Import prompts to load media in portal, but it's already there

[JRV]

BEWS 12.5 SP2 & current hotfixes, Dell ML6000 library.

I want to schedule an Import job to import blank tapes to particular slots. When I do, I get this message--

Log Name: Application
Source: Backup Exec
Date: 7/13/2009 1:41:03 PM
Event ID: 58060
Task Category: None
Level: Information
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: <computername>
Description:
Backup Exec Alert: Media Intervention
(Server: "<SERVERNAME>") (Job: "Import Slot 28") Please insert media into the portal.

Respond OK to acknowledge.
Respond Cancel to cancel the operation.

KB offers this article: http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/252422.htm. However, there is no "specific tape" involved; this is new, scratch media, and 2 tapes are inserted in the portal. Does that mean I can only use the library to import new media, not BEWS?

[Abhijit_Soman]

Using BEWS you can import the medias.

BEWS is sending SCSI command to library to import media and library execute the command and give an instructions to library arm.

Only thing is that you need to configure I/E (import / export) slot in the library.

[Larry_Fine]

That KB article refers to a specific situation that is requesting a specific media.  The alert that the import job issues is generic and simply indicates that the portal has been unlocked and you may now insert the desired media in the portal.

[JRV]

The drive has an import/export magazine with 5 or 6 slots (can't recall). 2 new tapes are in the slots when I issue the command from BEWS.

Here's what I'm trying to do: When I pull the 2 monthly archive tapes that BEWS successfully exports to the import/export magazine, I drop in 2 new tapes. Later, a scheduled job runs to import the new tapes, or if I've forgotten to put the tapes in the magazine, sends me an error notification to remind me to do it. But the notification I get is to insert the tapes.

Is it possible to have BEWS just import the tapes it finds?

[Larry_Fine · Accepted solution]

You should be able to configure BE to automatically respond to the Media Intervention alert, although that may interfere when trying to do a manual import/export.
http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/309832.htm

Just make sure that the exported tapes are removed from the portal before running the import job, otherwise it is possible that the freshly exported tapes will be re-imported, rather than the blank tapes.  If both sets of tapes are in the portal at the same time, the blank tapes to be imported must be in the lower slot numbers.

[JRV]

Larry, that did the trick.

Now I just need to reconsider the advisability of doing this in light of the possibility of re-importing the exported tapes! As much granular control over media as BE offers, I guess there's always room for more. Like being able to specify in the Import job to select only scratch or overwritable media.

But since I have I/E 6 slots, and only 2 are needed for the export, I guess the strategy will be to make sure slots 1-4 always contain tapes. That's a 2-month supply so it shouldn't be too hard to stay on top of. At least until data growth requires 3 or more archive tapes.

[MrVJTod]

I've got a similar configuration as Jeff's original post.
BEWS 12.5 SP2 & current hotfixes, Quantum i500 library with 6 I/E slots.

I've followed the suggestion to enable AutoResponses via the AutoResponse Wizard/

I've created an Import job.

But I still get this popup that never auto-clears.

   Event ID: 58060
    Backup Exec Alert: Media Intervention

From what I can see, the Wizard enabled AutoReplies for these four events

   Event ID: 58061
    Backup Exec Alert: Media Insert
   Event ID: 58062
    Backup Exec Alert: Media Overwrite
   Event ID: 58063
    Backup Exec Alert: Media Remove
   Event ID: 58064
    Backup Exec Alert: Library Insert

But the Wizard doesn't enable or cover the Media Intervention Alert

   Event ID: 58060
    Backup Exec Alert: Media Intervention

And the four alerts that are enabled for AutoReply seem to be nested inside the Media Intervention Alert

   Event ID: 58060
    Backup Exec Alert: Media Intervention : Remove Media
   Event ID: 58060
    Backup Exec Alert: Media Intervention : Insert Media

We run our process weekly and I can have anywhere from 1 to 6 tapes to import.

This is frustrating that I have to baby-sit my backup software to make sure it imports the tapes.
 

[MrVJTod]

I'm pretty sure this isn't a supported configuration, but it works for me.
And I no longer have to sit around and click "OK" every couple minutes while my import is running.  I'll just get an email when it fails or succeeds.

Create a backup of your database before you try this.

If you break your database, I can't help you and Symantec probably won't either.

I connected to the BEDB database and looked for tables that might have alert information.

select * from sysobjects where name like '%alert%' and xtype='U'

After querying the resuting tables, it seemed logical that my EventID:58060 was in the AlertMapping table

select * from AlertMapping where eventid between 58050 and 58070

There is obviously a Timeout column, but I don't see a column to enable "Automatically Clear Alert" or to UnLock this disabled option. 
So, "Automatically Clear Alert" must be buried in the OptionFlags column.

Using a bitwise AND of the four alerts that I do know are enabled, I XOR'd against my EventID:58060, the one I know is not enabled.

select (
    (select OptionFlags from AlertMapping where EventID=58061) &
    (select OptionFlags from AlertMapping where EventID=58062) &
    (select OptionFlags from AlertMapping where EventID=58063) &
    (select OptionFlags from AlertMapping where EventID=58064)
    ) ^ (select OptionFlags from AlertMapping where EventID=58060)

Luckily, the result for me was 8, a single bit, so bit 8 must be the bit to enable "Automatically Clear Alert".  At least I hope it does.

So, I set my timeout and enabled the bit to "Automatically Clear Alert" after 1 minutes.

update AlertMapping set timeout=1, OptionFlags=(OptionFlags | 8) where eventid = 58060

I then restarted my "Backup Exec Server" Service.

First, I checked Alerts->Configure Alert Categories.
Hooray : Media Intervention still shows disabled for Edit, but it also shows "Automatically Clear Alert" after 1 minutes.

Next, I ran my Import job.
The Popup showed up, but also Auto cleared after about a minute.
Hooray.

My job is set to run for approximately 30 minutes and then quit.

[MrVJTod]

The real test will be next Tuesday when my import is scheduled to run automatically.

[MrVJTod]

This past Tuesday at 5pm, my import automatically started and 4 tapes were imported and inventoried.

Hooray!