Registry modifications should only be carried-out by persons experienced in the use of the registry editor application. It is recommended that a complete backup of the registry and workstation be made prior to making any registry changes.

4.    Locate and highlight the following registry key:
      Registry Path:  /HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Veritas/Adamm/
5.    On the Registry menu, select Edit | Add Key
6.    In the Key Name field, type "Alerts" (do not include the quotes)
7.    Click OK


Insert Media Prompt Response
These registry keys respond to the following prompts:
 
Insert Prompts
"Please insert overwritable media into the cascaded drive group"
"Please insert overwritable media into the drive"
"Please insert media '%media%' into the drive"
"Please insert the other side of the media into the drive"


8.    While highlighting the "Alerts" key (created in step 6), click Edit | Add Value from the menu
9.    In the Value Name field, type "Insert Media Response" (do not include the quotes)
10.  In the Data Type field, select REG_DWORD
11.  Click OK
12.  Change the Radix to Decimal
13.  In the Data field, enter a numerical value using the values listed below:

 
Automated Response Registry Key Value
Yes or OK 1
No 2
Cancel 3


14.  Click OK
15.  While highlighting the "Alerts" key (created in step 6), select Edit | Add Value from the menu
16.  In the Value Name field, type "Insert Media Timeout" (do not include the quotes)
17.  In the Data Type field, select REG_DWORD
18.  Click OK
19.  Change the Radix to Decimal
20.  In the Data field, enter the number of seconds Backup Exec should wait before responding to the alert. For example, entering 30 means that Backup Exec will respond to the alert after 30 seconds. After all the values have been entered, restart the Backup Exec services.
Note: A value of 0 means infinite timeout (i.e. no timeout).


Overwrite Media Prompt Response
These registry keys respond to the following prompts:
 
Overwrite Prompts
"Do you want to overwrite imported media '%media%'?"
"Do you want to overwrite allocated media '%media%'?"


21.  While highlighting the "Alerts" key (created in step 6), select Edit | Add Value from the menu
22.  In the Value Name field, type "Overwrite Media Response" (do not include the quotes)
23.  In the Data Type field, select REG_DWORD
24.  Click OK
25.  Change the Radix to Decimal
26.  In the Data field, enter a numerical value using the values mentioned above.
27.  Click OK
28.  While highlighting the "Alerts" key (created in step 6), select Edit | Add Value from the menu
29.  In the Value Name field, type "Overwrite Media Timeout" (do not include the quotes)
30.  In the Data Type field, select REG_DWORD
31.  Click OK
32.  Change the Radix to Decimal
33.  In the Data field, enter the number of seconds Backup Exec should wait before responding to the alert. For example, entering 30 means that Backup Exec will respond to the alert after 30 seconds. After all the values have been entered, restart the Backup Exec services.

Note: A value of 0 means infinite timeout (i.e. no timeout).


Remove Media Prompt Response
These registry keys respond to the following prompts:
 
Remove Prompt
"Please remove the media from the drive"


34.  While highlighting the "Alerts" key (created in step 6), select Edit | Add Value from the menu
35.  In the Value Name field, type "Remove Media Response" (do not include the quotes)
36.  In the Data Type field, select REG_DWORD
37.  Click OK
38.  Change the Radix to Decimal
39.  In the Data field, enter a numerical value using one of the values listed above.
40.  Click OK
41.  While highlighting the "Alerts" key (created in step 6), select Edit | Add Value from the menu
42.  In the Value Name field, type "Remove Media Timeout" (do not include the quotes)
43.  In the Data Type field, select REG_DWORD
44.  Click OK
45.  Change the Radix to Decimal
46.  In the Data field, enter the number of seconds Backup Exec should wait before responding to the alert. For example, entering 30 means that Backup Exec will respond to the alert after 30 seconds. After all the values have been entered, restart the Backup Exec services.

Note: A value of 0 means infinite timeout (i.e. no timeout).



Backup Exec 9.0 for Windows Servers
To automatically respond to the media alerts generated during backup or restore operations, one can use BEutility. Using BEutility, the following media alerts can be configured to use automatic responses:
a.   Media Overwrite
b.   Media Remove
c.   Media Insert
d.   Library Insert
To configure the automated response, follow the steps given below:
1. Browse to \Program files\Veritas\Backup Exec\NT
2. Run BEUtility.exe
3. Add the media server from File | New | New Media Server
4. In BEUtility, select the media server, and from the left pane, click Edit configuration and set the response for the alerts (Figure 5)  

Figure 5
 

5. Open the Backup Exec interface. Click Alerts  | Configure alert categories (Figure 6).

Figure 6
 

6. Within the Alert Categories dialog window, select the alert category, and then within the Automatically clear alert after option, specify the time interval (Figure 7)

Figure 7
 
Products Applied:
 Backup Exec for Windows Servers 7.01, 7.2, 7.3, 7.3 SBS, 8.0, 8.5, 8.5 SBS, 8.6, 8.6 SBS, 9.0, 9.1

Last Updated: May 06 2004 11:01 AM GMT
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Subjects:
 Backup Exec for Windows Servers
   Application: Backup, Compatibility, How To, Notification, Troubleshooting

Languages:
 English (US)

Operating Systems:
Windows 2000

Advanced Server, Datacenter Server, Professional, Server 5.00.2195

Windows NT

3.51 Server, 3.51 Workstation, 4.0 Server, 4.0 Workstation

Windows NT Small Business Server

2000, 4.0, 4.5