How can we identify the tape is write protected

[madhuri]

How can we identify the tape is write protected in netbackup gui

[Nicolai · Accepted solution]

You can't.

The write protected switch is something that the tape drive detect upon loading the cartridge. The robot can't sense this formation and pass it on to Netbackup.

Only alternative is inspecting bptm logs for read only messages.

Other connect thread about same issue: 

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/how-find-out-whether-tape-write-protected

[RamNagalla]

ifs its write protected, media will get Frozen and you can see the error something like in detail status.

Error write error on media id XXXXXX, drive index <NUMber>, writing header block, 19

number 19 indicates its write protected.

see the below tech note.

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/windows-system-error-codes-exit-codes-description

[revarooo]

Best way - eject the tape and physically inspect it.

[Nicolai]

The link point to status codes for the windows installer ?

I think you mean this T/N : 

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH39004

Still not very GUI like :)

[Nicolai]

Agree !

[Marianne]

Totally agree with all of the above - you need to physically check tapes before they are inserted in the robot.

There is no way that the robot or NBU can 'see' that a tape is write protected.

The first time that NBU will know this is when the tape is selected for backup and the tape driver returns an error/TapeAlert that says tape is write protected.

At this point NBU will freeze the media.

[kumara]

Hi Knarra,

     You can mount and check if you suspect only few medias, otherwise you need to check physically for a notch(red tab saying lock/unlock) it will be more easier than any other ways i guess so...

[jim_dalton]

You can...

look at all your media in the rack....and spot the write prot tab, if it happens to be physical and externally visible, or you can mt -f f /dev/rmt/xxxcbn status from Unix and it'll tell you if its write protected.

And if NB tried to use such theres an error in one of the logs, cant recall where now...! Try messages for starters. 

Jim

[Nicolai]

BPTM log

[ontherocks]

Check BPTM logs or from NBU console Reports --> All Log Entries.

[Yogesh_Jadhav1]

Instead of NBU do you have Tape Library Webconsole access?? Thats a convinent way may be, if you don't want to go through the logs :)