Forum Discussion

Kasra_Hashemi's avatar
2 months ago

The restoration process is stalled

Hello everyone,

I have an HP MSL 8096 LTO4 tape library, and the cartridge barcode IDs follow this format: PW1234. I am currently in the process of restoring a backup from 5 years ago, and the "image1" file contains the log and progress details of this restoration procedure. From the log, it appears that the media server is attempting to locate a media with the ID PW5060. Although the media is physically loaded into the library, the media server is unable to find it due to a slight discrepancy between the "Media ID" and "Barcode" fields. The barcode field reads PW5060, while the Media ID is listed as 5060L4. Could this variance between the two identifiers be the cause of the restoration error?

Windows : 2016

Master Server : 10.0.0.1

Media Server : 8.0

 

 

  • You have: 

    Barcode.        MediaID
    PW5060L4     5060L4  HCART TLD Active 0. <<< Delete this tape from NetBackup
    PW5060         PW5060 HCART  NONE 12333339

    If the barcode is different, even though the tape is obviously the same, it is treated as a different tape.

    The top tape have 0 bytes so is empty - just delete it so it disappears.

    The 2nd tape in the list is the one we want, we see from job details

    Media needed  PW5060

    The problem is, this is showing as NONE, so according to NetBackup it is not in the library.
    This is usually easily rectified, by running an inventory, it would then appear as TLD with an associated slot number.  However what I think is happening (based on the first entry above) is that the library settings have been changed, and the barcode is now displayed as all 8 characters, when previously it was only 6.  Because of this, it is treated as a new tape - we see this as it has a slot number and shows as TLD, whereas the tape we really want is showing as NONE (ie. NetBackup thinks the tape is not in the library (non-robotic))

    NetBackup has no control over the barcode, it simply asks the library ‘what tapes do you have’ and the library sends across the info,  (it is a massive misconception that NetBackup ‘looks’ in the library during an inventory, 100% wrong, it asks and is told - there is a massive difference). 

    There are two options:

    Method 1

    1.  Delete the tape with barcode PW5060L4 (it has 0 bytes so should be ‘scratch’)
    2.  vmchange -barcode PW5060L4 -m PW5060

    1. Run inventory

      This will make the 2nd tape above have the barcode that the library is displaying to NBU, it will then be assigned a slot number and the restore should work.

      OR, method 2

      1.  Delete the tape with barcode PW5060L4 (it has 0 bytes so should be ‘scratch’)
      2.  In the library settings, change the characters in the barcode from all 8 to the first 6

      ( I am not sure how this is done on a HP library, it will be an option somewhere in the library console, in the tech note I mentioned (https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.100048567  ) I show how to do it on a Quantum library, HP will have a similar setting (all libraries work basically the same way).

    1. Run inventory

      What will happen, is that the library will tell NetBackup about tape with barcode PW5060 and NOT PW5060L4, NetBackup will then match this to the tape it already knows about with Medicaid PW5060

      What you need to determine is what the other tapes show their barcode as because you could get this issue on other tapes in the future.  If only this one tape is affected then the 2nd method is more suitable.  If all the tapes are affected then method 1.

      Ultimately, NBU hold a database of the tapes, these days it's all part of the NBDB / 'EMM' database, but historically (back from pre NBU 6.0) it was known as the volume db - you need to ensure that the barcode in the NetBackup DB matches what the library is displaying to NetBackup.  You either change the library, or change the barcode of each tape as I have shown above.

      If you run :

      robust , then <select library> if you have more than one
      s s.    (= show slots)

      This will send a scsi command to the library that makes it display the tapes/ slots - the barcode shown, is what would be sent to NetBackup if you ran a real inventory.  Changing the way the library displays the barcode in the library console, would change how the barcode is displayed in the 's s' command. (note:  be sure to exit robust)

  • Let me describe the whole issue again :

    The Media server needs a tape with PW5060 barcode ID in order to be able to restore the backup( Image 1 )  , the required tape is inside the tape device but Media server has recognized it with different format which is 5060L4.( image 3).

    Image 1 :

    ---

    Image 1

    Image 2 

    ----

    Image 2

    Image 3

    -----

    Image 3

     

  • You have: 

    Barcode.        MediaID
    PW5060L4     5060L4  HCART TLD Active 0. <<< Delete this tape from NetBackup
    PW5060         PW5060 HCART  NONE 12333339

    If the barcode is different, even though the tape is obviously the same, it is treated as a different tape.

    The top tape have 0 bytes so is empty - just delete it so it disappears.

    The 2nd tape in the list is the one we want, we see from job details

    Media needed  PW5060

    The problem is, this is showing as NONE, so according to NetBackup it is not in the library.
    This is usually easily rectified, by running an inventory, it would then appear as TLD with an associated slot number.  However what I think is happening (based on the first entry above) is that the library settings have been changed, and the barcode is now displayed as all 8 characters, when previously it was only 6.  Because of this, it is treated as a new tape - we see this as it has a slot number and shows as TLD, whereas the tape we really want is showing as NONE (ie. NetBackup thinks the tape is not in the library (non-robotic))

    NetBackup has no control over the barcode, it simply asks the library ‘what tapes do you have’ and the library sends across the info,  (it is a massive misconception that NetBackup ‘looks’ in the library during an inventory, 100% wrong, it asks and is told - there is a massive difference). 

    There are two options:

    Method 1

    1.  Delete the tape with barcode PW5060L4 (it has 0 bytes so should be ‘scratch’)
    2.  vmchange -barcode PW5060L4 -m PW5060

    1. Run inventory

      This will make the 2nd tape above have the barcode that the library is displaying to NBU, it will then be assigned a slot number and the restore should work.

      OR, method 2

      1.  Delete the tape with barcode PW5060L4 (it has 0 bytes so should be ‘scratch’)
      2.  In the library settings, change the characters in the barcode from all 8 to the first 6

      ( I am not sure how this is done on a HP library, it will be an option somewhere in the library console, in the tech note I mentioned (https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.100048567  ) I show how to do it on a Quantum library, HP will have a similar setting (all libraries work basically the same way).

    1. Run inventory

      What will happen, is that the library will tell NetBackup about tape with barcode PW5060 and NOT PW5060L4, NetBackup will then match this to the tape it already knows about with Medicaid PW5060

      What you need to determine is what the other tapes show their barcode as because you could get this issue on other tapes in the future.  If only this one tape is affected then the 2nd method is more suitable.  If all the tapes are affected then method 1.

      Ultimately, NBU hold a database of the tapes, these days it's all part of the NBDB / 'EMM' database, but historically (back from pre NBU 6.0) it was known as the volume db - you need to ensure that the barcode in the NetBackup DB matches what the library is displaying to NetBackup.  You either change the library, or change the barcode of each tape as I have shown above.

      If you run :

      robust , then <select library> if you have more than one
      s s.    (= show slots)

      This will send a scsi command to the library that makes it display the tapes/ slots - the barcode shown, is what would be sent to NetBackup if you ran a real inventory.  Changing the way the library displays the barcode in the library console, would change how the barcode is displayed in the 's s' command. (note:  be sure to exit robust)

  • Hello Kasra,

    Have you tried adding/Removing the tape library and then inventory? 

    What is the type of your cartridge model HCART or HCART2?

     

    BR

  • tornado1987 
    Yes, I have performed those steps. However, within the Media pool, I notice two entries for each media: one starting with PW (which was previously in the library) and another without PW but ending with L4 (the current one in the library).

     

    • mph999's avatar
      mph999
      Level 6

      This technote explains how barcodes and mediaids work.

      https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.100048567

      The important thing is that the resulting media ID - which is a function of the barcode, how the robot displays the barcode to NetBackup and the media id generation rule is displayed the same as when the media was last labelled.


      • Kasra_Hashemi's avatar
        Kasra_Hashemi
        Level 5

        I changed the Media Rule from #P:#W:3:4:5:6 to 1:2:3:4:5:6 and re-inventory the  robot but nothing has changed and this is the log :

        --------------------------------------------------------------------
        Oct 16, 2024 8:11:34 AM
        Robot: TLD(1) on 
        Operation: Inventory and Update
        EMM Server: 
        --------------------------------------------------------------------
        Generating list of recommended changes ...

        Proposed Change(s) to Update the Volume Configuration
        =====================================================
        Logically move media ID 7775L4 (barcode PW7775L4) from standalone to slot 1.
        Logically move media ID 7698L4 (barcode PW7698L4) from standalone to slot 2.
        Logically move media ID 7906L4 (barcode PW7906L4) from standalone to slot 3.
        Logically move media ID 8147L4 (barcode PW8147L4) from standalone to slot 4.
        Logically move media ID 7788L4 (barcode PW7788L4) from standalone to slot 5.
        Logically move media ID 7699L4 (barcode PW7699L4) from standalone to slot 6.
        Logically move media ID 7843L4 (barcode PW7843L4) from standalone to slot 7.
        Logically move media ID 7765L4 (barcode PW7765L4) from standalone to slot 8.
        Logically move media ID 8041L4 (barcode PW8041L4) from standalone to slot 9.
        Logically move media ID 5059L4 (barcode PW5059L4) from standalone to slot 10.
        Logically move media ID 7913L4 (barcode PW7913L4) from standalone to slot 11.
        Logically move media ID 7700L4 (barcode PW7700L4) from standalone to slot 12.
        Logically move media ID 7917L4 (barcode PW7917L4) from standalone to slot 13.
        Logically move media ID 7580L4 (barcode PW7580L4) from standalone to slot 14.