Problems with True Image for SBS

Hello,

I work for a company that sells virtual tape devices and I'm trying to certify our products with Acronis software for a customer. I have trial versions of True Image Echo Server for Windows and True Image for Microsoft Windows Small Business Server. I have had no problems getting our products to work with TIESfW on Windows 2003 Server Standard, but I am having problems with TIMWSBS on Windows SBS 2003 R2. For testing purposes I backup using the 'My Data' option and select files which are never accessed or modified. Backups complete successfully, but I run into problems if I try to validate an archive, or do a restore. If I select the validate option during a backup, I get a C++ runtime error when the validation begins. If I try to validate with the 'Explore and Validate Backup Archives' tool I get an error that the archive is corrupt. If I try to restore one of three things happens:

1) Acronis hangs after I select the tape drive on the 'Backup Archive Selection' page and click next.
2) I am able to move to the page after the 'Backup Archive Selection' but Acronis does not list anything to restore.
3) Very rarely, I am able to select files to restore but when I submit the job it fails immediately.

I can close Acronis and use NTbackup to backup, verify, and restore with no problems, so I don't think it's a hardware/connection problem.

I am working on putting up some screenshots of these problems. Any help would be appreciated.

Edit: I installed TIESfW on Windows SBS 2003 R2 and I was able to validate and restore, so whatever is going wrong is specific to TIMWSBS, not the OS.

 

Hello asherh,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis Corporate Products

Could you please create and validate the archive to another than tape drive directory (for example, to internal or external HD)? Please let us know the results, this will help to localize the issue.

Thank you.

--
Oleg Lee

 

I connected an iSCSI SAN to the server (Windows SBS 2003 running TIMWSBS) and did a data backup. Verify and restore completed successfully. I look forward to your reply. Thank you.

 

Hello asherh,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis True Image

Do the following workaround to solve the issue:

- Rebuild Removable Storage manager:

1. Stop the RSM Service:

* Start -> Run -> regedit;
* On the Services window, right-click on the "Removable Storage" entry and select Stop.

2. Delete the RSM databases from %SystemRoot%\System32\NtmsData;
3. Restart the RSM Service:

* Start -> Run -> regedit;
* On the Services window, right-click on the "Removable Storage" entry and select Start.

4. Put a new tape (or a tape that may be overwritten) in the tape drive;
5. Right-click on the tape drive, and uncheck "Enable Drive";
6. Click Apply;
7. Check the "Enable Drive" box again;
8. Right-click on the tape drive, and select Prepare.

- Delete tape_archives.fdb from \Program Files\Common Files\Acronis\Fomatic

- Initialize Removable Storage Management in Windows:

1. Right-click on My Computer;
2. Select Manage -> Removable Storage -> Libraries;
3. Right-click on the entry for the tape drive where you want to save the image and set it as 'free'.

Best regards,
--
Dmitry Nikolaev

 

I think your suggestion had some mistakes. This is what I did, with my comments in bold. I still get the Runtime error when trying to verify, and I tried a restore but it failed as #3 in my first post.

1. Stop the RSM Service:

* Open Computer Management -> Services;
* On the Services window, right-click on the "Removable Storage" entry and select Stop.

2. Delete the RSM databases from %SystemRoot%\System32\NtmsData;
3. Restart the RSM Service:

* Open Computer Management -> Services;
* On the Services window, right-click on the "Removable Storage" entry and select Start.

4. Put a new tape (or a tape that may be overwritten) in the tape drive;
4.1 Select Manage -> Removable Storage -> Libraries
5. Right-click on the tape drive, select Properties, and uncheck "Enable Drive";
6. Click Apply; had to close the Properties window because the the check box stayed greyed out
7. Right-click on the tape drive, select Properties, Check the "Enable Drive" box again;
8. Right-click on the tape drive, and select Prepare. I don't see 'Prepare'

- Delete tape_archives.fdb from \Program Files\Common Files\Acronis\Fomatic

- Initialize Removable Storage Management in Windows:

1. Right-click on My Computer;
2. Select Manage -> Removable Storage -> Libraries;
3. Right-click on the entry for the tape drive where you want to save the image and set it as 'free'.

 

Hello asherh,

Thank you for using Acronis Corporate Products

Could you please let us know the exact model of the tape drives on which Acronis True Image for Microsoft Windows Small Business Server fails?

Thank you.

--
Oleg Lee

 

The unit I am working with is a Cybernetics miSAN-V, which is a virtual tape drive solution.

 

Hello asherh,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis True Image

Cybernetics miSAN-V has it’s own backup solution which can be the reason for the issue. Have you tried to use Acronis bootable disc? Does the issue persists?

Best regards,
--
Dmitry Nikolaev

 

I'm not sure what you mean by 'Cybernetics miSAN-v has it's own backup solution'. As I stated in my first post, I work for Cybernetics. I have personally tested the miSAN-V with dozens of different backup programs on numerous operating systems and it bahaves as expected; that is, it behaves as as a tape drive. Furthermore, it worked with Acronis True Image Echo for Windows Server. Clearly, the problem is due to an idiosyncrasy of ATIMWSBS; some difference between the way it and ATIEWS handle tape devices.