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Media ID generation issue with new tape library with LTO5 drives

skyblue
Level 3

Hi,

I have recently decommsioned a Quantum tape library with LTO4 tape drive and brought in another Quantum with LTO5 tape drives. Now instead of using the default (last six charcters of the barcode), it is somehow generating backup id with first 6 characters. This is resulting in new media ID being generated for old LTO4 tapes.

How can I fix this?

I am running NetBackup 6.5.5 on Solaris.

The server is also connected to a VTL as well with LTO2 tape drives confiugred. However, on this VTL somehow the first six characters are being used to generated the media id.

The LTO4 tape drives were configured as HCART. The new LTO5 tape drives are configured as HCART2 which is same as the LTO2 in the VTL. Can it be the issue?

 

Thanks

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Max_Booth
Level 3

For a Scalar i500 it appears to default to not sending the Media Type identifier to the host as part of the barcode. This is configured in the partition configuration. Check page 44 in the User Manual - found one here http://www.bersis.pt/templates/v5/downloadsup.php?f=Scalar%20i500%20UsersGuide.pdf

Setting it to 'plus-six' instead of standard should do the trick.

Hope this helps.

max.

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6 REPLIES 6

Max_Booth
Level 3

Are you still seeing all 8 characters of the actual barcode when you perform an inventory (i.e. ######L5)? If not, and you're only seeing the first 6 then this is likely to be a setting on the library to present only the first 6 rather than the whole barcode. Check the library config to see if this is the case.

If you are seeing all 8 characters, then you can configure the mediaid generation rules in the GUI (under Advanced options - Media ID Generation) when performing an inventory.

This is on a robot-by-robot basis.

This is also in the vm.conf file, for example the following will create mediaID's using the first 6 characters for Robot 0 when presented with an 8 character barcode:

MEDIA_ID_BARCODE_CHARS = 0 8 1:2:3:4:5:6

If you want the last 6 characters (which should be default so I don't expect you need this and it is infact the library setting above), you would use 3:4:5:6:7:8 for an 8 character barcode.

Again - with the VTL, is  it really presenting all 8 characters of the barcode? If it is then there must be a Media ID Generation rule forcing it to do so.

The HCART/HCART2 mapping shouldn't have caused this. That's purely to denote media and drive compatibility. I would add here that if you wish to be able to read/write your LTO4 tapes in the new LTO5 drives then you will need to set the drives and media to the same type (i.e. HCART since your assigned LTO4 tapes are HCART).

Hope this helps.

max.

skyblue
Level 3

I don't see all 8 characters of the barcode on either of the library. I get only the first six when I run the inventory.

I am not sure which media id rule could be doing it. The vm.conf file has following entires.

[root@nbu65 ]# cat /usr/openv/volmgr/vm.conf
MM_SERVER_NAME = nbu65
MEDIA_ID_BARCODE_CHARS = 0 8 3:4:5:6:7:8
[root@nbu65 ~]#

I added the second entry to make it read the last 6 digits (though I knew, it was the default)

Could it be some EMM server setting?

-Thanks

J_H_Is_gone
Level 6

Go into the GUI of the robot, search each and every screen to find a screen that tells the robot what to report. (this is not a NB screen, you will not find this in the NB console)

 

I don't have the same library but here is an example of where I would tell my robot what part of the barcode to present.  If you are going to use barcode rules to pick first 6 last 6 whatever, you should have your library present all 8 (extended)

skyblue
Level 3

This is a Quantum scalar i500 tape library with 35 slots and 2 drives. Unfortunately there is no setting on the library's web console that talks about barcodes/media id.

Below is the screenshot from the library GUI. It tells me that it has correctly read the barcodes and detected the correct media type as well.

Working with Symantec on this. Will definitely post if I find a solution.

Thanks

Max_Booth
Level 3

For a Scalar i500 it appears to default to not sending the Media Type identifier to the host as part of the barcode. This is configured in the partition configuration. Check page 44 in the User Manual - found one here http://www.bersis.pt/templates/v5/downloadsup.php?f=Scalar%20i500%20UsersGuide.pdf

Setting it to 'plus-six' instead of standard should do the trick.

Hope this helps.

max.

skyblue
Level 3

Yup, That was it.

I had overlooked the partition settings. Modifying the partition setting as suggested by Max and Hinchcliffe has fixed it. Now netbackup can see all 8 characters of the barcode.

Thanks for your help guys.