Getting error 98 with NBU

[Pamphile35]

This is the error message I get when I try a tape drive cleaning with netbackup

"STATUS CODE: 98, Backups fail with a status 98 "error requesting media (tpreq)".

The library has three drives: LTO-1, LTO-2 and LTO-3. In fact, I can clean with NBU the first drive without any problem but when i try to clean the other 2 drives with the same cartridge, I get the error message 98. All three drives work well with normal cartridges.

All the drives are hcart3 drive.

The media type for the cleaning tape is HC3_CLN.

The cleaning tape is in the none pool.

[Marianne]

There is no way all tape drives should be hcart3 density. What exactly is actual media type in the robot? (Printed on the cartridge? ) LTO3 drive can read and write LTO3 and LTO2 media but only read LTO1 tapes. LTO2 drives can read and write LTO2 and LTO1 tapes. LTO1 drive can only read and write LTO1 tapes. But in NBU densities MUST match. hcart3 drive can only load hcart3 media. hcart2 media can only load hcart2 media, etc. So, you need to configure each drive type with different density and media to match drive density. Each drive type will then need matching cleaning tapes.

[Pamphile35]

Id  DriveName           Type   Residence
      SCSI coordinates/Path                                            Status
****************************************************************************
0   LTO4-1               hcart3 TLD(1)  DRIVE=1
      {3,0,4,0}                                                        UP
1   LTO4-2               hcart3 TLD(1)  DRIVE=2
      {3,0,6,0}                                                        UP
2   LTO4-3               hcart3 TLD(1)  DRIVE=3
      {3,0,7,0}                                                        UP

As you can see, all the drives are hcart3. I set up the cleaning tape accordingly with the following media type: 1/2 cleaning type 3. It works well with the first drive but not with the second or the third. I get error 98. Since it works with the first drive, I guess I set it right. In your opinion, what would prevent it from working with drive 2 and 3 ? The media we use are ultrium lto 4.

[RonCaplinger]

Ahhh, that's better!  Your first message indicated the drives were all different versions. 

Does the cleaning tape have any cleans left on it?

Are you giving the library enough time to eject the cleaning tape from the first drive before you tell Netbackup to clean the second drive with the same tape?

Do the other two drives possibly already have a tape in them (NetBackup can be set to hold a tape in a drive for a few minutes after the first job completes, in case another job that requires the same type of tape needs to write to it)?

[Marianne]

Ahh!! Okay! All LTO4...

Eject the cleaning cartridge from the robot and check that it is correct type for LTO4 tape drive.  

An issue like this is normally the robot itself rejecting the mount request because there is something wrong with the tape or the label on the tape.

[Pamphile35]

Hello

The cleaning tape has cleans left on it.

The other 2 drives have no tape in them.

I give the library enough time to eject the cleaning tape from the first drive before telling Netbackup to clean the second drive with the same tape.

I've tried this with at least 3 HP cleaning tapes. It works for the first drive but not for the other 2.

If there were something wrong with the label on the tape why would  the cleaning works well with first drive and not with the the second and the third ? Shouldn't it work at all ?

I thought that maybe a HP cleaning tape might not work with a drive which has an IBM inquiry information. I even tried an IBM cleaning tape and I experienced the problem. It works well with the first drive and not with the other 2.

I don't know if the following information could be pertinent. I give it just in case.

The first drive have the following inquiry information   : "HP      Ultrium 4-SCSI  H64S"

The second and the third have the following inquiry information    : "IBM     ULTRIUM-TD4     85V3"

[Marianne]

Take NBU out of the picture. Use robtest to mount cleaning tape in one of the drives giving errors. We need to see the error returned from the robot.

[Pamphile35]

With the second and third drive, I get

move_medium failed
sense key=0X5, asc= 0x30, ascq= 0x0, INCOMPATIBLE MEDIUM INSTALLED

[Marianne]

Which make /model robot? This error is coming directly from the robot. You need to check with robot vendor for correct cleaning labels to be used with both vendor's tape drives. Nothing we can do from NBU to fix this.

[RonCaplinger · Accepted solution]

I agree with Marianne, this is your robot (or drives) that is the problem.

Have you tried power cycling the two drives that are not mounting the cleaning tape?

Does your tape library allow you to define which drives are cleaned by the library, and which ones should be cleaned by your software?  Since you have two different tape drive vendors, they might have different settings defined in the robot's setup.