Netbackup tape library issues

[vicman]

Our operators wait for the picklist report, take out the tapes to be sent offsite and put in as many tapes as they take out. The tapes that are put in are either new tapes or old tapes with expired data. What is the proper process to remove tapes out of a library? We're a 24/7 shop and backups run all the time. We can't keep having tape drives go down.

1. We keep getting the errors below on the master server.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: NetBackup TLD Control Daemon
Event Category: None
Event ID: 13945
Date:  05/12/2011
Time:  1:49:24 PM
User:  N/A
Computer: master_server_1
Description:
TLD(0) cannot dismount drive x, slot x already is full
 

2. The media servers then show the following errors.

Log Name:      Application
Source:        NetBackup
Date:          05/12/2011 1:49:30 PM
Event ID:      2636
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      media_server_3
Description:
Operator/EMM server has DOWN'ed drive HP.ULTRIUM4-SCSI.003 (device 3)
 

Log Name:      Application
Source:        NetBackup
Date:          05/12/2011 1:49:45 PM
Event ID:      0
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      media_server_3
Description:
emmlib_UpdateDriveRuntime failed, status=304

any help would be appreciated!!

[J_H_Is_gone]

Using the NB console go to media and choose the tapes to eject right click and eject.

Take tapes out of the Media Access Port

Put your new tape in the Media Access Port

Using the NB console go to media and choose inventory robot.

Select Update volume configuration - so netbackup knows where the robot put the new tapes

and check Empty the media access port prior to update

choose start

(if you have preview change checked you will have to say update when the robot is done moving the tapes from the MAP to the slots)

[Marianne · Accepted solution]

How are tapes getting removed and added?

"cannot dismount drive x, slot x already is full" points to operators opening library door, removing tapes and manually filling slots again. The problem is that empty slot are not REALLY empty if those slots actually 'belong' to tapes that are in tapes drives at this point in time.

What type of tape library do you have? If you have this kind of 24 x 7 site, you should at least have a tape library with a Media Access port that can acommodate +- 10 tapes so that tapes can be ejected and added via the MAP/CAP. That way the robot knows which slots are really empty and will place tapes in those slots. New/expired media should be put in the Map/Cap, Robot Inventory started, and "Empty media access port prior to update"  selected under the 'Update' option.

[errrlog]

Marianne is spot on. It clearly seems that the tapes are not being imported using the MAP/CAP but are manually inserted into the library slots.

I guess the issue is with tape handling procedures which need to be corrected. Does the operators have access to perform the media inventory (GUI/command line)?

[vicman]

You've all verified what I suspected. The operators are putting tapes in via the map but are using the tape library control console to move tapes into slots in the library. We're using a Overland Neo tape library.

The library only has two map slots. Should we be doing a robot inventory with "Empty media access port prior to update"  for every time we load tapes? We load from two to seven tapes at a time due to our backup volume.

Currently the operatos do not have access to the Netbackup gui or command line.

[vicman]

thank you

[Will_Restore]

Should we be doing a robot inventory with "Empty media access port prior to update" 

Yes, that is the preferred method.  That way Netbackup inventory is always in sync with the library hardware inventory.