tape label not match when inventory in netbackup 6.5

[Kevin_Xau]

Hi all,

I have 24 tapes and one HP MSL2024 Tape Library. The Netbackup software is running on windows server 2003. The backup schedule is running on Monday, Wedsday, Friday 11:30 PM, before this backup running, the physical inventory will be running through the script at 11:00 PM.

 - On first week, there will use 12 tapes to backup as label : 111MON, 112MON, 113MON, 114MON, 131WED, 132WED, 133WED, 134WED, 151FRI, 152FRI, 153FRI, 154FRI.

- On second week, there will use 12 tapes to backup as label : 211MON, 212MON, 213MON, 214MON, 231WED, 232WED, 233WED, 234WED, 251FRI, 252FRI, 253FRI, 254FRI.

I follow these steps to add new tapes and label it: right click MEDIA --> New Volumes 

        - Media Type: 1/2 cartridge tape 3

        - Robot: TLD(0)-svrvmw01

        - Number of volumes: 1

        - Media ID: 111MON

        - Media Description: W111MON

        - First slot number: 1

        - Maximum mounts/maximum cleaning: 0

        - Volume group: 000_00000_TLD

        - Volume pool: Monday_Tapes

After that, I right click the tape just create (111MON), then click LABEL, and the process display sucessful on Activity Monitor. Then I do the Inventory Robot with third option ( Update volume configuration), the message display is update configuration sucessfully. And with second option (Compare content with volume configuration), I see some tape have barcode like W111MON, W113MON, W134WED, W151FRI, but some tapes is NONE.

Another tapes I also do like that, and the backup is run sucessful for one week.

The second I also do the task as first week (some tapes also miss the barcode like first week tapes), the backup job run sucessful. However, when go to the next week (3rd week), I put the first week 12 tapes inside tape library, and run the inventory robot with the second option (Compare content with volume configuration), the error display with missmatch detected and the backup job is fail.

So, can anybody give me the solution how to solve this problem?

Thanks

Kevin

[Marianne]

Do you have physical barcodes on the tapes? Does your library have a barcode reader?

If the answer to any of these questions is NO, then you should never use NBU Inventory option in the GUI.

Without barcodes on the tape or without a barcode reader, NBU Inventory will always add tapes as new media IDs.

You should always use the Physical Inventory from cmd. This will load each tape, read the internal label and update NBU config.

See the following topics in chapter 9 of Admin Guide I  :

When to inventory a robot

Using the physical inventory utility

[Kevin_Xau]

Hi,

When I check the specification for HP MSL2024, I see it is integrated with barcode reader. About the tapes, how can I check it has the physical barcodes or not?

- About the inventory, I use both command and NBU Imventory option, but the backup alsway fail when I replace 12 tapes (for second week) with 12 tapes (for first weeks)

Thanks.

[Marianne · Accepted solution]

3 ways to check:

1. Have a look at the back of one of the tapes - Computer printed barcode or hand-written label?
2. Use robtest to show contents of all slots:
   s s  
   TN for robtest usage: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH83129
3. Check output of 'Show Contents' in Robot Inventory

[Kevin_Xau]

Hi,

1. It is hand-written label.

2. When I use Robtest with option s s, some tapes have barcode row, some don'e have.

3. When running "Show Content" in Robot Inventory, some tapes have barcode like: W111MON, W112MON, W132WED, W151FRI although I don't do the barcode on them, some tapes are NONE. 

Thanks

[Marianne]

You need to eject the ones that show up as NONE and physically check for barcode labels on them.

[Kevin_Xau]

What you mean about physical check for barcode on the tape show as NONE?

[mph999]

Take the tape out of the library and look at it with your mk1 eyeballs.

If there is a barcode on the tape, report back here ...

If there is not a barcode on the tape, report back here

Martin

[Kevin_Xau]

Hi,

I've check all tapes, some tapes have barcode inside (old tapes), some new tapes don't have the barcode. So what I can do now?

Thanks

[Marianne]

Purchase tape labels. Your tape vendor will be able to assist. In the meantime, read up in the manual on how to deal with non-barcoded media. See my 1st reply above.

[Kevin_Xau]

Hi Marianne,

So I will add the new tape media for non-barcode tapes as my first post, then I use the command : vmphyinv -rn <robot_number> -rh <robot_control_host> -slot_range <from> <to> -d <density>

to scan all of media inside library, right?

[Marianne]

That is correct. 

PLEASE purchase labels! NBU is a NIGHTMARE without barcodes.