NetBackup 6 MP6 - Dell ML6030 - Invalid drive cleaning reporting in NetBackup

[dq72]

I'm running NB 6 on Windows with a DELL ML6030 tape library.

I have setup the library with 2 cleaning slots, manually imported my 2 cleaning tapes (with barcodes CLN....) via the ML6030 operator panel and I believe the Dell LIbrary automatically manages cleaning (FC LTO3 Drives) - as I have replaced a number of cleaning tapes over the past year.

However; when I look in NetBackup under Media and Device Management\Device Monitor 6 of my 10 drives are reporting "Needs Cleaning".
A manual 'clean now' from within NB fails. 
The NB EMM does not have any cleaning media in its database - probably due to the fact that the cleaning media has been setup (slots assigned -- media imported to assigned slots) and entered via the robot interface.

I did an additional  manual clean on all 6 of the drives - initiated through the tape library - but NB still reports "Needs Cleaning".

When I look at the drive details - 'Tape Alert Enabled is set to Yes'.

Do I require this to be enabled ?- my gut is suggesting that Tape Alert should be turned off in NB (if its even an option)- since there is no cleaning media present in the EMM DB and I think the DELL ML6030 manages it completely and independantly.

Or, should NB be configured to recognise the cleaning media ??   (Possibly an import of the Cleaning Media from within NB??)
If that's the route to follow, would I then Export the cleaning media from the library interface, set the cleaning slots to 0, and then re-import \ inventory from NB and let NB manage it??

Regards

Darrell

[Andy_Welburn]

It'll probably do it too often & damage the heads. (Sore point for some!)

Not essential, but you could reset the mount time and/or set the cleaning frequency to 0. This should have the effect of removing the message & prevent it from recurring.

[ Device Monitor/Right-click drive/Drive Cleaning -> Reset Mount Time
                                                                                        -> Set Cleaning Frequency ... ]

[quebek]

Any cleaning tape in NBU should belong to NONE pool. The slots having CLN tapes should be visible by NBU. Also tapes in NONE pool - cleaning ones - should be of a hcart3_clean type, so NBU will recognize them as cleaning ones.
BTW I would let the library to manage cleaning drive itself.

[J_H_Is_gone]

If you set the cleaning up in the robot, meaning the robot cleans the drives when the drives request it, then they are only cleaned when needed.  this is a common practice.

you can also setup NB to do the cleaning, which can be done too often.  ( you have NOT done this from what I read in your post).  But this will cause these messages to come up some times in netbackup.

You just need to clear the message in NB and continue to let the robot do the cleaning.

see:

seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/295184.htm

[dq72]

Thanks for the quick feedback.
I agree, its best to leave it set up as is, letting the library take care of its own cleaning.


In NB, I re-set the mount time on the drives and the 'needs cleaning' comments disappeared - as shown at  http://support.veritas.com/docs/295184

I'm still not sure why 6 of the 10 triggered NB to  report that cleaning was required, and the other 4 didn't.
All 10 drives are set identically - with 0 as the 'cleaning frequency'.  There didn't seem to be a link to the mount time - as a couple that weren't reporting had much higher mount times.

There must be something else NB looks for to trigger that message.
Maybe a certain number of media freezes could trigger it too??

Darrell

[dq72]

Thanks for the quick feedback.
I agree, its best to leave it set up as is, letting the library take care of its own cleaning.


In NB, I re-set the mount time on the drives and the 'needs cleaning' comments disappeared - as shown at  http://support.veritas.com/docs/295184

I'm still not sure why 6 of the 10 triggered NB to  report that cleaning was required, and the other 4 didn't.
All 10 drives are set identically - with 0 as the 'cleaning frequency'.  There didn't seem to be a link to the mount time - as a couple that weren't reporting had much higher mount times.

There must be something else NB looks for to trigger that message.
Maybe a certain number of media freezes could trigger it too??

Darrell