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Data Protector 8.00 and CIFS Share Backup

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When using Data Protector 8.00 to backup a CIFS share (Network Share Backup), no matter if it is a Windows share or NetApp Filer, it could happen that the job does not backup any data from the share. In more detail, when selecting to backup all folders for the share within the backup specification to backup the complete share, the started job completes with no warnings or errors, but no data written. When selecting single files in subfolders the backup completes as expected and writes data to the tape device. This problem occurs, even if you strictly followed the help for creating network share backup. To add the user to “replace token on process level” does not help either. The root cause is a changed behavior for browsing filesystems (treewalk) in Data Protector 8.00. With the omnirc variable OB2_USE_OLDER_TREEWALK=1 (to be changed for the client which is planned for the CIFS share backup) Data Protector 8.00 will with back to the old behavior for walking the tree. With this change in place now it is possible to backup the NetApp filer. Final comment: it might be more efficient to use the NDMP backup option instead using the network share function.

Cannot write to device – the parameter is incorrect

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When using the wrong block size for the tape devices, you may get the error message Cannot write to device ([87] The Parameter is incorrect.) during the backup or while formatting media. This error may occur if as SAS library, attached to the controller P212-ZM is used. When you try to use a higher block size in Data Protector for such a device you will receive the error above. In this case the only way to use a higher block size is to add RAM to the controller.

Another szenario will be when using 1024K as block size and you update drivers. In a specific case with a QLogic HBA (QMH2462) in the past it was possible to backup data using a block size of 1024K for the devices. The HBA used firmware 5.03.15. After updating Windows drivers to version 9.1.10.27 and firmware to 5.06.05 the customer received the error above. The setting qlfc - tsize 1024 didn’t fix the problem. Qlogic changed the bahavior for the possible block sizes with firmware version 5.04.02. In this particuallar case the customer was required to decrease the block size to 512K and to reformat the media with the new block size within Data Protector. Thanks to Volker for the comment on it.