Troubleshooting Error Return Code 1108 (MS_TMM_WRITE_ERROR)

Summary

This article provides suggestions for troubleshooting error return code 1108 (MS_TMM_WRITE_ERROR).

Resolution

1. Check the system logs on the machine controlling the tape drive, look for any related errors.
2. If this is UNIX, have you recently made a change in the density mode that you use for the file handle that is writing to the tape, e.g. /dev/rmt/tapeN vs /dev/rmt/tapeN_d5 (Tru64)? If a density change has been made, one suggestion is to revert back to the original density setting.
3. Has the tape drive worked before with Backup Express? Is the device configured for variable length block mode? The drive must support using variable blocks and one of the more common problems is that the drive is configured to support only fixed length blocks.