Microsoft KB Archive/271699

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PRB: BackupTapeFile::SkipBlocks Errors May Occur When You Perform a SQL Backup to a Seagate SDT2401LW DDS4 Tape Drive

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Q271699

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft SQL Server version 7.0
 * Microsoft SQL Server 2000

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SYMPTOMS
A SQL Server database backup that is performed to a Seagate SDT2401LW DDS4 tape drive may generate the following error message in the SQL Server error log:

BackupTapeFile::SkipBlocks: SetTapePosition failure on backup device '\\.\tape0'. Operating system error 23(Data error (cyclic redundancy check))

The following error is logged in the Microsoft Windows NT System event log:

stdat4 Error None 7 N/A SERVER1 The device, \Device\Tape0, has a bad block.

These errors might not be apparent because no errors are reported when the backup is performed. However, if a RESTORE HEADERONLY command is executed for the same tape, it reports header information, which is listed in the &quot;More Information&quot; section.

Also, you may see some of the following symptoms:


 * Any subsequent backups that are appended to the tape (after the backup which yields the preceding error) are unreadable and unrestorable. If you execute the RESTORE HEADERONLY command, it only shows backups up to the one that caused the preceding error message.
 * The backup that yields the error message is restorable. The results from the RESTORE FILELISTONLY command issued on this backup are valid.
 * Any subsequent backups performed to the same tape log an error in both the SQL Server error log and the Windows NT System Event log.

WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use either of the following methods:


 * This problem is only evident when you use a DDS4 type of tape drive. Using a different drive should correct the problem.
 * SQL Server backups performed to disk, can be backed up to a DDS4 tape drive by using a Windows NT Backup (or a third party backup software).

MORE INFORMATION
The output from the RESTORE HEADERONLY command has the following information:

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbSQLServ700 kbDSupport kbSQLServ2000

Issue type : kbprb

Technology :