LTO cleaning tape definition with two different drives?

[rbadilla]

Hi all: I need some advice.

I have a client with Quantum i3 tape library; with one LTO7 and other LTO8 tape drives and 50 slots. Both drives are in the same partition; but since the client still have LTO6 media (written with an oracle SL48 tape library; which was decommissioned) the LTO7 is hcart and LTO8 is hcart2.

As you know, LTO Cleaning tape are universal; that means no matter the LTO X category of the drive the tape cleaning media/cartridge is the same. The library was configured to let the application manage all cleaning tapes.

My current issue is to reach universality with LTO Cleaning tapes or at least how to assign the cleaning tapes to the drives if the cleaning tapes have almost the same code bar CLNXYZCU. The current Media ID Generation is

0,8,5:6:7:8:1:2 

\_ robot number

   \_ bar code length

I was thinking that maybe use from 000 to 400 to assign "HC_CLN 1/2 inch cleaning tape" to LTO7 drive and 

from 500 to 999 to assign "HC2_CLN 1/2 inch cleaning tape 2".

But need to hear options/advices from people with more experience. 

[StefanosM]

0,8,5:6:7:8:1:2  !!! Why?

I usually use two options

• Use two cleaning tapes manually assign to hcart and hcart2.
• configure the library to clean the drives. With this option you will have only one cleaning tape. If you use library cleaning, do not configure netbackup cleaning

keep it simple. drive cleaning is not so frequent as you think

[rbadilla]

Hi StefanosM:

Thanks a lot by your reply.

I agree about if use HW (tape library) do cleaning don't config NBU cleaning.

About cleaning isn't frequently as may think; It depends on your environment. Most server rooms and some DataCenter here on Costa Rica don't have too much control on air pollutions... can't verify but AFAIK Merv8 is mostly use and air changes/HVAC maintenance isn't seemed as "investment". Believe me; is my major concern/compliant with final customers when have issues with tape libraries. 

About Media ID Generation rule, sadly is a need from migration bkp hardware. The old equipment striped the media type from the bar code, and could be a conflict if the final customer put a tape (LTO5) with the same ID but different media (say LTO7 or even LTO8) on the library. Why would somebody do that? Well; customer don't have strict bar coding rules/standards.  (I have people who put DGX on their tapes!). Also, the migration project didn't include the import of 200 cartridges. 

If don't mind/bother you how  manually assign to hcart and hcart2 of two cleaning tapes with different bar codes?

Thanks a lot !

[StefanosM · Accepted solution]

there are two ways.
the first is to add the tape manually flowing this tech-note (change it to your needs) and after you insert the tape to a slot right click on it and select  update barcode.
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.100023319

the second and more easier is to create a barcode rule to add a cleaning tape as HCART. After you add the first tape, change the rule to HCART2 and add the second cleaning tape.

Note: All cleaning tapes can be used for 50 cleanings and not for 25 (25 this is the default cleaning cycles in netbackup)