Backup Exec 2010 R3 SP2 with 2 different tape drives in robotic library

[Didi]

Ok guys, here we go ...

We are using an HP MSL2024 tape library with an LTO5 drive and an LTO3 drive (formerly there was just an LTO3 drive and everything worked fine). The library offers 24 Slots for which I configured partitions, which means Slot 1-12 is one partition and 13-24 is the other partition.

In the 'Device Pools' overview, I can now see 'All Devices' where I removed the LTO5- and LTO3-drive and the following devices ...

... MSL2024 [0001..0012] and the assigned LTO5-drive

... MSL2024 [0012..0024] and the assigned LTO3-drive

(Just to let you know, Slot 1-11 is filled with LTO4 tapes and Slot 12 with a Cleaning Tape, Slot 12-23 is filled with LTO3 tapes and Slot 24 with a Cleaning Tape)

So now, I thought the LTO5-drive is reponsible for Slot 0001..0012 and the LTO3-drive for Slot 0013..0024 but when I initiate an Inventory on ...

MSL2024 [0001..0012]

both tape drives are used for the Inventory process.

A job that should use LTO3 tapes from MSL2024 [0013..0024] failed at the weekend, I had to disable the LTO5-drive, so that the job ran fine.

What am I doing wrong or better said ... is it possible to use 2 different tape drives in a library with tapes, that can't be used in one of the tape drives?

Your help is much appreciated.

Regards,

DiWi

[Didi]

I did reply to the wrong post :) See my reply downwards!

[pkh]

Unfortunately I was off the forum when you started this discussion.  My article below could have saved you a lot of time.

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/how-use-barcode-labels-prevent-accidental-readwrite-wrong-type-tapes

Using partitions would not help in your situation.

[Didi]

Thanks for the heads up! I have removed the 'Configured Partitions' and am just working with the Bar Code Rules and Properties of the tape drives.

Now, I will examine, if things are going well that way!

The only thing that irritates me, is the fact, that when I start an inventory (well, obviously not necessary, cause I use bar code labels for the different tape media with L3 and L4 suffix) the BE2010 reports that 2 drives are active, though I have only selected LTO3 tape media and that makes me think, that the MSL2024 ist trying to put LTO3 media in the LTO5 tape-drive, though I told via properties, that the LTO5 tape drive should only accept LTO4 and LTO5 and the LTO3 tape drive should only accept LTO3 tape media?

Well, in fact BE2010 reports activity (In use) on the LTO5-drive under the Devices-tab?

Strange behavior in BE2010, the job runs without errors now!

[Didi]

Hello pkh,

it's me again ;) I am still confused about the fact, that inventory jobs run on both tape drives (LTO5+LTO3), allthough I explicitly selected only xxxxxxL5 tapes, which (according to the properties of the LTO5 and LTO3 drive) should only be inserted into the LTO5 drive.

I observed the whole thing and got to the conclusion that both drives are used for the inventory (that's why they both show 'In use'). The job completes sucessfully.

I tell you what is in my slots. From Slot 1 to Slot 12 I have 000001L4 to 000012L4 tape media, from Slot 13 to Slot 23 I have 000001L3 to 000011L3 tape media inserted. Slot 24 is marked as a Slot for Cleaning Tapes.

Now in the Device tab I select Slot 1 to Slot 12 and tell BE2010 to make an inventory. Obviously, inventory jobs are always done on a library basis, so that BE2010 tells the MSL2024 to inventory the slots.

Now I suppose, I just need to insert my L3 and L4 media into the library, just do a SCAN job and that's it. No need for any more INVENTORY jobs, right?

In a job, I am able to explicitly choose a drive for the job and the library just puts L4 media into my LTO5-drive and automatically chooses L3 media for jobs, which explicitly use the LTO3 drive, right?

But when I explicitly initiate an INVENTORY job on a specific slot or a range of slot (even, when in those range of slot all media is L4), the library still uses both drives for inventory, right?

I can see that, during inventory jobs, the LTO5 drive (which is the first drive in the library) takes the media from Slot 1 and the LTO3 drive takes the media from Slot 2 and so on. So in the first minutes, I can see Slot 1, Slot 3, Slot 5 etc. being read, the other slots are done afterwards, because the LTO3 drive can't read LTO4 media. I can't prevent that behavior!

Regards

Didi

[pkh]

In the first place, when you use barcode labels, you don't have to inventory your tapes.  The purpose of doing an inventory is to identify the tape.  When you do an inventory, the tape is placed in the drive and the physical tape label is read so that BE knows what tape it is.  This is required for tapes not using barcode labels because externally there is no way to identify the tape.  For tapes which uses barcode labels, the barcode label is the same as the physical tape label, so when you do a scan it is equivalent to doing an inventory.   Being able to scan is one big advantage of using barcode labels.  Scanning is faster and has less wear and tear on your tapes and tape drive.

I don't understand why you are still doing inventory and worrying about its consequences.  Since I switched over to barcode labels, I have not done a single inventory.

I think the important thing for you to worry about is whether the wrong media type got used in the wrong drive, e.g. your LTO5 tape trying to write to LTO3 tapes.

BTW, why are you using LTO4 tapes when you have a LTO5 tape drive.  Shouldn't you be using LTO5 tapes?

[Didi]

Quote:

In the first place, when you use barcode labels, you don't have to inventory your tapes.  The purpose of doing an inventory is to identify the tape

Reply:

Yes, since we are talking about that here, I am now aware about the fact, that INVENTORY is unnecessary now ;) I was always wondering, why I see the barcode labels in BE2010 after filling the library and my colleagues (originally starting with the library) always did an INVENTORY, though using barcode labels :)

Quote:

BTW, why are you using LTO4 tapes when you have a LTO5 tape drive.  Shouldn't you be using LTO5 tapes?

Reply:

Simply because LTO5 tape media is still too expensive but we might use them next year and don't need to change the drive anymore ;)

Again, thanks for opening my eyes and for letting me know, how my problem can be solved and how to save more time!

Best regards,

Didi

[Stas_Krasovsky]

I dont believe I saw anyone mention this but if it has been im sorry.

Go into the properties of the LTO3 drive and go to the media types tab

Remove Read/Write from the LTO 4 and LTO 5. Now your LTO3 drive should only read LTO3 and lower tapes and you wont have any problems with your inventory or backups.

[Didi]

Hi Stas,

it was mentioned before and I also mentioned that I changed the properties of the different LTO tape drives here. The unneccessary INVENTORY runs fine but nevertheless both drives are used to make the inventory, as PKH already mentioned, as the drive cannot identify the tape without the media being inserted.

Therefore, the SCAN job is sufficient, as it reads the barcode labesl and if those end with a suffix of L3 for the LTO3 tape media and with a suffix of L4 for the LTO4 tape media, then the library robotic puts only the correct tape media into the drives (as they are configured) and this works.

In a job, you can configure, which drive to use for the job and the robotic inserts the right media. If you don't have any more L3 media for the LTO3 tape drive, the job won't run, as LTO4 media is not inserted, cannot be used, as the drive doesn't support it and as this media is deselected as well!

For the LTO5 tape drive, only LTO4 media is allowed at the moment, so jobs that seek for tape media won't find one, if there is no more LTO4 media available and LTO3 media won't be inserted, as the drive is not allowed to use LTO3 media! That's simple now.

I will no longer initiate an INVENTORY job, as it's time consuming and as the job is done from the robotic library cause we always use barcode labels.

Regards,

Didi