Forum Discussion

AlGon's avatar
AlGon
Level 6
14 years ago

Netbackup Barcode length

Hello,

Barcode confusion,

Netbackup 7.1 Enterprise – Windows Server 2003

We want to start using custom barcodes for each sites robotic tape library.  These are new sites and new libraries.

We would like each custom barcode to start with a three letter site code so that when the library is inventoried the tape is placed into a site specific volume pool.

Now, the supplier’s sent us a demo label which displays the custom site code but they have also included the tape type code making the overall barcode more than 10 alphanumeric characters in total i.e. – ABC00001L4. 

Will Netbackup be able to read all 10 or is 8 the limit for a barcode?

I’m intending on setting up the media ID generation rule to use the last 6 characters i.e. in the above example it would be 0001L4.

 

Cheers

7.1.x and Earlier
Backing Up
Backup and Recovery
Basics
NetBackup
  • Stephane_COLIN's avatar
    Stephane_COLIN
    14 years ago

    First, a MEDIAID is limited to 6 characters on NetBackup.

     

    Find below 2 technotes for this need

    Unix (it's a better definition) / http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO32822

    Windows / http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO33900

     

    Apply the Unix methode, on Robot Inventory interface --> robot inventory option --> Media ID...

    For your barcode, i suggest this :

    Bar code on tape = ABC00001L4

    Media ID generation rule = 3:4:5:6:7:8

    Generated media ID = C00001

     

    Warning, if you have 2 media "ABC00001L4" and "BBC00001L4", your have a conflict (same mediaID for NetBackup "C00001"), and NetBackup does not work correctly (media frozen, restore failed, new backup overwrite another backup == lost back image, ...).

    Buy a barcodes with a 8 lenght, for example "A00000L4", for your tranquility and data integrity

     

     

    Stéphane COLIN

    C-Storage

  • JHeaton's avatar
    JHeaton
    Level 6
    14 years ago

    I may be wrong, but I think you're going to need to include the first 3 characters in your media ID generation.  There's only one database for media IDs, so you need those first 3 characters, or you're going to have duplicate media IDs, which is a really bad thing.

     

    As far as barcode length, from Netbackup Administrator's Guide, Vol. 1: Windows, page 345:

     

    "The maximum bar code length that NetBackup supports depends on the type of robot."

    "See the NetBackup Device Configuration Guide."

     

  • Stephane_COLIN's avatar
    Stephane_COLIN
    Level 4
    14 years ago

    First, a MEDIAID is limited to 6 characters on NetBackup.

     

    Find below 2 technotes for this need

    Unix (it's a better definition) / http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO32822

    Windows / http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO33900

     

    Apply the Unix methode, on Robot Inventory interface --> robot inventory option --> Media ID...

    For your barcode, i suggest this :

    Bar code on tape = ABC00001L4

    Media ID generation rule = 3:4:5:6:7:8

    Generated media ID = C00001

     

    Warning, if you have 2 media "ABC00001L4" and "BBC00001L4", your have a conflict (same mediaID for NetBackup "C00001"), and NetBackup does not work correctly (media frozen, restore failed, new backup overwrite another backup == lost back image, ...).

    Buy a barcodes with a 8 lenght, for example "A00000L4", for your tranquility and data integrity

     

     

    Stéphane COLIN

    C-Storage

  • JHeaton's avatar
    JHeaton
    Level 6
    14 years ago

    Or, you could do like we're planning, have 8 character barcodes, first three letters for site code, then 3 numbers.  Of course, you'd be going into this with the realization of only having 999 usable tapes, but in our situation, that's not going to be an issue.

  • AlGon's avatar
    AlGon
    Level 6
    14 years ago

    Thanks you for all you suggestions

    So if the Library can recognize10 characters for the barcode am I right to say the Netbackup will be able to as well?  I’ll make do with having 8 as it is more likely to be recognized if the tape needs to read in another library, I was just curious.  

    Also, do you have to have L1 or L3, L4 at the end of a barcode to Identify tape type?

     

    Cheers