SMTape restore version error

[XBR500]

I backup up a volume to a file using SMTape backup on Ontap 9.1P20 but can not restore it to Ontap 9.7P2 as the restore fails. Is there a way around this issue or am I doing something I should not be doing? 

The event logged says:-

Event:                           smtape.rst.fail: SMTape restore session 11 to /vserver/vol from /cifs-vserver/vol/file failed with error

                                        The image you are trying to restore is not supported in the current version (current version [10. 0] backup                                           image version [4. 0]) 14:1727.

Message Name:         smtape.rst.fail

Action:                           Check for error details in the log file at /mroot/etc/log/backup. Retry the command after resolving the                                                  error reported.

I had a look at /mroot/etc/log/backup but it more or less says the same as above.

The restore and backup works OK when both are done using Ontap 9.1

[Ontapforrum]

Hi,

SMTape is a block by block copy of the file system associated with a particular version of Data ONTAP; therefore, when you retrieve data from tape, the destination of the retrieval must use the same or later version of Data ONTAP used when storing data to tape. Here, the 'later' is actually suggesting a compatible SnapMirror ONTAP version.

Cause : You can restore data to volumes created across up to two major consecutive ONTAP releases only. For 9.1: it would be 9.1.9.2 & 9.3 only.

Compatible ONTAP versions for SnapMirror relationships:
https://docs.netapp.com/ontap-9/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.netapp.doc.pow-dap%2FGUID-0810D764-4CEA-4683-8280-032433B1886B.html

https://docs.netapp.com/ontap-9/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.netapp.doc.pow-dap%2FGUID-0810D764-4CEA-4683-8280-032433B1886B.html

Workaround: hmm...may be restore it to 9.1 itself, and then NDMPCOPY to 9.7, NDMP doesn't care about disk-geometry or underneath file-system version.

Thanks!