Automatic Robot Inventory & 2 Media density's in one volume pool

[Ira_Brock]

Hi,

2 Questions actually…

Question #1

When I enter media in to my load ports on my robot, it remains there until I go in Netbackup and tell the robot to run an inventory with the “Empty media access port prior to update” checkbox checked.  It then, after tell it to update the volume configuration, moves the media from the load port in to actual library slots.

I was hoping there was a way in Netbackup 6.0 MP4 to automate this process, so when I put media back in the robot, Netbackup would automatically move it in to a regular robot slot and out of the load ports.

I believe there is a way within Netbackup to do this, because it did it just fine when we were running Netbackup 5.1 MP6.  Ever since we upgraded it no longer does this step for me.  I am curious if I missed a step in my set up.

Question #2

I have one media server with 2 attached robots.  Each robot has a different media density.  (One is LTO2 and the other robot has LTO3).  During daily backups, I put each density in to one volume pool named “offsite_tapes”.  I then try to vault these tapes, but Netbackup only vaults one density in one robot and ignores the other robot, leaving all the LTO2 tapes in the robot and they do not show up on the media ejection report.  They are also left in the old media pool “offsite_tapes” and not moved to the new pool with the other density.  Any ideas?

Thanks,

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Philipp_Burath]

Hi Ira,

1) I'm using 5.1MP6 and I use a cron job (Unix Master Server) to run an in-ject at 6pm, as the library doesn't do an automatic inject:

0 18 * * 1-5 /usr/openv/volmgr/bin/vmupdate -rt tld -rn 4 -rh drwbs1 -full -empty_map | /usr/ucb/Mail -s "ADIC Scalar 100 xxx Library Inventory" nbu-admins

I'm assuming you could do the same thing if the Master server was a windows box with a scheduled task.

2) Each robot should have a "Volume Group" name for the Media in that Library. For example our library has one volume group: "00_000_TLD"  for LTO2 and "01_000_TLD"  for LTO.

We have seperate vault jobs for LTO ejects and LTO2 ejects, as when setting up the "Vault", you set the "Robotic Volume Group", which references the Volume Groups mentioned above and ejects either LTO or LTO2.

We also have seperate offsite pools for Offsite_LTO and Offsite_LTO2.

Not sure if this is exactly the same in Netbackup 6 sorry...

Regards

Philipp
============================================
Philipp Burath
IT Systems Analyst
ConocoPhillips Australia
Perth, WA 6005
Phone: +61 8 6363 3004 or +61 8 6363 2607
Email: philipp.burath@conocophillips.com
============================================

[sdo]

Hi Ira,

Page 385 of v5.1 Media Management Sys Admin Guide for Unix covers use of:

AUTO_UPDATE_ROBOT

...option in the Volume Manager "vm.conf" file.

Regards,

Dave.

AUTO_UPDATE_ROBOT

If this entry is specified in the vm.conf file of the media server with a TL8 or TLD robotic control daemon, the Media Access Port (MAP) of the robot will be emptied into the robotic library and the volume database will be updated.

This entry only operates with TL8 or TLD robots that post a unit attention when their MAP has been opened. Since most robotic libraries with multiple partitions do not post a unit attention when the MAP has been accessed, using this entry is not recommended with partitioned libraries.

[Ira_Brock]

I apoligize, I forgot to mention that my media server is a Windows box and not Unix.

I still have issues with ejecting tapes in vault jobs.  I understand what you are talking about when you say I have to specify the correct Volume Group in the Vault job, but I can not find where to do this.  I created two vaults and two pools like you had recommended, but the vault job still does not eject any tapes because it is pointed to the incorrect volume group.  With NBU 6.0 MP4 do you know how to alter the volume group?

I will continue to look through the settings to see if I can find it anywhere.

Thanks for your help,

Ira

[Ira_Brock]

Please disregard my last post.  I have figured it out.  I needed to create an entirely new "Vault" dedicated to that robot.  This could not be changed within the actual policy, but at a higher level.

Now I just need to figure out how to auto catalog tapes when they are entered on a Windows box :)

[sdo]

Hi Ira,

Did you try AUTO_UPDATE_ROBOT?

Regards,

Dave.

[Ira_Brock]

Hi David,

Yes, I did put "AUTO_UPDATE_ROBOT" in the vm.conf file found in <Install Path>\Volmgr.  (Windows). It worked like magic.  I got to test it for the first time this morning.  As soon as I shut the robot(s) load port door, it began to auto inventory itself AND moved the tapes in to regular slots within the robot.  That was exactly what I was looking for and makes my job routine easier each morning now.  Thank you so much for showing me that.

That answers both of my questions.  Thank you guys for your help on this.  I think I finally have my backups system exactly where I want it for the time being.

Thanks again,

Ira Brock