Forum Discussion

Michael_G_Ander's avatar
Michael_G_Ander
Level 6
13 years ago

IBM TS3500 ALMS, Virtual IO, auto_update_robot

Hi

After we have upgraded our robot with a HD Frame which requires ALMS, our auto_update_robot in vm.conf do not seem to work

The setup is

Netbackup 7.1.0.3 with Windows 2008 R2 MSCS Master/media and Windows 2008 Media server connected to a IBM 3584 with ALMS and Virtual IO

Our experience is that the tapes is loaded from the IO port into the robot, but not into Netbackup.

I suspect that is a configuration issue between Netbackup and the robot, but have not been able to find anything regarding ALMS/VIO and auto_update_robot

Regards

Michael

 

7.1.x and Earlier
Backup and Recovery
Configuring
NetBackup
  • Michael_G_Ander's avatar
    Michael_G_Ander
    13 years ago

    Checked Enable Reporting of Unit Attentions for All New Assignments in All Other LTO Volsers policy. This seems have helped. But is not quite sure yet. Will update when I am sure either way

  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    Is the vm.conf entry on the robot control host, the master, or on the Admin Console where you are running the Inventory from?

    Please enable logs on the robot control host.

    Add VERBOSE entry to <install-path>\veritas\volmgr\vm.conf

    Create debug folder in <install-path>\veritas\volmgr

    Create all of these folders under <install-path>\veritas\volmgr\debug:

    robot
    reqlib
    daemon
    ltid

    Restart NBU Device Manager to enable logging.

    after next failure, please copy the log files to reflect process name (e.g. robot.txt) and post logs as File attachments.

     

  • mph999's avatar
    mph999
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    Nope, most like not NBU, there are no settings in NBU that affect this.

    The lBM 3584 has many settings that can cause problems like this :

     

    Here is one of them ...

     

    Library setting 'Queued Exports' incorrectly set causing the library to incorrectly function with NetBackup.


    Solution



    There are no settings in NetBackup that can influence the behavior of the Virtual I/O slots.

    NetBackup up does not directly 'Inventory' a library. Instead it queries the library and waits to be told what tapes (barcodes) are located in which element address (slots/ drives). If NetBackup 'cannot see' a particular cartridge(s) it is because the library is 'hiding' the location, not because of any setting within NetBackup.

    For the logical library, we set 'Queued Exports' to HIDE from within the IBM web console on the library. Running an inventory then causes the tapes to be added to the logical library and not left in the virtual I/O ports.

    Robtest is a useful tool for checking what cartridges/ positions of cartridges that the library is allowing NetBackup to use. At no time, will the IBM 3500 series library allow Netbackup to directly access the virtual I/O slots. This can be demonstrated but the fact that the robtest ' s p ' (show ports) command will only ever show the contents of the physical CAP/ MAP.

    To obtain further assistance or details regarding this library setting, Symantec recommends to contact IBM.

     

     

    I suspect the librray is putting the tapes in to the virtual I/O slots, which will make them invisible to NBU.

     

    All the auto_update does is send a signal to NBU to tell it to run an inventory.  Can't remember which log this is detected in, but I suspect it is ltid/robots log - either this signal is now not being sent, or, it is, but the tapes are 'hidden'.

     

    One way to check, run robtest

    then

    s s

    Do you see the tape in the output ?

     

    If you do not, it is a robot issue.

     

    Martin

     

  • mph999's avatar
    mph999
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    OK, you should see something like this in the robots log

    tld_main: detected a unit attention, run vmupdate

    Turning on ALMS does all a few things, it allows partitioning of the library and activates the virtual I/O slots.

    I can't remember for sure, but I think you have to allocate barcode ranges to a particular virtual partition (even if there is only one) - so unless this is done, it could be another reason for NBU not to see the tapes.

    At the end of the day, NetBackup does not inventory anything, ever ..

    Simply, it asks the library where the tapes are, and the library tells NBU.

    If the tapes do not appear in NBU after an inventory, it is because the library has not told NBU about them.

    Martin

  • Michael_G_Ander's avatar
    Michael_G_Ander
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    Thanks for the replies

    In our case master, robot control host and admin console host is the same machine (active node of the cluster)

    We have a Cartridge Assigment Policy in place and looking in the robot Web interface it seems to work

    If we run a Inventory robot, Update volume configuration and check Empty media access port .. we get the tapes loaded into Netbackup

    Have Exports to Show, which apparently is some of the issue. Have created the log directories and change Exports to Hide on the logical library. Can not recycle device manager right now as there are still running backups

     

     

     

     

  • Michael_G_Ander's avatar
    Michael_G_Ander
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    Checked Enable Reporting of Unit Attentions for All New Assignments in All Other LTO Volsers policy. This seems have helped. But is not quite sure yet. Will update when I am sure either way

  • Michael_G_Ander's avatar
    Michael_G_Ander
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    Is now pretty sure that Check of  Enable Reporting of Unit Attentions for All New Assignments in All Other LTO Volsers policy has made the auto_update_robot function like we wanted.