Backup problem---Again

I am running my solstice backup 5.5.1 server on a solaris 2.6 platform.
I have a remote client ; my mailserver also running solaris 2.6.
I created a unique pool and group for my mailserver, but when i label to pool, mount and run backup, it doesnt backup my mailserver, rather it gives me error message ;

media critical event: backup to pool 'Default' waiting for 1 writable backup tapes(s)

And i didnt specify 'default' as the pool for that group.
Meanwhile, Other clients in other pools are being backed up sucessfully.
Also i dont have a path for /sbin/init.d/networker, all i have is sbin. Why? doesnt it come up by default after installation.

:slight_smile:

Straight from the source (I believe I posted this link the last time you had a problem with backup - part of learning is not just asking questions but trying to find the answers )

http://www.legato.com/support/knowledgebase/

Title: Media waiting backup pool, waiting for 1 writable tape;Check client
setup

Description:

A backup attempt to a specific backup pool that references a storage node fails
with the following error:

 media waiting backup pool [pool_name] waiting for 1 writable tape

ANALYSIS:

Using the NetWorker Administrator or nwadmin, verify that the devices are
enabled and that the jukebox is properly configured. Then confirm that the
server is able to communicate with the storage node.

Using the NetWorker Administrator or nwadmin, check the client setup to verify
that the storage node field specifies the correct name of the storage node.

In this instance the storage node field contained 'nsrserverhost'.

SOLUTION:

1) Run NetWorker Administrator (nwadmin)

2) NT - Select Options => Customize and check Display Hidden Attributes
UNIX - Select View => View details

3) Edit the client resource that is not getting backed up

3) NT - Select Preference tab
UNIX - Scroll down to the Storage nodes field

4) Enter the correct storage node name in the Storage nodes field

5) Re-run the backup

Created: 10/7/1999
KS/nka
Last Update:

As far as /sbin/init.d/networker - checked my Solaris 2.6 backup server and clients - none have that directory - look for /usr/sbin/nsr possibly.

Hi thehoghunter

I did what u said, i did nsr_shutdown and had to reboot my system to get nsrexec running again ( on my client -mailserver).
This time around, backup was actually initiated but but when i checked the group control details, i had no completed save sets, they all failed with inactive error messages for all the save sets.

I currently have a problem on my mail server; mails are not being sent out at all on port 25; smtp. I am yet to resolve that, could it affect backup in any way?

:frowning:

Both problems may be related - give more specifics on your email problem (including version of Sendmail)

Some things to check:

DNS - insure that /etc/resolv.conf is set up correctly
/etc/nsswitch.conf - insure you are using dns for hosts
Check your /var/adm/messages file for errors from Sendmail
Do an verbose mail (change to appropriate info) $ /usr/lib/sendmail -v yourname@yoursite.com < /etc/motd

Check version with
/usr/lib/sendmail -d0.1 -bt < /dev/null

Post the info (changing anything that may be sensitive)

Hi,

i am using a mail server software called Post.Office intermail v 3.5.3
Post.Office intermail requires that sendmail be disabled to work...so i am not using sendmail. I am using SMTP (25) and POP3 (110).
The problem with my mail server is that i am currently not sending mails....my user accounts cannot send mail but they can receive mails.
I configured my outlook express with an existing account on my server and when i tried sending mail to my hotmail and yahoo accounts ( or anywhere else) i get this message;

An unknown error has occurred. Subject 'Fw:Test Mail', Account: 'demo', Server: 'mydomain.com', Protocol: SMTP, Server Response: '452 Couldn't process control file', Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 452, Error Number: 0x800CCC6C

Meanwhile, when i checked the queue log of my post.office ssoftware, there was a long queue of outgoing mails and there were two types of error messages for the bulk ofthem;

  1. MX lookup failure
  2. Couldn't establish SMTP connection on port 25

Now i tested 1. by checking my resolv.conf file, all entries were ok. I was even able to perform an nslookup of serveral domains on the mail server using one of the dns entries in resolv.conf.

I dont understand why i had error 2, though.

For reference, note: i have a microsoft exchange server that relays it's mails thru my post.office mail server. The users on the exchange server have no problems sending or receiving mails.Users on the post.office use @mydomain.com while users on exchange use @mydomain.net.

Rather complex senario.

:rolleyes:

You can get into nslookup and do the following -

Default Server: which1.tampa.yourdomain.com
Address: 10.160.66.60

>set type=mx
>digex.net
digex.net preference = 10, mail exchanger = zamboni.mail.algx.net
digex.net preference = 100, mail exchanger = dca1-mx.mail.algx.net
digex.net nameserver = nsF.algx.net
digex.net nameserver = nsE.algx.net
zamboni.mail.algx.net internet address = 204.91.99.98
dca1-mx.mail.algx.net internet address = 204.91.241.15
dca1-mx.mail.algx.net internet address = 204.91.241.16
>
>yourdomain.com

you should get the MX information from your domain. If you don't, then you need to add the MX records to DNS.

I did the nslookup from my mail server.
The response i got was like this;

#nslookup
Default Server: nslookup.mydomain.com
Address: "ipaddress"

>set type
> set type=mx
>digex.net
Server: ns1.mydomain.com
Address: ipaddress

digex.net preference = 10, mail exchanger = zamboni.mail.algx.net
digex.net preference = 100, mail exchanger = dca1-mx.mail.algx.net
digex.net nameserver = nsF.algx.net
digex.net nameserver = nsE.algx.net
zamboni.mail.algx.net internet address = 204.91.99.98
dca1-mx.mail.algx.net internet address = 204.91.241.15
dca1-mx.mail.algx.net internet address = 204.91.241.16
>
>

and that was all i saw. i didnt see "mydomain" at the end of it.
meanwhile, i checked out my dns entry for my domain name in /var/named/domainname.db ( on my default dns server)
and i realised that i have my MX record for my mail server in it already.

Opps, didn't I tell you to replace mydomain.com with whatever your domain name is? Sorry.

Make sure you can see your domains' MX records through DNS - not just that they are in the configuration files but that when you ask for them via nslookup, DNS gives you the information.

Also look up any of the domains that have failed to have email sent to them - this may give you a clue on what to do.

A good site with FAQs on DNS is:
Mr. DNS

off course i changed the "mydomainname" to my actual domain name, i just gave that to u for security reasons.

i am able to nslookup to hotmail, yahoo and the rest from my mailserver.

i really doubt if the problem is dns related.

I have descided to reinstall my mail software, in the course of doing so, i might loose my user mailboxes and other configuration files in the process. But i have backup to a certain extent.
What i need help on now is on performing a restore process. I have never done that. And also to hope that theproblem with backing up of my mailserver has to do with the mailservers inherent problem. Otherwise, a restore process may not work.

I wish we could chat, soo this conversation could flow at a faster rate.

I really need to get this server back up my tommorrow.

You wrote: and that was all i saw. i didnt see "mydomain" at the end of it.
When I questioned it you wrote that you changed it to your domain.

If you asked for your domain MX records from nslookup, you should have gotten back a response that would have had the same type of output as the digex.net did (just different domain and IPs and hostnames).

I asked you to test something - if you don't know then send me an email - I opened an old email server to see if it will show anything on this side when you try to connect - but I will have to shut it off within a half hour to insure all the spammers don't start using it again (I already saw three messages hit it from spam sites - unbelievable!)

Just to update - helping with mail problem - use this site to check your mail servers

Network Abuse Clearinghouse

and the self-test (or test your friends email server)

Mail Relay Testing