I have a new install of Windows Server 2003 SP1 and SQL 2005 SP1 on a new CPQ
ML 370 G4 server. The server has an internal HP DAT 40 tape drive. The drive
is recognized by Server 2003 system and NTBACKUP can use it just fine. I have
installed newest HP drivers and firmware but SQL 2005 doesn't let me select
tape as a destination option when adding a Backup Device. That option is
greyed out. I have uninstalled the tape drive and reinstalled to no avail.
Why isn't my tape drive recognized by SQL? Is there a HCL for SQL?

Tim,

>I have a new install of Windows Server 2003 SP1 and SQL 2005 SP1 on a new
>CPQ
> ML 370 G4 server. The server has an internal HP DAT 40 tape drive. The
> drive
> is recognized by Server 2003 system and NTBACKUP can use it just fine. I
> have
> installed newest HP drivers and firmware but SQL 2005 doesn't let me
> select
> tape as a destination option when adding a Backup Device. That option is
> greyed out. I have uninstalled the tape drive and reinstalled to no avail.
> Why isn't my tape drive recognized by SQL? Is there a HCL for SQL?

SQL backup should be compatible with NT backups. However, you might need a
special agent (or driver) from the tape vendor in order to consume the SQL
backup. But I want to suggest you something else. Why don't you make SQL
backups on disk, and then backup the SQL backup files with NTBackup to tape?
This way you would get two backups instead of one, and backup to disk is
much faster then backup to tape. You can have more SQL backups on disk
during working hours, and then backup the files to tape in off-peak hours.

--
Dejan Sarka
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/blogs/

Dejan: Thanks for the reply. I'll go back to HP and see if they have a SQL
agent buried somewhere. We will probably do exactly what you suggest. It's
just that we are putting several database driven apps on this server and I
have no idea at this time how the tape device is integrated with them. The
vendor's coming out this week and I don't want to find out at that time that
this tape problem is a problem with their app as well.

"Dejan Sarka" wrote:

> Tim,
>
> >I have a new install of Windows Server 2003 SP1 and SQL 2005 SP1 on a new
> >CPQ
> > ML 370 G4 server. The server has an internal HP DAT 40 tape drive. The
> > drive
> > is recognized by Server 2003 system and NTBACKUP can use it just fine. I
> > have
> > installed newest HP drivers and firmware but SQL 2005 doesn't let me
> > select
> > tape as a destination option when adding a Backup Device. That option is
> > greyed out. I have uninstalled the tape drive and reinstalled to no avail.
> > Why isn't my tape drive recognized by SQL? Is there a HCL for SQL?
>
> SQL backup should be compatible with NT backups. However, you might need a
> special agent (or driver) from the tape vendor in order to consume the SQL
> backup. But I want to suggest you something else. Why don't you make SQL
> backups on disk, and then backup the SQL backup files with NTBackup to tape?
> This way you would get two backups instead of one, and backup to disk is
> much faster then backup to tape. You can have more SQL backups on disk
> during working hours, and then backup the files to tape in off-peak hours.
>
> --
> Dejan Sarka
> http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/blogs/
>
>
>

Just for grins I hooked up a new HP Ultrium 232 tape drive with the same
result. Tape isn't an available option when installing a backup device.

"Tim" wrote:

> Dejan: Thanks for the reply. I'll go back to HP and see if they have a SQL
> agent buried somewhere. We will probably do exactly what you suggest. It's
> just that we are putting several database driven apps on this server and I
> have no idea at this time how the tape device is integrated with them. The
> vendor's coming out this week and I don't want to find out at that time that
> this tape problem is a problem with their app as well.
>
> "Dejan Sarka" wrote:
>
> > Tim,
> >
> > >I have a new install of Windows Server 2003 SP1 and SQL 2005 SP1 on a new
> > >CPQ
> > > ML 370 G4 server. The server has an internal HP DAT 40 tape drive. The
> > > drive
> > > is recognized by Server 2003 system and NTBACKUP can use it just fine. I
> > > have
> > > installed newest HP drivers and firmware but SQL 2005 doesn't let me
> > > select
> > > tape as a destination option when adding a Backup Device. That option is
> > > greyed out. I have uninstalled the tape drive and reinstalled to no avail.
> > > Why isn't my tape drive recognized by SQL? Is there a HCL for SQL?
> >
> > SQL backup should be compatible with NT backups. However, you might need a
> > special agent (or driver) from the tape vendor in order to consume the SQL
> > backup. But I want to suggest you something else. Why don't you make SQL
> > backups on disk, and then backup the SQL backup files with NTBackup to tape?
> > This way you would get two backups instead of one, and backup to disk is
> > much faster then backup to tape. You can have more SQL backups on disk
> > during working hours, and then backup the files to tape in off-peak hours.
> >
> > --
> > Dejan Sarka
> > http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/blogs/
> >
> >
> >