Question : Problem: Backup Error : ARCserve 11.1 on Netware 6.5

Hey all :  I have an error message on the backup log (Failed to Open Data Set - Server Specific Info, fffdffcc) when the host server NW6.5 is backing up the Sys volume of the remote server NW6.5.  ARCserve 11.1 is the backup application on the host server and agent is loaded on the remote as well.

I have excluded from the backup selection :SERVDATA.NDS, DSMISC.LOG, VOLSINFO.TXT, STARTUP.NCF, AUTOEXEC.NCF but I have been unable to fix this issue and I would appreciate any help or suggestion.

Thanks

Answer : Problem: Backup Error : ARCserve 11.1 on Netware 6.5

Well, back in the days when I used ArcServe, it was selectable from the job view window after you told it what server's job you were trying to modify.

If you open ArcServe and view your selections for the Netware server, you should see "Server Specific Info" listed in there as a checked selection.  If you remove the check, all should be fine.

Some people are wary about removing the SSI selection but regardless of who doesn't agree with my comments, consider the following as part of your backup strategy.

[1] Make sure everything on your file system gets backed up using Open File Options, if available.
[2] Use a "dsrepair -rc" command every now and then on all replicas to backup eDirectory manually.
[3] Consider using embox / emtool to backup eDirectory as well

Here's a couple of pages for reference as well:

What is SSI?
http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/231667.htm

Backing up and restoring eDirectory:
http://www.novell.com/documentation/edir873/index.html?page=/documentation/edir873/edir873/data/agatd4y.html

Quick and Dirty eDirectory Backups:
http://thebackroomtech.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/howto-quick-and-dirty-edirectory-backups/

What is your TSAFS.NLM file at for a version / revision?

Since the SSI files are being dynamically created with each backup, as long as you are getting good eDirectory backups and backing up everything on the file system, namely (in the case of SSI) SYS:SYSTEM\* folders, you should be fine with the backups.

Various Netware failures in single-or-multi server/replica environments lead to different solutions for restore processes.

I'd look at the dsrepair -rc options, embox, and make sure your backups on tape are going strong.