Error: setMediaParameters error: Tape error: '87'

[boyjaew]

So, I went to do a restore from tape and was absolutely pleased as punch to find I could not inventory any of the tapes that I created with VB&R 7. I am currently on the latest 8.0.0.917 (I think). I do have a ticket open, but thought I'd throw this out there to see if anyone has had the same issue. I have also upgraded the tape library and drives to the latest versions - HP MSL 2024 G3 Series. The error on the inventory or catalog job looks like this:

Code: Select all

1/20/2015 4:13:29 PM          Processing started at Tuesday, January 20, 2015 4:13:29 PM
1/20/2015 4:13:32 PM          Drive 1 (Drive ID: Tape2) locked successfully
1/20/2015 4:13:56 PM Error    Failed to inventory tape in Drive 1 (Drive ID: Tape2) Error: setMediaParameters error: Tape error: '87' (The parameter is incorrect.) , blockSize: 131072
1/20/2015 4:14:48 PM          Unloading tape 014029L6 from Drive 1 (Drive ID: Tape2) to Slot 10
1/20/2015 4:15:42 PM          Loading tape 014041L6 from Slot 9 to Drive 1 (Drive ID: Tape2)
1/20/2015 4:16:10 PM Error    Failed to inventory tape in Drive 1 (Drive ID: Tape2) Error: setMediaParameters error: Tape error: '87' (The parameter is incorrect.) , blockSize: 131072
1/20/2015 4:16:10 PM Error    Completed with error at Tuesday, January 20, 2015 4:16:10 PM

[veremin]

Hello,

Please, post your case number (it's requested when you click New Topic), since without it the topic will be removed by moderators eventually. Kindly, avoid posting log snippets, since it’s against our forum rules and the the team behind this community is not able to help you with debug logs research.

Speaking about your issue, there used to be some problems with the blocksize, but most of them should have been fixed in the first patch. By the way, have you updated your library firmware/drivers recently?

Thanks.

[boyjaew]

Apologies, I do remember seeing another post that has logs posted. Won't happen again. Case #00731542. Libraries and drives were patched yesterday as part of my troubleshooting. VB&R is also on the latest patch. I have been advised by support that I might try taking a tape with the same default blocksize and erasing that from the library itself not a veeam erase and that might solve the problem. If I'm understanding the instructions correctly anyway. I'm not quite sure how that works, but I'll post results.

Thanks

[veremin]

Are you positive that those tapes were written by VB&R? Because the proposed workaround (erasing medium via library interface) typically solves the problem with the mediums written by 3-party backup software. Thanks.

[boyjaew]

The tape I'm currently erasing was not written to at all. I don't have a tape written by veeam that I can erase. That is the main cause of my confusion with the suggestion. Obviously I don't want to erase the tapes I'm trying to read, but that was supports suggestion. I tried to confirm what was meant exactly, but haven't heard back.

[Dima P.]

JB,
I think they wanted to check if the default block size on your new tape media that was not previously used by Veeam, differs from the default block size set in tape drive. I’ll check your case and follow-up shortly.

[boyjaew]

I've replied to this via email:

May I have you implement this registry value into the Veeam server with the default value of what the error is reporting:

• Type: REG_DWORD
• Default value: Drive default
• Description: Sets a blocksize for "setTapeMediaBlockSizeToDrive" agent command (new in V8), only supports blocksizes that are supported by device AND media (see devmgmt)

Posting here as it may provide value to the community, but also because I don't know which hive or location to add this to. Any ideas?

[veremin]

It should be placed inside HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup and Replication. Thanks.

[boyjaew]

Case # 00731542
Created REG_WORD
@
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup and Replication\setTapeMediaBlockSizeToDrive
Value data set to 131072 - Which is the default block size reported by device manager.


Did not fix the issue. I'm going to try and reboot everything with the new key in place while I wait for support to get back to me since I'm pretty much stuck until I get this fixed.
Thanks

[boyjaew]

Currently going through some more testing on this. Incidentally, any advice on speeding up restores from tape? Anything people are doing out there since veeam makes you mount the entire backup before you can actually pull data off the tape?

[Damon]

The registry key should be "TapeBlockSize" instead of "setTapeMediaBlockSizeToDrive".

setTapeMediaBlockSizeToDrive is the command that the Veeam Backup and Replication console passes to the tape agent to set the block size. TapeBlockSize is the registry key you use if you want to specify a block size to be sent via the "setTapeMediaBlockSizeToDrive" command instead of having the console send a gradually incrementing block size (essentially scanning for a proper block size)

any advice on speeding up restores from tape? Anything people are doing out there since veeam makes you mount the entire backup before you can actually pull data off the tape?

Depending on the setup you could increase compression on the source job (slow tape retrieval), or lower it (slow processor). We do also have a feature request in the works to only pull the required tapes. I'm not sure what the progress is on it though.

[dweide]

I had a very similar problem while writing to tape:

Code: Select all

...
30.01.2015 10:56:02 :: Loading tape MON03AL5 from Slot 3 to Drive 1 (Drive ID: Tape0) 
30.01.2015 10:57:08 :: Current tape is MON03AL5 
30.01.2015 10:57:23 :: SetTapeMediaBlockSizeToDrive failed
setMediaParameters error: Tape error: '87' (Falscher Parameter. Error code: 87) , blockSize: 131072 
30.01.2015 10:57:23 :: Network traffic verification detected no corrupted blocks 
30.01.2015 10:57:23 :: Processing finished with errors at 30.01.2015 10:57:23 
...

This problem occured after upgrading the tape server from Win2008 to Win2012R2. All hardware was identical, only OS was changed.

It turned out that the tapes used had been formatted with 256kB block size by another application (HP DataProtector) and Win2012R2 had installed a driver for the SAS controller that was unable to handle 256kB buffer size.
In fact even the DataProtector was affected and could neither read nor write its tapes.

Solution in my case was to replace the driver for the SAS controller with most recent one from HP.

[boyjaew]

Interesting. Out of curiosity which controller do you use?

[boyjaew]

I had a very similar problem while writing to tape:

Code: Select all

...
30.01.2015 10:56:02 :: Loading tape MON03AL5 from Slot 3 to Drive 1 (Drive ID: Tape0) 
30.01.2015 10:57:08 :: Current tape is MON03AL5 
30.01.2015 10:57:23 :: SetTapeMediaBlockSizeToDrive failed
setMediaParameters error: Tape error: '87' (Falscher Parameter. Error code: 87) , blockSize: 131072 
30.01.2015 10:57:23 :: Network traffic verification detected no corrupted blocks 
30.01.2015 10:57:23 :: Processing finished with errors at 30.01.2015 10:57:23 
...

This problem occured after upgrading the tape server from Win2008 to Win2012R2. All hardware was identical, only OS was changed.

It turned out that the tapes used had been formatted with 256kB block size by another application (HP DataProtector) and Win2012R2 had installed a driver for the SAS controller that was unable to handle 256kB buffer size.
In fact even the DataProtector was affected and could neither read nor write its tapes.

Solution in my case was to replace the driver for the SAS controller with most recent one from HP.

We'll here we go! I am currently testing a restore from tape that I have been unable to read for the past month because of this error. Got the newest drivers here:

http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/swd/publ ... nvOid=4168

If you happen to have the HP storage controllers I have.

[dweide]

If you happen to have the HP storage controllers I have.

Controller is HP SmartArray P812, your link Points exactly to the diver vrsion that did the trick for me.

[rreed]

Resurrecting this one, because searching for "TapeBlockSize" turned up only this topic. My latest updated v9 (fresh install on Win2k12 both VBR and tape servers) occasionally throws a similar error (87, set parameters) w/ some tapes that do not match its set block size. Some bot not all. Recently while contacting support to help trouble shoot slow tape speed they added this registry key, and it's set to 800000 hex. I do not have the "setTapeMediaBlockSizeToDrive" entry though.

My drive properties in the GUI are set to 131072. Not sure how much of this matters, but it has been bugging me in the back of my head that I don't know what the above registry entry is doing.

[Dima P.]

Can you share the case ID? We'll take a look.

[rreed]

Hi Dima, I think it's 01821607; bear w/ me I think we have more than one ticket going here lately. Sounds like it's a known bug, I've received a hotfix, applied late Friday, I'm in the process of confirming whether it fixed some alleged "bad" (but brand new out of the box) tapes.

[Dima P.]

Yes, thanks! Support folks are still checking the latest portion of logs you shared.

[rreed]

Awesome, thanks. At that, another tape job has fired up, is using the tape in question in the logs that threw the block size error (also new tape), but this job is continuing on w/ the same tape. That's not to say it will finish, but will take approx. 30 hours to complete if it does. Waiting to hear back...

[WinstonWolf]

Hello ,
On several Tapes i become in the Backup Job the following Error :
Cannot set block size: 1048576setMediaParameters error: Tape error: '87' (Wrong Parameter)
Another Tap works fine .

What can be the Problem ?

Thanks

[Didi7]

Faulty tape media?

[WinstonWolf]

Hmm , its my Feeling too .

What means this Error ?

[Didi7]

Maybe this thread can help you ...

May the force be with you

[Dima P.]

Hi guys,

WinstonWolf please request a hotfix from the support team. This error may appears when the block size on tape media is different from tape drive block size.

[WinstonWolf]

Ist the Fix
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup and Replication\TapeBlockSize ?

Where i can i find this Hotfix ?

Thanks

[rreed]

You'll need to get a support ticket going, they'll send you some updated dll's to replace. Unfortunately the results were inconclusive on ours, it still did it one other time. At that, a previous support engineer had done the registry hack on ours and set it to some unusual size, which does not match to what our drives are set in the GUI, so I'm waiting to hear back on our support ticket for further instructions.

[WinstonWolf]

I updated today my Support Ticket 01828216 and write the Servie Team about the Hotfix , but they dont now about an Hotfix ?!?!?!
What now ?

Thanks
Michael

[WinstonWolf]

Just an Idea :
I have 3 Tape Drives . 1 SAS Tape Drive and 2 FC Tape Drives .
In Veeam the SAS Drive is able to manage a Block Size of 1048576 , but the FC Tape Drives can only manage an Blocksize of 524288 .
Can it be that when i write in the past on an Tape with the Blocksize of 1048576 , and the next time i use this Tape in an Tape Drive with the Blocksize of 524288 then the Error Message appears :
Cannot set block size: 1048576setMediaParameters error: Tape error: '87' (Wrong Parameter) ?
The next thing i try is to insert the Problem Tapes in the Libary with the SAS Tape Drive and try it to Erase Tape with the 1048576 Blocksize Tape.
Should i set the Blocksize of my SAS Drive to 524288 too ( for secure ) ?


Thanks

[WinstonWolf]

News :
It works - The SAS Tape Drive can erase this two Tapes with an Block Size of 1048576 , they was unable to erase on the FC Tape Drives with the Blocksize of 524288 .
Then i swith the Block Size from the SAS Drive to 524288 and erase the two Tapes again .
Now i put back the Tapes in the Libary with the two FC Tape Drives and try again to erase this Tapes . And now i become an new error : Failed to erase tape B00515L5 Error: Unable to retrieve tape medium.

Hmm so strange all together .