Prompting for overwritable media, job set to append?

[leonstr]

Hello,

I've got a job stuck with status "Queued" and I'm being prompted with:

Please insert overwritable media into the robotic library using the import command.

Overwritable media includes scratch, blank, and recyclable media. Please note that depending on the current Media Overwrite Protection setting, imported and allocated media may be overwritable as well. Consult the online help for more information on overwritable media.

The job is set to "Append to media, overwrite if no appendable media is available".

There are two tapes available in the library:

1. Tape A: Overwrite protected, appendable
2. Tape B: Overwrite protected, not appendable

From the job status, no bytes have been processed so the job hasn't started on another tape (i.e. it's not spanning media).

Can anyone explain why I'm being prompted for overwritable media and why it won't write to the appendable tape?

Thanks,

Leon

[Kiran_Bandi]

Is the appendable media belongs to correct media set, at which the job is targeted? Regards....

[leonstr]

Kiran: Both tapes are in the same media set which is the correct set for the job.

[Kiran_Bandi]

Are there any partitions configured in the library? If yes, is the appendable tape present in correct partition? Regards....

[leonstr]

There are no partitions configured in the library. (Thanks for replying BTW).

[pkh]

Go to Tools ---> Options ----> Media Management and check that the Overwrite Protection is set to at least Partial.  If this is set to None, then your OPP will not apply.

[leonstr]

"Media overwrite protection level" is set to Partial. "Prompt before overwriting imported media" is not checked.

[pkh]

What the media set targeted by the job and what media set does the tapes belong to?  If they are different, then your situation is understandable.  The job looks for appendable media in the targeted media set.  Since the tapes are in another media set, it will look for overwriteable tapes.

[leonstr]

pkh: Please see my reply to the first comment. Both tapes are in the media set specified by the job. I've checked this in the job history window of the queued job.

[Colin_Weaver]

Was the first media already active against a diffrent backup job when the backup job started that requested overwritable media?

[leonstr]

Colin: The job currently queueing has a start time of before the job that last wrote to the appendable tape. I guess that would explain it?

[Colin_Weaver]

Ahh OK so now I am wondering if that tape was not actually appendable at the start of thhe 1st job and only became appendable after the second job finished. Once a job has switched to asking for an Overwriteable - it won't change back if an appendable tape is made available even if it is still waiting for the overwritable tape.

So if a sequence starts with:

Only available tape is Not Overwritable or Appendable.

Then Job 1 Tries to start an Append, can't find Appendable Media and changes to Overwrite, but can't find Overwritable Media either, then the job will queue with an insert overwritable request.

Then assume maybe an hour later the overwrite protection period ends on the media, but no one acknowledges the insert alert - I think the job will still queue.

Then say an hour later again Job 2 starts it will overwrite the media and leave it appendable but not overwritable.

Then when you come in the next day you will see something similar to your description.

EDIT: Be carefull with Overwrite protection periods as they start at the end of the last job to use the tape, so if you want a weekly overwrite don't set 1 week, set 6 days (or maybe 6.5 days in hours) to allow for the time the job takes to run and if you intend appending to the tape a day later then subtract 24 hours from the overwrite protection for each daily append.