Win2000 Server and DAT Backups

S

ShrewLWD

Weaksauce
Joined
Feb 12, 2002
Messages
74
Hey Guys,

Is there a log in Win2000 (or an app that logs) when the cleaning tape is used?
I'm running a standard DAT3 backup tape drive, and using the built-in backup software.
When it's time for the heads to be cleaned, the status light on the tape drive blinks. I manually place the cleaning tape in, it cleans itself automatically, then ejects the cleaning tape.

CIO wants some proof this is happening (ie log).

Any thoughts or ideas?
 
I use Veritas BackupExec on our servers here and it will give you the time/date of every cleaning in the Job Monitor. Not sure if the backup built into 2K will do it.
 
Thanks for info. Yes, we are definitely moving towards BackUp Exec. In the meantime, I really have to find something that will catch the cleaning operation. If backup exec can capture that, then it stands to reason it made a call to the hardware that told it that.

Does anyone know if MS has an undocumented setting or feature that will also capture that that occured, or know of an app (small freeware type) or undocumented driver setting?

Any assistance would be appreciated!
 
I'll keep looking for a log feature, but what you could do is simply schedule the cleaning with windows task scheduler. That would at least give you some "evidence" for the boss when it was cleaned, as there are logs for the scheduler service. You could theoretically run eventvwr.msc from the commad line and see in the application/system logs of when the tape drive was activated.
 
Hey typhoon43, thanks for the info!

Two things though... first I checked the logs and there is no listing for the tape drive being accessed during the time of the cleaning.
Second, the nature of cleaning tapes for 4mm DAT is that the minute you put them in, the drive recognizes they are cleaning tapes, auto-clean themselves, then eject them. I would not be able to schedule a clean becuase Win2000 doesn't have an option to "clean" and the tape would have to be in the drive at the appointed time for it to log.

I really appreciate you doing research! I googled as many possible different combinations of logging / monitoring / backup / ntbackup / head / cleaning /cleaner with win 2000 as I could, but got nothing!
 
Try right-clicking My Computer, hitting Manage, heading to Removeable Storage, then check the Work Queue or Operator Requests. I think they log activities there, its been awhile. Also try right-clicking around that general area and see if you get a cleaning option (you might even have a cleaning tape cataloged there). This might generate a cleaning log in those areas.
 
I was also going to use NT backup however I decided to go with BackupExec 9.1 because it is far superior. I just need to find a source for cheap DDS-1 tapes since I dont do huge backups, do you know anywhere? Either way I am not sure about NT backup logging cleaning but there may be a way. Will the CIO not accept you logging manually and trusting you?
 
SnowPunk98 -> Unfortunately, with SOX auditing, its not a case of trust...I have to prove they occur in some form of log that the computer generates.

(SOX = Sarbanes Oxley Act, a law passed after Enron).
 
I may need to point to this thread during the audit as proof of my investigations into Win2000's ability to log this information, so I really cannot offer my personal thoughts on this.

...

Thanks for trying!
 
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