How to read the ADAMM.LOG file, and what various errors mean within the log.

When Veritas Backup Exec (tm) for Windows Servers sees a tape device attached to a SCSI or to an Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) controller, it records specific information in a log called ADAMM.LOG. This log file contains very useful information in configuring robotic libraries and tape drives for backup operations within Backup Exec.

When the Backup Exec services start up, a new entry is appended to the ADAMM.LOG file. This way, a history of the devices that have been attached to the server is kept.

When looking at the log file, the last entry is what needs to be reviewed as this is what Backup Exec sees since the last time the Backup Exec services have been started. To find the last entry, scroll to the bottom of the log file. Click the Edit | Find menu option, and search for ~ (tilde), going up within the log. See Figure 1 and Figure 2 (the pictures have been broken up due to formatting issues, but all information is part of the same ADAMM.log file).

Figure 1
 

Figure 2
 

The figures are color-coded to help explain what each section means.
 

The section contains basic information about the environment.

1. The first line contains the date and the time when the Backup Exec services were last started.  

2. The next line, containing "Adamm Info:" is the version of Backup Exec that is installed on the server.

3. The last line is the version of Windows, including service pack installed on the server.


II ] For the section that is outlined in blue:

This section contains information about how the database is configured inside Backup Exec.

1. The first line contains the database driver information.

2. The second line contains information about the database server. The database server may be a different server if this server resides in a Shared Storage Environment.


III ] For the section that is outlined in green:

This section contains information about licensing.

1. The line " Shared Storage Authorization" lets the user know if they have a Shared Storage license. If the tape device is a fiber device, a license is required for Backup Exec 8.x.

2. The line " TSM Authorization" lets the user know if they have a license for Tivoli Storage Manager.  

3. The line " Library Expansion Options" lets the user know how many extra drives can be installed in their libraries.


IV ] For the section that is outlined in purple:

This area contains information about the device registry. All these devices that are present here are devices that Backup Exec detects from the hardware tree within the registry. The registry location for these devices is: HKey_Local_Machine | Hardware | DeviceMap | SCSI. If a device does not show up here, the device is not properly seen with the operating system.  

The Port Driver that is currently active against the same " Scsi Prt" as your tape device or library is included in this section. In the example provided this being aic78xx. An internet search using the driver name with .sys added as a suffix can be used to identify the connectivity of the device, some examples of Port Drivers being:

V ] For the section that is outlined in yellow:

This area is called Device Discovery. If this section is not present in ADAMM.log then Backup Exec is having trouble communicating with one or more of the devices. If there is information, then Backup Exec records that information about the device. The following information is gathered:

1. Device Name: This is the name that Windows has given the device in the registry. Each tape device and medium changer will have a unique name.

2. Primary Inquiry: The first 24 characters in this string contain the name of the device. The last part of this string is the firmware level of the device. The name of the device is what Backup Exec will use when trying to load a driver for that device.  
 

a. If the device is a medium changer, Backup Exec will match this string up with the VSDLoadTable, located in the registry under HKey_Local_Machine | System | CurrentControlSet | Control | SCSIChanger, to load the appropriate robotic arm driver.  

b. If the device is a tape drive, Backup Exec will match this string up with the PVLTypes.DLL file, located in C:\Program Files\veritas\Backup Exec\, to load the appropriate tape device driver.

c. When comparing the inquiry string, as found in the ADAMM.LOG, with the content of the Backup Exec Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), the firmware section of the string is not included in the information within the HCL and therefore should not be used as part of the confirmation of supported status. 

3. Secondary Inquiry: This will sometimes appear when the device can go by two different names. It is only used when the Primary Inquiry does not match with any devices listed either in the VSDLoadTable or the PVLTypes.DLL locations.

4. Serial Number: This is the serial number that the robotic library and the tape drive present to Backup Exec, so we know how to distinguish the device from other similar devices. If the library doesn't have a serial number, Backup Exec will auto-generate a serial number for identification purposes. Such auto-generated serial numbers can be recognized by the fact that they are enclosed by < and > signs. An example of this line in ADAMM.log is given below:

Serial Number           "COMPAQ  ESL9326D        <500508B300408758:0005:0002:0000> "

This library is actually supposed to be serialized, but in this case, it was not returning a serial number due to misconfiguration of the Storage Area Network (SAN) bridge for the library (MDR). Once it was configured correctly (SCC mode enabled), the loader started returning a valid serial number.

The following is an example of the serial number line from a library that is returning a valid serial number:

Serial Number           "ADIC    Scalar 100      ADIC9K1040926"

The alpha-numeric sequence, in this case, is the same serial number that would have been found in the library front panel if the serial number had been chosen to be displayed.

5. Device Flags: The first value is an indication of the type of device that is attached to the bus. The second number is the type of serial number that the device is reporting.

6. Device State: This is the current status of the device. Listed below are the various statuses that the device can be in:
 

a. 1 - Offline. This means that Backup Exec has lost communication with the device.

b. 2 - Disabled. The device is currently disabled inside Backup Exec. To enable a device, open Backup Exec, right-click on the device, click on the Configuration tab, and select the Enable device for Backup Exec check box.

c. 3 - Online. The device is available and appears to be operating correctly.

d. 7 - Paused. The device is paused. To resume the device, open Backup Exec, right-click on the device, and click Pause to clear the check box beside this option.

7. Device IDs: The first number is the key for this device, which has been found in the database. The second number is the device's Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) within the database.

8. Device Name: This is the name that the user has given to this device, within Backup Exec, under the Devices section.

9. Device Type: The first number is the drive type. The second part of this line contains the following:
 

a. For tape device:  The type of media that the device uses, and the current settings for the device. In this example, the tape drive uses 4mm cartridges. The block size is 8 kilobytes (KB), the buffer size is 32 KB, the buffer count is 10, and the high water count is 7.

b. For medium changers: This will state that it is a CHANGER device, and FS=0 or FS=1. FS stands for First Slot.

10. Device Features: This is also called Device Feature Bits. This value lets Backup Exec know what the device is capable of doing.
 

a. The Lower Order of bits can contain one or more of the following:

Feature Type	Feature Definition
TAPE_DRIVE_COMPRESSION	The device supports hardware data compression.
TAPE_DRIVE_CLEAN_REQUESTS	The device can report if cleaning is required.
TAPE_DRIVE_ECC	The device supports hardware error correction.
TAPE_DRIVE_EJECT_MEDIA	The device physically ejects the tape on a software eject.
TAPE_DRIVE_ERASE_BOP_ONLY	The device performs the erase operation from the beginning-of-partition marker only.
TAPE_DRIVE_ERASE_LONG	The device performs a long erase operation.
TAPE_DRIVE_ERASE_IMMEDIATE	The device performs an immediate erase operation. It returns when the erase operation begins.
TAPE_DRIVE_ERASE_SHORT	The device performs a short erase operation.
TAPE_DRIVE_FIXED	The device creates fixed data partitions.
TAPE_DRIVE_FIXED_BLOCK	The device supports fixed-length block mode.
TAPE_DRIVE_INITIATOR	The device creates initiator-defined partitions.
TAPE_DRIVE_PADDING	The device supports data padding.
TAPE_DRIVE_GET_ABSOLUTE_BLK	The device provides the current device-specific block address.
TAPE_DRIVE_GET_LOGICAL_BLK	The device provides the current logical block address (and logical tape partition).
TAPE_DRIVE_REPORT_SMKS	The device supports setmark reporting.
TAPE_DRIVE_SELECT	The device creates select data partitions.
TAPE_DRIVE_SET_EOT_WZ_SIZE	The device supports setting the end-of-medium warning size.
TAPE_DRIVE_SET_CMP_BOP_ONLY	The device must be at the beginning of a partition before it can set compression on.
TAPE_DRIVE_TAPE_CAPACITY	The device returns the maximum capacity of the tape.
TAPE_DRIVE_TAPE_REMAINING	The device returns the remaining capacity of the tape.
TAPE_DRIVE_VARIABLE_BLOCK	The device supports variable-length block mode.
TAPE_DRIVE_WRITE_PROTECT	The device returns an error if the tape is write-enabled or write-protected.

b. The Higher Order of bits can contain one or more of the following:

Feature Type	Feature Definition
TAPE_DRIVE_ABS_BLK_IMMED	The device moves the tape to a device-specific block address and returns as soon as the move begins.
TAPE_DRIVE_ABSOLUTE_BLK	The device moves the tape to a device specific block address.
TAPE_DRIVE_END_OF_DATA	The device moves the tape to the end-of-data marker in a partition.
TAPE_DRIVE_FILEMARKS	The device moves the tape forward (or backward) a specified number of filemarks.
TAPE_DRIVE_LOAD_UNLOAD	The device enables and disables the device for further operations.
TAPE_DRIVE_LOAD_UNLD_IMMED	The device supports immediate load and unload operations.
TAPE_DRIVE_LOCK_UNLOCK	The device enables and disables the tape ejection mechanism.
TAPE_DRIVE_LOCK_UNLK_IMMED	The device supports immediate lock and unlock operations.
TAPE_DRIVE_LOG_BLK_IMMED	The device moves the tape to a logical block address in a partition and returns as soon as the move begins.
TAPE_DRIVE_LOGICAL_BLK	The device moves the tape to a logical block address in a partition.
TAPE_DRIVE_RELATIVE_BLKS	The device moves the tape forward (or backward) a specified number of blocks.
TAPE_DRIVE_REVERSE_POSITION	The device moves the tape backward over blocks, filemarks, or setmarks.
TAPE_DRIVE_REWIND_IMMEDIATE	The device supports immediate rewind operation.
TAPE_DRIVE_SEQUENTIAL_FMKS	The device moves the tape forward (or backward) to the first occurrence of a specified number of consecutive filemarks.
TAPE_DRIVE_SEQUENTIAL_SMKS	The device moves the tape forward (or backward) to the first occurrence of a specified number of consecutive setmarks.
TAPE_DRIVE_SET_BLOCK_SIZE	The device supports setting the size of a fixed-length logical block or setting the variable-length block mode.
TAPE_DRIVE_SET_COMPRESSION	The device enables and disables hardware data compression.
TAPE_DRIVE_SET_ECC	The device enables and disables hardware error correction.
TAPE_DRIVE_SET_PADDING	The device enables and disables data padding.
TAPE_DRIVE_SET_REPORT_SMKS	The device enables and disables the reporting of setmarks.
TAPE_DRIVE_SETMARKS	The device moves the tape forward (or reverse) a specified number of setmarks.
TAPE_DRIVE_SPACE_IMMEDIATE	The device supports immediate spacing.
TAPE_DRIVE_TENSION	The device supports tape tensioning.
TAPE_DRIVE_TENSION_IMMED	The device supports immediate tape tensioning.
TAPE_DRIVE_WRITE_FILEMARKS	The device writes filemarks.
TAPE_DRIVE_WRITE_LONG_FMKS	The device writes long filemarks.
TAPE_DRIVE_WRITE_MARK_IMMED	The device supports immediate writing of short and long filemarks.
TAPE_DRIVE_WRITE_SETMARKS	The device writes setmarks.
TAPE_DRIVE_WRITE_SHORT_FMKS	The device writes short filemarks.

11. Device Element: This value only shows up for tape devices. The device element is used to determine what library the tape drive belongs to. The first number can be matched up with the Device ID of the tape library. The second number is the Drive Element within the library.

12. Drive Element: This value only shows up for medium changer devices. This value is what the tape library recognizes as what tape drives belong to it. The first number is a unique identifier, which enables Backup Exec to keep track of the device in the database. The second number is the serial number of the tape device.

13. First Slot Number: This value only shows up for medium changer devices. This is how Backup Exec will start numbering the slots within the tape library.

14. Number of Slots: This value only shows up for medium changer devices. This is the number of slots that the medium changer reports to have. This number may appear to have one less than what the library was advertised to have. This happens because within the library control panel, one slot was dedicated to a cleaning tape, and this slot will not be reported to Backup Exec (the library has 20 slots, but only 19 show up in Backup Exec).

If there were any errors logged by the Device and Media Service, either with communicating with the tape drive or with the status of jobs, those errors may be logged in here. Listed below are the common errors seen within ADAMM.log.

 

ADAMM Error	Cause
ERROR = 0xA0008114 (E_PVL_CHANGER_NOT_AVAILABLE)	Physical Volume Library Changer is not available.
ERROR = 0xA000810F (E_PVL_USER_ABORTED)	Job was canceled. No action required.
ERROR = 0xA000822D (E_CHG_NO_SUCH_DEVICE)	Changer error, no such device.
ERROR = 0xA0008113 (E_PVL_CHANGER_NOT_FOUND)	Physical Volume Library Changer is not found.
ERROR = 0xA0008231 (E_CHG_CLEANING_MEDIA)	Cleaning media has been detected. No action required.
ERROR = 0xA000810D (E_PVL_MEDIA_NOT_FOUND)	Physical Volume Library Media has not been found.
ERROR = 0x0000001F (ERROR_GEN_FAILURE)	General hardware failure has occurred.
ERROR = 0xA000810C (E_PVL_DRIVE_NOT_AVAILABLE)	Physical Volume Library Drive is not available.
ERROR = 0xA0008213 (E_CHG_DESTINATION_ELEMENT_FULL)	Destination location is full. (Typically, the tape is stuck in the drive.)
ERROR = 0xA0008214 (E_CHG_SOURCE_ELEMENT_EMPTY)	Source location is empty.
ERROR = 0x0000045D (ERROR_IO_DEVICE)	A Device I/O error has occurred.
ERROR = 0xA0008227 (E_CHG_INCORRECT_MODE)	Improper operation mode detected. Make sure that the device is online and in SCSI random mode.
ERROR = 0xA0008216 (E_CHG_DISCONNECTED_DURING_CMD)	Changer error, device has been disconnected.
ERROR = 0x00000458 (ERROR_NO_MEDIA_IN_DRIVE)	No media in the target drive.
ERROR = 0xA000821A (E_CHG_DOOR_IS_OPEN)	Changer door is open. No action required.
ERROR = 0xA000820A (E_CHG_HARDWARE)	Changer hardware error.
ERROR = 0xA0008219 (E_CHG_DEVICE_LOCKED)	Changer error, device is locked.