Tape job failes with: Unknown MTF Header Unknown MTF Writer

[oabostad]

Hello.
We just changed from BackupExec to Veeam 8 on a customer. When i trying to run a tape job it fails with the Message: Unknown MTF Header Unknown MTF Writer
I have installed the fix in the kb, and can Inventory normally. I have tried and quick erase of the tape but i still failes. Have now started a long erase on 1 tape so see if that fix the problem.

Is there any other way this can be fixed? Long erase take too long and with a lot of tapes it will take me a day or 2. Is there for example a script i can run that long erase the tapes before the tape job starts? Or is there any other solution to this?

[veremin]

Have these tapes been written by Backup Exec previously? If so, erase operation seems to be necessary. I'm not sure why short erase hasn't helped, though.

Anyway, I'd recommend waiting till long erase is finished and seeing the results. If long erase doesn't solve the issue, I will try to provide the scripted way to do that operation.

Thanks.

[roms]

I had the same problem. My old tapes used in Symantec Backup Exec.
Full erase did not help. Solution: I downloaded the tool from manufacturer's of the tape drive,
in my case IBM ITDT, and performed it in full erase. Tape has become a brand new out of the box like

[veremin]

The described behaviour doesn't look expected, as our erase be it short or long one should help in such situations. Moreover, we've tested these scenarios successfully. So, guys, feel free to open tickets with our support team. Thanks.

[oabostad]

Thanks Roms. I downloaded Tandberg's Tools and did an erase with that (short erase) and it looks like works. Just started the job and no error. Long erase in Veeam did not work.
My conclusion is that there must be something on the tape that BackupExec has written that Veeam are not able to erase.
Then i just have to sit down and do a erase on all tapes again

[veremin]

Can you open a ticket with our support and provide its number here, as our QA team is interested in this situation? Thanks.

[acford79]

Hello Roms, sorry to jump on the end of this old thread, but I have this exact issue with moving from BackupExec to Veeam with a TL2000.

I have got the IBM Tape Diagnostic Tool and I have scanned my device but I'm unsure how to perform a full erase, could you assist?

[jirkava]

I have DELL LT2000 Library LTO4 - similar as IBM TS3200. I use IBM ITDT (DELL recommended tool) for long erase tape used by Backup Exec. VBR 9 still report error Unknown MTF Writer on all long erased tapes by this tool. In ITDT all tests (erase/write/verify) report pass. Can I open a ticket?

[pbu]

I experienced the same "error Unknown MTF Writer" with HPE 1/8 G2 and Veeam B&R 9 and Short or Long Erase did not work.
These tapes were formerly used by Backup Exec
HP Library and Tape Tools Short Erase did the trick for me.

[veremin]

Can I open a ticket?

Sure, since erase operation performed with native vendor tools didn't do the trick for you. We'd appreciate if you post your ticket number here. Thanks.

[Danne84]

We have problems with VBR 9 and Erasing tapes.

I have formatted them with the IBM tools for our drive and still getting the same error in VBR when i try to erase them.
Same error with severals tapes.
"Error: Failed to erase tape Tape 6 Error: Unknown MTF writer"

I have also tested moving the tapes to "Free" media pool and still same error.

The erase works perfect in Backup Exec so nothing wrong with the drive or tapes.
And no BackupExec does not lock the drive. All services are stopped.
Also tested with IBM drivers for the tape drive, No luck.

Anyone else that has this kind of problem?

[veremin]

I'd recommend opening a ticket with our support team and letting them investigate it directly. Thanks.

[savsav]

The same problem erasing the tape v.9

[Danne84]

I did a test.

Installed VBR 8.0 U3 on a new server.
Added tape server and so on.
Now erasing tapes works perfect. So it is something wrong in VBR 9.

[Dima P.]

Danne84,

Thanks. Can you specify what medium changer drivers were used with v8 and v9 during your tests?

[Danne84]

Sure.

I am using Dell PowerVault 110T. The drive inside is IBM Ultrium-TD3
Was using the same unit/drive, cables and so on when doing the test.
Have erased 7 tapes in a row without problems in VBR 8.0 U3.

[veremin]

Guys,

Just so you know - the issue has been identified and will be fixed in Update 1.

Thanks.

[jwchatm]

Support Case # 01711117

We recently upgraded our Veeam Backup & Recovery 8.0 server to version 9.0.
Now we are having an odd issue. Tapes that have been used in our Symantec Backup Exec library will not inventory or erase. I have attempted multiple times and even gone so far as to mark them as "free" and still they fail during inventory or erase jobs. They do not overwrite during backup job processing either. These tapes are essentially orphaned. This was an issue with Veeam Backup & Recovery 8.0 but was rectified with the "Update 2B"
patch. This does not appear to have carried over to Veeam 9.0. Has anyone else experienced this and is there a known workaround? I don't want to waste more new tapes while we wait for the next patch, especially where we don't know when that patch is to be released, or whether or not it addresses this issue. Help!

[Dima P.]

Hello John,

I believe, the Update 1 with the included fix should be available at support side at the beginning of the next week. As a temporary workaround you may try to erase the said media with the native vendor’s tools.

[Aerospace]

To Fix this Error "Unknown MTF Writer" write a little File to this tapes, after that you can erase/Incentory/catalog the tapes. - Worked for me...

[Dima P.]

Martin,

Good idea to test but I guess, at some point you can’t start writing to tape unless it sits in unrecognized media pool before performing the erase. We will test this solution, meanwhile we should have Update 1 available at the support team very soon (support should start a pilot deployments next week if I am not mistaken).

[Aerospace]

i think i have move it manuelly in the free MediaPool and than it works, but it was some weegs ago.

[mroushdy]

Hello,

I am a Veeam partner and I am testing something for one of my clients, so there's no support case ID.

I am using V9 with a stand alone HP LTO4 drive, I am tryig to reuse tapes written by Symantec BackupEXEC but I get the error mentioned in the thread subject.

Thanks for helping me

[Shestakov]

Hello Mohamed,
What product version are you using, v9 or v9u1?
Thanks!

[almakarov]

Hello,

I have the same problem with IBM 3573-TL and Veeam B & R 9.5.0.1038. I use LTO5 tape after Symantec NetBackup. I try use Veeam short erase for prepare drives. Tape job finished with error "BackupSrvFileToTape failed.Tape fatal error.Data error (cyclic redundancy check) .Tape write error Exception from server: Reconnectable protocol device was closed.Tape fatal error."

I opened case # 02326644, but the problem is not resolved at the moment.

Who has ideas how to resolve this problem?

Now I try cleaning tape with help ITDM, but this action is very long.

[lyapkost]

Hi Alexander.

The problem was fixed in v. 9.0 upd1 and shouldn't arise in 9.5 so we will double check this. As a workaround you may mark the tape as free and/or move it to the required media pool without erasing it.

[lyapkost]

Code: Select all

[27.09.2017 14:24:31] <08> Warning  Unknown Media Header Exception will be ignored. Erase will be continued

This line in your erase log indicates that the problem is different, otherwise the erase job would have failed.

If drive cleaning doesn't help then it seems there is a hardware problem with your tape drive.