Forum Discussion

Mastana420's avatar
Mastana420
Level 5
10 years ago

Netbackup robot drive change

Hi

 

We are running Netbackup 7.6.0.4 with Master Server running on 7.6.0.3

It is also attached to a Robotic library.

 

We have recently changed 6 drives in our robotic library. I need to know what the best pratice is for doing the change in Netbackup?

Information is already updated on the robot itself, but need to know how changes are done in Netbackup software.

 

I have already tried following:

 

Devices - Drives and then right click the drive which is changed, and press change... After that i changed it to the correct type.

After restarting the one of the media servers connected to the drive, i get Missing path under Drive path.

So something is not right.

 

Please provide me with the best practice\procedure when changing the drives in the robotic library.

 

 

7.6
Backup and Recovery
Documentation
Linux
Managing Backup Devices
NetBackup
  • revarooo's avatar
    revarooo
    10 years ago
    I always completely delete the drives and rediscover. if they don't all show up run volmgr\bin\scan to check the OS sees them all
  • revarooo's avatar
    revarooo
    Level 6
    10 years ago
    I always completely delete the drives and rediscover. if they don't all show up run volmgr\bin\scan to check the OS sees them all
  • Mastana420's avatar
    Mastana420
    Level 5
    10 years ago

    In that case what will happen to all the jobs? We have changed from old drive to a better drive, and we would like to slowly but surely move jobs over to the new drives. Is`nt there any better way to manage all that in once?

  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    Level 6
    10 years ago
    I agree. Best and easiest is to delete old drives and run the Device wizard again. This is after you have confirmed that the OS sees the devices (use scan to confirm ). Remember that everything about the drive has changed, not just drive type - OS path, serial number, firmware, etc.. etc...
  • sdo's avatar
    sdo
    Moderator
    10 years ago

    Assuming you didn't set a custom name forthe storage unit for the drives in the library, then I would do what revaroo has suggested, and simply run device discovery wizard again - if it's a small environment.

    But as reveroo has said, run a "scan" first to make sure that the OS is revealing all expected drives to NetBackup.  If the required number of tape drives do nt show up via a scan command, then you have an OS configuration issue.

    If all expected drives are found by scan - AND - you don't have a custom name for the storage unit - then run the device discovery wizard - is the simplest option.

    I don't understand what you mean by asking is there a better way than all at once?  The drives have changed right?  So surely multiple things have to change in the config, even if it's just the serial number of the drives, but having said that sometimes even that doesn't have to change either (if your library spoofs the serial numbers of drives).

    What seems to be the problem?

    Are the new drives of the same LTO revision?  Or have they been uplifted, e.g. LTO4 to LTO6 or something?

    Or  LTO5 to LTO6?  What actually changed?  I ask because there may be further steps required re media management, and not just device management.

  • revarooo's avatar
    revarooo
    Level 6
    10 years ago
    just delete the drives that have been replaced. Either way ltid will have to be restarted once you have rediscovered the new drives
  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    Level 6
    10 years ago
    You will need to stop/ suspend all running job. In the same way that you arranged downtime to work on the library, you will need to reboot the server to remove old device entries, detect the new drives, and then you need to install vendor drivers for the new drives. Only then can you update NBU config that will need services to be restarted when you remove and add devices.
  • Mastana420's avatar
    Mastana420
    Level 5
    10 years ago

    Hi

     

    We have a big environment. We have changed the drives from HCART3 to HCART. 7 of them all together.

    I know that master server is detecting the drives. Here is my problem:

    I am using the following method to add the drive, which is using one of the media servers to add the drive.

    When i use wizard to add the drives i get the following error on the new drives:

     

    Limitations : Yes, see properties:

    and in the properties it says. Unable to determine robot type. Drive is standalone or in unknown robot. Robot drive number is unknown.

     

    Is this happening because i am trying to add that drive directly to the mediaserver rather then setting it up with the master server first with shared storage?

     

     

  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    Level 6
    10 years ago

    Before doing anything in NBU, check that 'scan' can see robot and tape drives correctly and that the robot is reporting correct serial numbers for the new drives in their correct robot positions.

    The serial numbers reported by the drives also need to be seen and reported by the robot.

    If proper downtime was not arranged for the drive replacement in the robot, then the robot may not be reporting/seeing the drives correctly.

    Drive replacement normally needs firmware upgrade on the robot, followed by a complete power cycle.

    scan output will tell if robot is seeing new tape drives correctly.

    Please post output.

  • Mastana420's avatar
    Mastana420
    Level 5
    10 years ago

    Marianne. It seems like it is recognizing the drives. I have run the scan and it is showing the drives. However i am not sure if i can post the result here due to sensitive information.