How to find out whether the tape is write protected ?

[Raghava_Chary]

Hi,

Does any one know how to find out whether the tape is write protected or not from netbackup admin console?

Normally we can check physically for a notch but how do we find if we have 6000 slots in the library we can check all the tapes physically.

Veritas confirmed that they do not have any feature to check the write protection.

One more useful information is, if the tape is write protected and expired in the library netbackup tries to write on it and the job fails with media error ... to find out this it took 1 month.

We have cleaned drives, rebooted SAN switches, etc and found that the write protection is causing this media errors, you guys must have thought that " I should have look for write protection" Yes... i agree but we have 6000 + slots in the library and we really don't know which one is protected.

If any one knows how to check the write protection please let me / forum know.

Thanks,
Raghava.

[Stumpr2]

open up the library, walk in and physically inspect the tapes.

[AKopel]

Bob is pretty much correct here... Not an easy way to figure it out... This is our process.
Once a month or so, we look at all frozen tapes. The ones that are frozen with NO data written to them (they will have no Kilobytes) are 'likely' either upside down or write protected. (Yes, our operators will put tapes in upside down once and a while :( We eject that batch of tapes and look at them in the load-port.

[Stumpr2]

Aaron..I've been there and done that too! One time I even put the tapes in upside down myself....Once! Shame on me. I became quite sympathetic with the operators. :)

[zippy]

Rag,

Funny stuff...."all" should know this answer, including you Rag, gee you have 6000 slots powder horn maybe, Rag you manage 6000 slots and dont know this, like I said funny stuff!!! Who do you work for Verizon or At&t?

I wont get any points for this cause I'm "ragging" on you, but you should give points to everyone else!

Here is the answer any how

Write Protect is a mechanical thing, depending on the tape, you should see an red tab on the heal of the tape with a picture of a lock in the locked or unlocked position, I have noticed that "some" tapes manufacturers differ, meaning some tapes need the slide lock thingee open and some need it closed.


JD

[Raghava_Chary]

James / All,

As i stated, it's been a difficult task for me to takeout all the tapes and check ... tape boy (vendor) will do loading / collecting tapes from the library.

I am pretty much aware of dealing with the hardware and tapes.

Just to let you / every one know that there are some backup products which will tell whether the tape is write protected or not .. for example CA's BrightStor will say that the tape is write protected if there is such.

Didn't you know this? Why don't you think a step ahead? Floppy also is a hardware protected can't you find whether it is protected ? when all other products are identifying the write protect why can't Netbackup ?

That was my question ... I am sure as of now it is available, i have suggested this to Veritas they may / may not include in future versions.

[Stumpr2]

Raghava,
The suggestion I gave is how I would do it. I would be way too impatient to wait for each tape to individually be loaded into a tapedrive to check to see if it is write protected. That is how Netbackup currently checks.
It would be much faster/easier for me to open the library and do a visual scan using my laser eyesight and googlebyte brain :)

Then I would go and enjoy this beautiful day on the beach.BS

[Raghava_Chary]

Hey Bob,

Cool, nothing is great than our eyesight ... since it is a new world we need to have some kind of a automation where it is possible.

I know that the solution will not come for this, it's my mistake to post this question:(

[zippy]

i was in a bad mood this morning

sorry

[Raghava_Chary]

Not a problem, it happens some times.

However i am giving points to 3 of you :)

[zippy]

give em to bob and aron, they didnt get cranky.

:)


JD

[Chia_Tan_Beng]

Actually... there's a better solution to it. Tested on HPux with HP's LTO-2 drive using mt command (but I believe othe OS & hardware work similarly):

Tape loaded without Write-Protect:
# mt -f /dev/rmt/c24t0d0BESTnb status
Drive: HP Ultrium 2-SCSI
Format:
Status: BOT online compression immediate-report-mode
File: 0
Block: 0

Tape loaded with Write-Protect
# mt -f /dev/rmt/c24t0d0BESTnb status
Drive: HP Ultrium 2-SCSI
Format:
Status: BOT write-protected online compression immediate-report-mode
File: 0
Block: 0

Identify all scratch tapes in the library and script it to load each tape and grep for "write-protected" to generate a listing.(and maybe you can sell the listing/service to your hardware vendor to enjoy a better day at beach ;)

[Stumpr2]

I considered scripting it but I decided I wouldn't do it that way.You are correct on the mount/dismount but I could do it "John Henry" style faster.