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NB 5.1 - "Recorded Media ID" field empty query

sean_h
Level 4

 

Hi there,
 
On a daily basis, we backup up a server to tape which are then automatically ejected after use, and then moved offsite for DR purposes.
Growth on the system being backed up has meant that we have recently had to increase the tapes from 2 up to 3.
 
Everything is working fine but i noticed today in the "GUI / Activity Monitor" that the new tapes being used have their "External Media ID" set but the "Recorded Media ID" is null and the "Media Label" column states "No"
 
Can anyone confirm for me please :
 
1 - The impact of not having the "Recorded Media ID" value set
2 - How we actually set it please and any impact on existing data on the tape / being written to the tape
 
I can't seem to find anything in the manuals which detail the impact of not having this set, or how to do it
 
All older tapes are fine (External Media ID = Recorded Media ID)....its only the new ones that have been introduced that have the value missing
 
Many thanks in advance.
 
This is an old Netbackup 5.1 solution and i'm not a Netbackup guy by trade so any support is appreciated.
 
Thanks in advance
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Andy_Welburn
Level 6

You may find it'll be ok next time 'round. Media label recorded on first use, unless you label it manually first.

NB5.1? Thought I was bad at 6.5.6!!

View solution in original post

18 REPLIES 18

Andy_Welburn
Level 6

You may find it'll be ok next time 'round. Media label recorded on first use, unless you label it manually first.

NB5.1? Thought I was bad at 6.5.6!!

sean_h
Level 4

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the reply and glad our 5.1 makes you feel better smiley

Luckily, our automated loading process logs when the tapes were last injected and ejected.

I can confirm that the tapes first use was back on 21st Feb so unfortunately, it appears that i wasn't labelled automatically frown

Marianne
Moderator
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Please show us output of 'vmquery -m <media-id>' for one of these tapes.

Andy_Welburn
Level 6

Is it just the fact that they weren't labelled originally? Been a while since I 'played' with 5.1 & have only ever been concerned with what NB 'says' if things stop working!

Old T/N (not sure how much has changed in all honesty!)

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH18714

A media with a RecMID is called a labeled volume. Unlabeled volumes do not have a RecMID. When a request for an unlabeled volume takes place, without specifying the RecMID, the ExtMID is referenced by default (even if the ExtMID is not actually recorded on the volume). This is because the system assumes the RecMID and ExtMID labels are the same unless otherwise specified.

 

sean_h
Level 4

Hi Marianne - Apologies for my lack of experience of Netbackup.

Is the vmquery command ok to run whilst the tape is currently being used as it is being written to now and then will be automatically ejected later today ?

The HP-UX "man" pages don't specify anything to suggest that it isn't.

 

Andy - I'm not sure what process was used to add these to our 5.1 system as it was done by a colleague

Marianne
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Yes, the vmquery command is just a 'query'. It will merely list tape attributes.

sean_h
Level 4

 

# vmquery -m DXQ054
================================================================================
media ID:              DXQ054
media type:            DLT cartridge tape (11)
barcode:               DXQ054
media description:     Off_site_tape
volume pool:           DUP (4)
robot type:            TLD - Tape Library DLT (8)
robot number:          1
robot slot:            170
robot control host:    xxx.yyy.zzz
volume group:          00_001_TLD
vault name:            ---
vault sent date:       ---
vault return date:     ---
vault slot:            ---
vault session id:      ---
vault container id:    -
created:               Thu Feb 21 10:56:34 2013
assigned:              Tue Mar 12 08:00:21 2013
last mounted:          Tue Mar 12 08:07:33 2013
first mount:           Tue Mar 12 08:07:33 2013
expiration date:       ---
number of mounts:      1
max mounts allowed:    ---
status:                0x0
================================================================================
 

Marianne
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I could not remember if there was a field for recorded media id... Seems not.

Please post output of the following while one of these tapes are mounted:

vmoprcmd -d

 

PS: NBU sees media id DXQ054 as brand-new, mounted for the first time:

 

created:               Thu Feb 21 10:56:34 2013
assigned:              Tue Mar 12 08:00:21 2013
last mounted:          Tue Mar 12 08:07:33 2013
first mount:           Tue Mar 12 08:07:33 2013 
number of mounts:      1

So, while this tape is mounted for the first time, it will not show a Recorded Media id.

sean_h
Level 4

Thanks again Marianne and apologies for asking......presumably this command is also ok to run whilst backup activities are currently processing, and the tape in question is being used ?

 

FYI, our ATL attached is an old Quantum ACL2640 for what its worth

Marianne
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Yes, vmoprcmd is the cmd equivalent of Device Monitor.

I just find cmd more reliable than the GUI  (especially for older versions of NBU).

Please bear in mind that we don't expect to see Recorded Id for DXQ054 while it is mounted for the 1st time.

sean_h
Level 4

 

Here you go Marianne but unfortunately, the tape is no longer being used at the moment but it may be again this afternoon at some time...........
 
 
# vmoprcmd -d
 
                                PENDING REQUESTS
 
                                     <NONE>
 
                                  DRIVE STATUS
 
Drv Type   Control  User      Label  RecMID  ExtMID  Ready   Wr.Enbl.  ReqId
  0 dlt      TLD    root       Yes   CAH508  CAH508   Yes     Yes        0
  1 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
  2 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
  4 dlt      TLD    root       Yes   DXL046  DXL046   Yes     Yes        2
  5 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
  6 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
 
                             ADDITIONAL DRIVE STATUS
 
Drv DriveName            Shared    Assigned        Comment
  0 QUANTUMDLT70004       No       xxx.yyy.zzz
  1 QUANTUMDLT70005       No       -
  2 QUANTUMDLT70001       No       -
  4 QUANTUMDLT70002       No       xxx.yyy.zzz
  5 QUANTUMDLT70003       No       -
  6 QUANTUMDLT70006       No       -
 

sean_h
Level 4

Marianne,

 

I don't think we will see an example of this until possibly tomorrow now in which case, i will rerun the :

vmoprcmd -d

and

vmquery -m xxxxxx

...for the new tape and then post my results

thanks for your help so far.

Regards

sean_h
Level 4

Hi Marianne,

 

Luckily, i have another example for you.......DXL040 is currently being used :
 
# vmoprcmd -d
 
                                PENDING REQUESTS
 
                                     <NONE>
 
                                  DRIVE STATUS
 
Drv Type   Control  User      Label  RecMID  ExtMID  Ready   Wr.Enbl.  ReqId
  0 dlt      TLD    root       No            DXL040   Yes     Yes        0
  1 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
  2 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
  4 dlt      TLD    root       Yes   DXL032  DXL032   Yes     Yes        1
  5 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
  6 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
 
                             ADDITIONAL DRIVE STATUS
 
Drv DriveName            Shared    Assigned        Comment
  0 QUANTUMDLT70004       No       xxx.yyy.zzz
  1 QUANTUMDLT70005       No       -
  2 QUANTUMDLT70001       No       -
  4 QUANTUMDLT70002       No       xxx.yyy.zzz
  5 QUANTUMDLT70003       No       -
  6 QUANTUMDLT70006       No       -
 
 
# vmquery -m DXL040
================================================================================
media ID:              DXL040
media type:            DLT cartridge tape (11)
barcode:               DXL040
media description:     Off_site_tape
volume pool:           DUP (4)
robot type:            TLD - Tape Library DLT (8)
robot number:          1
robot slot:            170
robot control host:    xxx.yyy.zzz
volume group:          00_001_TLD
vault name:            ---
vault sent date:       ---
vault return date:     ---
vault slot:            ---
vault session id:      ---
vault container id:    -
created:               Fri Feb 22 16:35:33 2013
assigned:              Wed Mar 13 08:00:22 2013
last mounted:          Wed Mar 13 08:07:31 2013
first mount:           Wed Mar 13 08:07:31 2013
expiration date:       ---
number of mounts:      1
max mounts allowed:    ---
status:                0x0
================================================================================
 
Upon checking in our logfile, DXL040 was injected into our ATL on 22/02 for use on the 23/02 but whether it was actually required and written to on 23/02 i do not know. It would have then been automatically ejected on the 23/02 also and sent for offsite storage.
The tape was injected yesterday evening and as i say, is in a drive at the moment.

 

Andy_Welburn
Level 6

Is this just another case of no RecMID as this is the first time this media has been mounted?

created:               Fri Feb 22 16:35:33 2013
assigned:              Wed Mar 13 08:00:22 2013
last mounted:          Wed Mar 13 08:07:31 2013
first mount:           Wed Mar 13 08:07:31 2013
 
number of mounts:      1
 
 
Potentially proved if you can confirm these same vmquery entries for some of the other tapes mounted earlier?
 
e.g.
 
Drv Type   Control  User      Label  RecMID  ExtMID  Ready   Wr.Enbl.  ReqId
  0 dlt      TLD    root       Yes   CAH508  CAH508   Yes     Yes        0
  1 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
  2 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
  4 dlt      TLD    root       Yes   DXL046  DXL046   Yes     Yes        2
 
Drv Type   Control  User      Label  RecMID  ExtMID  Ready   Wr.Enbl.  ReqId
  0 dlt      TLD    root       No            DXL040   Yes     Yes        0
  1 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
  2 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
  4 dlt      TLD    root       Yes   DXL032  DXL032   Yes     Yes        1
  5 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
  6 dlt      TLD                -                     No       -        -
 
 
As mentioned previously by myself & Marianne it seems like a RecMID is not present when mounted for first time.

Yasuhisa_Ishika
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

This means that the tape mounted is requested as DXL040, but have never been labeled. it is normal when the blank tape is used first time. vmquery output show us DXL040 is used on Mar 13 first time.

sean_h
Level 4

thanks for all the replies - i will keep an eye on these new tapes and hopefully over time as they are being used, this issue disappear

DXL032 is not one of our DR tapes so its been used many times........576 to be exact

Marianne
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Not sure why you feel that this is an 'issue'.... 

I honestly don't see anything to be concerned about.

My biggest concern here is the fact that you are using a version that ran out of support in 2009.
See https://sort.symantec.com/eosl/show_detail/50516
It does not support any of the newer OS's, applications or databases...

Will_Restore
Level 6

Ah, but now he can "prove" to management the immediate need to upgrade the system as the RecMID  column is blank! laugh