Volume Status=Full yet Pct Util: 46.5 and Pct. Reclaimable Space: 54.3 ???

[dannyblair]

My TSM server is starting to go through tapes like candy again, which may be a completly different problem than what I am asking here but I have to know...

When I q vol on my tapepool, i get a list of tons of STATUS=FULL tapes that could/should be reclaimed becuase there is tons of space on them. I would imagine I am not understanding something. Anyone care to help? Thanks a bunch. Here is an example:

Volume Name Storage Device Estimated Pct Volume
Pool Name Class Name Capacity Util Status
------------------------ ----------- ---------- --------- ----- --------
001171 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 272.3 G 52.5 Full
001382 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 411.0 G 39.7 Full
001388 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 324.1 G 99.9 Full
001511L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 405.3 G 100.0 Full
001528L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 568.1 G 60.1 Full
001529L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 693.3 G 48.5 Full
001531L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 405.4 G 100.0 Full
001533L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 405.8 G 100.0 Full
001536L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 405.3 G 75.4 Full
001538L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 588.7 G 44.3 Full
001539L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 411.7 G 57.7 Full
001543L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 406.0 G 99.7 Full
001545L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 474.5 G 89.4 Full
001561L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 482.8 G 85.4 Full
001568L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 486.0 G 86.4 Full
001569L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 518.8 G 77.9 Full
001581L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 403.9 G 69.7 Full
001585L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 507.3 G 72.6 Full
001597L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 611.5 G 51.0 Full
001609L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 616.4 G 48.3 Full
001618L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 519.2 G 67.0 Full
001620L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 580.4 G 49.6 Full
001630L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 521.9 G 65.0 Full
001633L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 461.2 G 91.7 Full
001642L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 405.7 G 100.0 Full
001644L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 405.7 G 100.0 Full
001646L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 482.1 G 75.4 Full
001648L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 579.9 G 63.7 Full
001649L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 407.0 G 99.8 Full
001656L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 509.2 G 73.7 Full
001657L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 405.6 G 100.0 Full
001659L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 450.3 G 91.8 Full
001673L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 436.0 G 92.8 Full
001677L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 405.4 G 100.0 Full
001679L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 556.4 G 63.3 Full
001683L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 430.8 G 99.3 Full
001691L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 583.7 G 57.0 Full
001707L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 451.9 G 98.7 Full
001710L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 402.9 G 100.0 Full
001711L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 404.6 G 99.8 Full
001712L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 428.2 G 86.1 Full
001713L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 571.6 G 59.3 Full
001717L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 450.7 G 84.6 Full
001719L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 620.9 G 56.0 Full
001720L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 498.9 G 70.9 Full
001727L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 504.1 G 69.7 Full
001728L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 566.8 G 52.0 Full
001730L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 559.7 G 65.9 Full
001732L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 506.6 G 88.3 Full
001736L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 550.7 G 62.1 Full
001737L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 539.7 G 99.9 Full
001742L3 TAPEPOOL LTOTAPE 417.8 G 88.6 Full

[moon-buddy]

Expiration running? If it is, this explains why the tapes says 48.5%, 63.7%, etc FULL.

Run reclamation to maximize tape usage.

[dannyblair]

Expiration running? If it is, this explains why the tapes says 48.5%, 63.7%, etc FULL.

Run reclamation to maximize tape usage.

Yes reclamation is running. I guess I am thinking about this backwards then, if the tape 64.7% full, then it should have 36% free, and be marked as FILLING and allow more data to be written to it?

[Sunhillow]

No, at the same time the tape is filled with new data, other data on it may expire due to retainment policies. And once end of tape is reached, the tape is marked FULL because sequential backup systems usually never write into the (virtual!) gaps on the tape that are created during expiration.

[dannyblair]

This is strange. I did not know that it worked that way. Seems wasteful. I thought reclamation handeled this.

[moon-buddy]

This is strange. I did not know that it worked that way. Seems wasteful. I thought reclamation handeled this.

This is not wasteful as this is the only way to ensure data protection/security - not to over write anything!

This is what reclamation was designed for.