Unable to identify Cleaning Tape in Netbackup 7.6

[thanigaivel]

Hi all,

OS- RHEL 6.2, 64bit

NB version - 7.6

Library - SL48 Tape library

Robot type - DLT

Density - Hcart2

I have not been able to detect cleaning Tape from the Robot Inventory even after the Tape was mounted in the library.

checked with tpclean, vmquery but no trace of cleaning tape.

Please provide me the solution to find out the cleaning tape or i need to raise a case.

Thanks&Regards,

A.Thanigaivel

[thanigaivel]

Hi all,

Please note me if any output require

thanks,

A.Thanigaivel

[Marianne]

NBU has no means of automatically identifying cleaning tapes. You need to create Barcode Rules to ensure NBU will add them as 'hcart2_clean' media type in the None pool. 

Firstly, check that cleaning tapes have unique barcode labels - they normally start with CLN.

If they have been added by Inventory as normal backup tapes (hcart2 media in a backup or scratch pool, delete them.

Next, in the Inventory screen, select Update, then Advanced option.
Select Barcode Rule tab and add details as follows: 

Barcode Tag : CLN
Media Type : HC2_CLN
Pool : None

Save the rule, then start the Inventory.

One old, one new TN:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH164472

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH36700

[thanigaivel]

Hi marianne,

As you said here i suspect that the cleaning tape was recognized as normal tape.

We have not configured barcode rules till now though Netbackup being used for the last 4 months.

Its a SL48 tape library with Media id starts in the order A00000 to A00047 . Here how can i identify which tape is Clean tape so that i can delete it and add as cleaning tape as you said above.

Also please guide whether setting Barcode rules and inventory will affect the existing images or catalog since i am new to Netbackup.

Just an example for your reference.

[root@YI99DRLBK01 ~]# vmcheckxxx -rt TLD -rn 0 -full

        Robot Contents          Volume Configuration

Slot    Tape  Barcode           Media ID Barcode        Mismatch Detected

====    ====  =============     ======== =============  =================

   1     Yes  -none-            A00000   -none-

   2     Yes  -none-            A00001   -none-

   3     Yes  -none-            A00002   -none-

   4     Yes  -none-            A00003   -none-

   5     Yes  -none-            A00004   -none-

   6     Yes  -none-            A00005   -none-

Thanks,

A.Thanigaivel

[Marianne]

Oh NO!! You have a decent robot with a barcode reader but using tapes with no barcodes? Why is that? Tape management in NBU is a nightmare without labels when you need to remove and reinsert tapes. Without labels it is even more difficult to identify cleaning tapes. You need to open the robot and look at each tape. Take care that you put each tape back in exactly the same slot...

[thanigaivel]

Hi marianne,

Oh..sorry. What we can do now.? I want to safely bring barcode in to tapes without any production impact(Note-Currently no backup has been scheduled)

Now we have identified the cleaning tape with the colour of the tape by our onsite engineer physically.

Is it possible to re-inventory the robot with Barcode rules aside with the used tapes (Note-currently 15 tapes approx. have been used in the environment).

OR ELSE We need symantec support for this.

Your help is extremely appreciated.

thanks,

A.thanigaivel

[Marianne]

Have a look at this post:

Adding barcode labels to tapes already used in NetBackup

Use the vmchange command in above post to add barcode to Assigned tapes.

Tapes that are not Assigned can be deleted before Inventory is done.

Another post: Adding barcode label to unknown volumes

[thanigaivel]

Hi all,

Like i said earlier this is a new environment with tapes expiration dates are much longer eg (7 years retention). So i understand that first i have to export all the images to another media's and expire the existing one. Thereafter eject the tape and re-inventory the tape with barcode rules and labelling and then import the images to the inventored tapes.

Is my view is correct ? Please correct me if i am wrong.

Thanks,

A.Thanigaivel

[Yogesh9881]

Hi,

Before sugesstions we need to know below .....

1. How you are managing tape in existing NBU environments ?

2. Are you performing offsite tape ?

3  How many blank tapes do you have now with you ?

4. Do you have any ready barcode with you ?

[thanigaivel]

Hi Yogesh,

Please find the comments below

1. Its a new & small environment with SL48 tape lib. therefore till now only 5 tapes have been full(totally 15 tapes are being used).

2. We do not have offsite tapes.

3. Approx. 30 tapes are unused in the Netbackup

4. Do you mean about barcode stickers to stick to tapes physically ? if so no barcodes with us.

thanks&regards,

A.Thanigaivel

[Marianne]

So i understand that first i have to export all the images to another media's and expire the existing one. 

NO! There is not need to duplicate media.

Have you read the posts that I have mentioned above?

Simply make a note of the tapes containing backups (Assigned), check the slot number and A00.. media id for that particular slot, stick a barcode label on, then put the tape back in the same slot.
Use robtest 's s' to see if robot reads 6 or 8 characters on the barcode. Use the same format with 'vmchange -barcode ... ' command.
Next, use vmchange to add the barcode to media-id.
e.g. vmchange -barcode <barcode> -m A00001

This means that tapes with unexpired backups will keep their A000.. media-id but barcode field will be added. When they eventually expire, you can delete them from NBU and label them (see posts that I have mentioned above) to overwrite the internal label.

All tapes that are not Assigned (no backups) can be deleted (including cleaning tape(s)) followed by Inventory once barcode labels have been added.

PLEASE ensure that Cleaning tapes have different labels - preferably starting with CLN.
Add Barcode Rule for Cleaning tapes as per my post above before you perform Inventory once labels have been stuck on the tapes.

SO - to get back to the purpose of this post:

Stick CLN labels on cleaning tapes, and add them to None pool and appropriate CLN density that matches drive density.
 

[thanigaivel]

Thanks marianne,

Really appreciate your guidance

Will check here as per the guidance provided above and come back to you.

Thank you once again

[Yogesh9881]

Hi

You are lucky b'coz " till now only 5 tapes have been full(totally 15 tapes are being used)."

& in continuation of wonderfull suggestion by marianne,

1. stick barcodes on all remaining blank media & duplicate your used 15 media to new media with barcode

2. till barcode available try to avoide removing used tape from library.

3. maintain manually record according to backup rotation.

[Mark_Solutions · Accepted solution]

Your original question was about finding your cleaning tape...

If you view you media on the admin console and right click the header ro you can choose Columns - Layout

From the list it brings up select "Media Status" and click the "show" icon so that it then appears on your view

There is every chance that if it tried to use the cleaning tape as a normal tape it would have frozen it - so its status would be frozen

There is also the possibility that in your library setup (connect to the library via its own web interface) it is configured to do its won cleaning and has a slot dedicated to do that

If that is the case then it will actually hide that slot and tape from NetBackup - so only the library itself will see it

The cleaning tape is easy to deal with if not - make a note of all of the media IDs in the library and then physically go and remove it from the library - then update the inventory

The tape shown as going from the library to standa alone is your cleaning tape - you should then delete that media ID from NetBackup - put a barcode label on the cleaning tape (preferably CLN***), add a barcode rule that says a tape starting in CLN is a 1/2 inch cleaning tape 2 - add it back and update the inventory

You should then be sorted