How to set up TapeAlert for automatic drive cleaning in NBU 7.1

In a way, you don't.

TapeAlerts are 100% nothing to do with NBU, they are SENT from the tapedrive.

By default NBU will detect these and will attempt to clean the drives (if cleaning tape available etc ...)

What may have happened is that the ability of NBU to detect te tapealert may have been disabled (for example, if the library was doing the cleaning).

Check for this file :

/usr/openv/volmgr/database/NO_TAPEALERT

(or <install path>\veritas\volmgr\NO_TAPEALERT )

If this file exists, 'tapealert detection' has been disabled - remove this file to 're-enable'

As far as the cleaning tapes go - set the density to match the tape drive (but with -cln ) eg. if you have hcart2  drives, you want to select the hcart2-cln density, they must be in the NONE pool and make sure the number of remaining cleanings is >0 (Once inventoried and configured, just right click the cleaning media and select change to adjust the number of cleanings remaining).

The number of cleanings remaining differs depending on the make of tape drive, the make of cleaning tape etc ... Just set it to 40 or something, once it is used, it will not be 'overused'/  Consult drive / cleaning tape manufacturer for more info in this area, Symantec do not have this information.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH9109

Make sure all cleaning is disabled on the library and that any 'library defined cleaning slots' are deleted.

In NBU, the cleaning tapes are not in special slots, they are just regular tapes that have a 'cleaning density' matching the 'density' of the tape drives, and, are in the NONE volume pool.

Martin