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Disk to tape failing to append even though tape is appendable.

P_Dusome
Level 3

After incremental backup the job is set to Duplicate to tape (D2T). The storage setting is:

Append to media, overwrite tape if no appendable media is available.

The destination is an autoloader partition consisting of two tapes, between the two is 2.73 TB free, with well over 1 TB free on each tape.  The backup is 39 GB in size.

The date is March 5.  the allocate dates are March 3/3,3/4. Overwrite Protection till 3/18, 3/19.  Appendable till 3/17, 1/18.

On day one, the first tape (overwriteable) is used.  On day two the second tape (overwriteable) is used. On day three when the D2T runs, it prompts for overwritable media, ignoring the "instruction" to append.  Why?

Print Screens attached.

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pkh
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So just to clarify, append never happens to second tape?  How stupid is that?

Yes. BE will never append to a second tape and no, it is not stupid.  It would be stupid to append to the second tape because this will extend the protection period for the second tape and tie up the tape for a longer period than necessary.

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pkh
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See my article below on some common reasons.

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/why-my-job-not-appending-data-my-tapes

If you are running multiple jobs, take note of the portion dealing with overlapping jobs.

P_Dusome
Level 3

Thanks PKH for the quick and thoughtful response.  I don't believe that overlap is the case.  The schedule is such that there are no overlaps.  Additionally, I attempted to rerun the D2T, multiple times the next day, while no other tasks were in play.

As additional info, the autoloader is an 8 slot device.  The slots 3 & 4 are dedicated, as a partition, to this job.  New tapes are dropped in on Monday.  On Monday night tape 3 was used.  On Tuesday night tape 4 was used.  It was on Wednesday night that the error occurred.  Any possible connection to your article reason #2? "The job will only append to the first tape."

That wouldn't make sense to me. Isn't the partition of two slots seen as a single object?  Also, I believe I've appended to this partition before.  My only recent change was to replace the Synthetic full backup with a "real" full as the Synthetic full was slower than real full.

I don't suppose there's a detailed log somewhere that gives the actual reason why the media is unacceptable...

Thanks for your input.

 

pkh
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Isn't the partition of two slots seen as a single object?

No. Each tape is dealt with as individual tape. BE will only spend to the first tape. It will overwrite the second and subsequent tapes. It could be that your job spend too the first tape and then overwrite the second tape. Check your job log to see which tapes are used

P_Dusome
Level 3

I had it backwards above but, I should think no big deal.  On Monday night tape 4 was used. On Tuesday night tape 3 was used.  Per the print screen, lots of space to handle a 39 GB append. 

pkh
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Don't assume anything. Check the job log to see which tapes are used and in which sequence

P_Dusome
Level 3

On Monday the job says:
No appendable media could be mounted.
Switching to overwrite operation on scratch media.

It uses FDY968L5 in Slot 4.


On Tuesday, the Job log says:
No appendable media could be mounted.
Switching to overwrite operation on scratch media.

It uses FDY967L5 in slot 3.

After this backup, the tape in slot 3 was exported.  I must have had an error in the job which I corrected the next day.  But even though the tape was "Exported" it was still in the slot.  Maybe the append would have happened on Wednesday night if the tape was physically removed and popped back in.

Because of my rerun and last night's job, there are two backup sets on tape 3, so it is appending.  I think the situation is resolved, though I'm not clear on what physically happened with the tape.  I am about 500 KM (300 Miles) from the site and have never seen the autoloader.

So just to clarify, append never happens to second tape?  How stupid is that?

pkh
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So just to clarify, append never happens to second tape?  How stupid is that?

Yes. BE will never append to a second tape and no, it is not stupid.  It would be stupid to append to the second tape because this will extend the protection period for the second tape and tie up the tape for a longer period than necessary.

P_Dusome
Level 3

I cant agree that a tape that's been used once and has 20 GB on it and says it's appendable should not actually be appendale just because it's the second tape,

In the least the tape should no be displayed as appendable.

Thanks for your help.