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How to restore HCART3 tapes with HCART2 density drives

MadhanKumar
Level 3

Hi,

 

We have recently moved to new IBM library TS3500 with HCART2 density drives.(IBM drives)

This library is currently in use for backups with HCART2 density tapes.

We had taken the backups in previuos IBM library TS3500 with HCART3 density drives and tapes (IBM drives)

Now I need to restore old tapes using new library.

Q1 - May I know how it can be done without impacting the current running backups.

Q2 - Is drive density change from HCART2 to HCART3 will be applicable only to the drive we are changing the density ? Rest drive can function as per normal ?

Q3 - Is there service restart or service downtime required as and when the old tapes to be restored ?

Q4 - In new library we are using default barcode rule as last 6 chars "3:4:5:6:7:8" whereas old library it was "1:2:3:4:5:6". Will that have any impact in reading the tapes ?

Q5 - If this setup is not correct, please let me know any solution so that I can easily backup new data and restore the old data without any changes every time ?

 

 

12 REPLIES 12

Marianne
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Firstly, confirm actual drive types and model number to confirm that the new drives can indeed read the old media. NBU drive and tape density is nothing more than a label. Changing drive density to the same as the media does not automatically mean it will work. I will answer the rest of your questions when we know that old media can indeed be read by the new drives.

MadhanKumar
Level 3

Hi Marianne,

 

NEW library - The drive type is HCART2 and model number "IBM     03592E07        378D" , robot - "IBM 03584L22 C450"

OLD library - The drive type is HCART3 and model number "IBM     03592E05        1D12" , robot - "IBM 03584L22 C262"

 

Marianne
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Have you confirmed with IBM that  03592E07 tape drive can indeed read 03592E05 media?

If so, my answers as follows: 

 

Q1 - May I know how it can be done without impacting the current running backups. 

You will need a free tape drive configured as HCART3 -change the density to HCART3 using the Devices GUI ( I have done it in the past without restarting NBU services/daemons).

Q2 - Is drive density change from HCART2 to HCART3 will be applicable only to the drive we are changing the density ? Rest drive can function as per normal ?

Correct

Q3 - Is there service restart or service downtime required as and when the old tapes to be restored ?

I have changed density without having to restart. Others will tell you that a restart is needed. 
Best to confirm this for yourself as I have done this some years ago using NBU 6.x.

Q4 - In new library we are using default barcode rule as last 6 chars "3:4:5:6:7:8" whereas old library it was "1:2:3:4:5:6". Will that have any impact in reading the tapes ?

Yes. Media id will be an issue. Let us say the media id is 123456L3.
With old library, the media id was added as 123456.
The new library will try to add the media id as 3456L3, but the restore will request media-id 123456. 

Any reason why Media ID generation rules was not configured the same before you started using media?

To know what the effect will be when you add the media to the robot depends on whether the old robot actually reported all 8 chars to NBU or not.
Please look for Barcode field for one of the old tapes with this command:
vmquery -m <media-id> 
If you tell me what the Barcode field looks like, I will be able to help you to match old media-id with new config.

Q5 - If this setup is not correct, please let me know any solution so that I can easily backup new data and restore the old data without any changes every time ?

The only issue I see is with Q4, but if you give me example output we should be able to help you.

You will need to change the density of at least one tape drive each time you need to restore. Unless you have the luxury of leaving 1 tape drive with HCART3 density permanently.

Michael_G_Ander
Level 6
Certified

Check the actually hardware tape drive types & media types.

Hardware tape drive type, can probably been seen the robot web interface.

Typically newer tape drives can read older medias, as for example LTO6 tape drives which can read LTO5 & LTO4 medias

The standard questions: Have you checked: 1) What has changed. 2) The manual 3) If there are any tech notes or VOX posts regarding the issue

MadhanKumar
Level 3

Hi Marianne,

 

Thanks for updating in details:

as per the information, checked one tape already loaded in new library . The output as below:

OLD TAPE loaded for restoration

# vmquery -m IP2633
================================================================================
media ID:              IP2633
media type:            1/2" cartridge tape 3 (24)
barcode:               IP2633JB
media description:     Added by Media Manager
volume pool:           Monthend_NonOracle (10)
robot type:            TLD - Tape Library DLT (8)
robot number:          5
robot slot:            8
robot control host:    xxxxxxxxxxxx
volume group:          001_00005_TLD

NEW TAPE 

# vmquery -m 3026JC
================================================================================
media ID:              3026JC
media type:            1/2" cartridge tape 2 (14)
barcode:               IP3026JC
media description:     Added by Media Manager
volume pool:           Oracle (15)
robot type:            TLD - Tape Library DLT (8)
robot number:          5
robot slot:            37
robot control host:    xxxxxxxxxxxx
volume group:          000_00005_TLD

 

 

 

 

Marianne
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OLD tape was added perfectly fine. 

The 8-digit barcode was recognized and NBU did not try to add it as new media id (2633JB).
Original media-id (IP2633) was kept .

This means no special action is needed for old tapes as far as media-id/Media-id generation is concerned.

MadhanKumar
Level 3

Marianne,

Then in this case how can I proceed with restoration of old tape IP2633 ?

What steps to be performed so that the tape will be loaded in the drive and restoration completes .. I am waiting for this to happen..

MadhanKumar
Level 3

Also one question :

I have old ACS library which backed up data on tapes showing media and barcode id same. Eg - media id IN4426 and barcode IN4426

Now the ACS library is sunset and I configured new SL3000 library for restoration of those tapes.

Do I need to set the media id generation rule as below:

Robot Number - 1

Barcode Length - 8 OR 6

Media ID generation rule - 1:2:3:4:5:6

Marianne
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Have you had a look at my replies to your questions earlier today? 
https://www.veritas.com/community/forums/how-restore-hcart3-tapes-hcart2-density-drives#comment-1152... 

If you have confirmed with IBM that  03592E07 tape drive can read 03592E05 media and you have changed one 03592E07 tape drive to HCART3, then there is nothing else to do.
Start the restore.

If you have done that and the tape is not loading, please show us all text in Details tab of the restore job.

Confirm ownership of the media - 
bpmedialist -m IP2633 
or
nbemmcmd -listmedia -mediaid IP2633 

Double-check that THIS media server has a tape drive in TLD(5) with hcart3 density.
Confirm on the media server with this command :
tpconfig -l

Marianne
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Please start a new discussion for this as the answer is different to existing issue.

Will_Restore
Level 6

Should work accoding to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_3592

"Cartridges are expected to operate in read and write mode across at least three drive generations"

3592-E05 is Gen 2 and 3592-E07 is Gen 4

 

MadhanKumar
Level 3

Hi Marianne,

Thanks for support and sorry for the delay.

As you said, the full barcode of old tapes was recorded in the NBU and since new library also using default bardcode length of 8 chars, the old tapes are taken inside new library. Post changing the media type from HCART3 to HCART2 via vmchange -new_mt hcart2 -m mediaid command, the restoration of old tapes went through fine with HCART2 density drives.

Thanks for the support..

 

The issue is now resolved.