StorageTek SL500

[PorcoDio]

Hi,

 in my enviroment i've two StorageTek SL500 Tape Library but doesn't works because i've an very old firmware.

Someone know the minimal firmware to work fine whit NBU 7.6.0.4

Tahnks
 

[PorcoDio]

I've moved in file server pool beacuse i use that tapes (only works correctly) for backing up File Server.

The other all tapes have error unmontable.
 

[Nicolai]

OK - so you got some tape drives working. But what is the error message for those not working. A look in the Windows event monitor should tell.

[PorcoDio]

LTO4 Case

21/01/2015 15:21:49 - begin Erase
21/01/2015 15:21:49 - started process bplabel (18212)
21/01/2015 15:21:50 - requesting resource NetBackup:LT4001
21/01/2015 15:21:54 - granted resource LT4001
21/01/2015 15:21:54 - granted resource IBM.ULTRIUM-TD4.000
21/01/2015 15:21:56 - Info bptm(pid=17560) start            
21/01/2015 15:21:58 - Info bptm(pid=17560) Waiting for mount of media id LT4001 (copy 1) on server SVCEDGEUTE019.
21/01/2015 15:21:58 - mounting LT4001
21/01/2015 15:21:58 - Info bptm(pid=17560) INF - Waiting for mount of media id LT4001 on server SVCEDGEUTE019 for reading.
21/01/2015 15:22:02 - Error bptm(pid=17560) error requesting media, TpErrno = Robot operation failed     
21/01/2015 15:22:02 - current media LT4001 complete, requesting next resource IBM.ULTRIUM-TD4.000:NetBackup:LT4001
21/01/2015 15:22:13 - Info bptm(pid=17560) Waiting for mount of media id LT4001 (copy 1) on server SVCEDGEUTE019.
21/01/2015 15:22:13 - mounting LT4001
21/01/2015 15:22:13 - Info bptm(pid=17560) INF - Waiting for mount of media id LT4001 on server SVCEDGEUTE019 for reading.
21/01/2015 15:22:13 - granted resource LT4001
21/01/2015 15:22:13 - granted resource IBM.ULTRIUM-TD4.001
21/01/2015 15:22:17 - Error bptm(pid=17560) error requesting media, TpErrno = Robot operation failed     
21/01/2015 15:22:18 - current media LT4001 complete, requesting next resource IBM.ULTRIUM-TD4.001:NetBackup:LT4001
21/01/2015 15:22:24 - awaiting resource IBM.ULTRIUM-TD4.001:NetBackup:LT4001 A pending request has been generated for this resource request.
     Operator action may be required. Pending Action: Tape is unmountable.,
     Media ID: LT4001, Barcode: LT4001, Density: hcart, Access Mode: Write,
     Action Drive Name: N/A, Action Media Server: SVCEDGEUTE019, Robot Number: 1, Robot Type: TLD,
     Volume Group: 001_00001_TLD, Action Acs: N/A, Action Lsm: N/A
   

[PorcoDio]

LTO2 Case

21/01/2015 15:22:16 - begin Erase
21/01/2015 15:22:16 - started process bplabel (4904)
21/01/2015 15:22:17 - requesting resource NetBackup:LT2024
21/01/2015 15:22:18 - granted resource LT2024
21/01/2015 15:22:18 - granted resource IBM.ULTRIUM-TD2.001
21/01/2015 15:22:21 - Info bptm(pid=6604) start            
21/01/2015 15:22:22 - Info bptm(pid=6604) Waiting for mount of media id LT2024 (copy 1) on server SVCEDGEUTE018.
21/01/2015 15:22:22 - mounting LT2024
21/01/2015 15:22:22 - Info bptm(pid=6604) INF - Waiting for mount of media id LT2024 on server SVCEDGEUTE018 for reading.
21/01/2015 15:22:26 - Error bptm(pid=6604) error requesting media, TpErrno = Robot operation failed     
21/01/2015 15:22:27 - current media LT2024 complete, requesting next resource IBM.ULTRIUM-TD2.001:NetBackup:LT2024
21/01/2015 15:22:34 - Info bptm(pid=6604) Waiting for mount of media id LT2024 (copy 1) on server SVCEDGEUTE018.
21/01/2015 15:22:34 - mounting LT2024
21/01/2015 15:22:34 - Info bptm(pid=6604) INF - Waiting for mount of media id LT2024 on server SVCEDGEUTE018 for reading.
21/01/2015 15:22:34 - granted resource LT2024
21/01/2015 15:22:34 - granted resource IBM.ULTRIUM-TD2.000
21/01/2015 15:22:37 - Error bptm(pid=6604) error requesting media, TpErrno = Robot operation failed     
21/01/2015 15:22:38 - current media LT2024 complete, requesting next resource IBM.ULTRIUM-TD2.000:NetBackup:LT2024
21/01/2015 15:22:44 - awaiting resource IBM.ULTRIUM-TD2.000:NetBackup:LT2024 A pending request has been generated for this resource request.
     Operator action may be required. Pending Action: Tape is unmountable.,
     Media ID: LT2024, Barcode: LT2024, Density: hcart2, Access Mode: Write,
     Action Drive Name: N/A, Action Media Server: SVCEDGEUTE018, Robot Number: 0, Robot Type: TLD,
     Volume Group: 001_00000_TLD, Action Acs: N/A, Action Lsm: N/A
   

[Marianne]

Curious to see what the robot error is.

Try to mount tape using robtest (do this on robot control host for each of the robots):

Robtest commands that can be used to test the SCSI functionality of a robot 
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH83129 

Tell us what the message is when you do this on robot 0 with LTO2 drives:

m s26 d1
or
m s26 d2
(we know that d1 and d2 have different firware levels)

Have you checked and verified that you have correct media for each robot and correct labels? 
Also covered in your other post of about a year ago...

[PorcoDio]

LTO2 Case:

for each command say INCOMPATIBLE MEDIUM INSTALLED

Same for LTO4

[mph999]

The drive is reporting back that the media inserted is not compatable.

Is it possible, for example that the the tapes you have loaded are LTO3 or higher, these are not compatible with an LTO2 drive.

[Marianne]

INCOMPATIBLE MEDIUM INSTALLED Exactly the same issue as per your 2014 post. Have you even read the answers in that discussion?

[Nicolai · Accepted solution]

You will never get a "INCOMPATIBLE MEDIUM INSTALLED" go away with a firmware update.

Using incompatible label will also provoke this error - the StorageTek robot  does verify if the cartridge will fit in the tape drive. And for a good reason - STK did have support for a long list of tape drives. Just imagine putting a STK9840  tape into a LTO drive - I can hear the broken plastic already :)

Can you please post a picture of the bar code label. 

Storagetek type of label 

http://www.tri-optic.com/catalog/CategoryView.aspx?categoryid=5

Set "Manufacturer/Reseller:" to Storagetk in the left hand menu.

[Marianne]

I am still battling to figure out why we are having the same discussion almost a year later when media and label requirements were explained in previous post:   SL 500 Tape Library 

Your issues are not related to firmware or compatibility - you are either using wrong media or wrong labels.

[PorcoDio]

Sorry, but if problem was labeling all tapes doesn't work

[Marianne]

Then you need to log a call with STK/Oracle.

The 'Incompatible medium' error is coming from the robot, not NBU.

[PorcoDio]

My inquiry start after i've called oracle because they say Symantec need a minimal level of firmware but we don't know......ask them....

Here you say, ask oracle....so what i do....take libray and throw out of the window....sorry but i hope understand my dissappointment

[mph999]

You're dissapointment should be with Oracle, not Symantec.

This error:

INCOMPATIBLE MEDIUM INSTALLED

Is sent from the drive, NetBackup is not creating this error, only displaying it, to try and be helpful. Unfortunately, being helpful means we get the blame, which in this case, at least at the moment is unfair.

We don't specify firmware levels anymore, it is recommend to get the latest firmware available.  On occassion we do specifiy if a minimum firmware level is required, but a quick look in the HCG 

[Marianne]

The problem here is with media that is not recognized by the robot - nothing else.
Are you purchasing tapes and tape labels from a recognized vendor?
Or are you making your own labels?

Nicolai has asked you to take a photo of a tape and label that does not want to load.
Any reason why you do not want to do this?

About firmware - please show your Oracle vendor this extract from the NetBackup HCL:    http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH76495  (posted previously as well):

2. Firmware versions are no longer listed in this section. Symantec recommends using the most recent version of firmware available when you configure the library with NetBackup.
When a minimum firmware version is required, it will be listed in the Notes column. If a firmware version is causing a problem, Symantec will work with the hardware vendor to resolve the problem. Symantec and most hardware vendors listed are members of TSANet.

[mph999]

The question you need to ask Oracle is:

Why is your tape drive sending out an incompatible media message.

Providing the correct tape with the correct label is loaded, this should not happen.  It is nothing to do with NBU, it is a 'physical thing'.

[Marianne]

I have a feeling we are dealing here with home-made labels that are not recognized by the robot.
Extract from 20 Jan post:

I try to make new label for the unmontable tape.

[mph999]

Maybe, yes, homemade labels can be an issue - I once stuck several hundred on some new tapes, and then found about 6 were readable, all looked ok, reasonable quality, but the refelectivity of the label was upsetting the library and it went home in a sulk ...

I then spent an amount of time unpicking several hundred labels and replacing them ...

It was many years ago now, but I think this is the company we switched to and never had any problems, bought blank labels, printed them ourselves, no further issues.

http://www.netclabels.com/site/home.php

[Genericus]

We have a SL500 for our DR - the robot type is ACS, not TLD.

[Marianne]

If you look in HCL:  http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH76495  you will see that 
SL500 - Fibre Channel is supported as ACS and TLD.
SL500 - SCSI is supported as TLD only.

If robot is not shared between different environments, there is no need for ACS control.