Multiple Cleaning Tapes

[BusterBee]

I have a library

I have two slots ID'd as cleaning media.

I have a clean tape in each slot.

When a clean is called for, it always pulls from the same cleaning slot.

If that tape has max'd cleanings, it does not recognize or attempt to use the 2nd one.

Is it not functional / possible to have two cleaning slots?

The intent is that it doesn't force manual intervention immediately, when slot 1 is used up, go to slot 2. That provide plenty of time to cycle in a new cleaning tape so two are always available.

[Kiran_Bandi]

Same kind of a query here: https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/backup-exec-exceeding-limit-cleaning-mounts-defined-slot-user

Admin guide also do not have any information about having more than one cleaning slot. 

If that tape has max'd cleanings, it does not recognize or attempt to use the 2nd one.

Is it throwing any error like maximum nuber of cleaning for cleaning tape 1 exceeded?

If not, for testing purpose you can try out one thing . Change the maximum number of cleanings to half (as you defined two cleaning slots) of the present value (let's say N) and see if BE picks the second cleaning tape after using first cleaning tape for N number of cleanings. Hope i am not complicating things here!

Unfortunately i do not have any BE test setup with library. Otherwise i could have tried it out.

[pkh]

If you would check the properties of the slot of the tape that is used, you would find that the cleaning slot checkbox is checked.  This designate the slot as a cleaning slot and you can only have 1 cleaning slot per library.  BE will always use the tape in the cleaning slot.  If you want to use your second cleaning tape, you would have to move it to this cleaning slot.

I don't know how often you clean your tape drive.  There are two school of thoughts on cleaning.  

1) Clean often so that you would not have dirty head.  

2) Clean only when the library asked to be clean because the cleaning tape is abrasive and will wear out the tape head.

[Gurvinder]

Refer : http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH202332