ADSM-L

Re: multiple label libvols?

2000-08-16 11:48:51
Subject: Re: multiple label libvols?
From: "Kelly J. Lipp" <lipp AT STORSOL DOT COM>
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 09:48:08 -0600
No.

Well, sort of.  You can use the dsmlabel utility to label the drives.  I
think this will work for 3494 libraries.  The downside of dsmlabel is it
works outside of TSM. It does not know what TSM knows and should only be
used for the initial labeling of tapes during a new install.  It will gladly
write new labels on tapes that TSM already knows, so be careful.  The good
news is it can use all the drives you specify while label libvol will only
use one at a time.

The syntax for dsmlabel is (and you will find dsmlabel in the utils
directory on NT and in the server/bin directory on UNIX):

dsmlabel -library=/dev/rmt/lb0 -drive=/dev/rmt/mt0 -drive=/dev/rmt/mt1 (keep
adding drives as you wish)
     -search -overwrite (careful!!!) -barcode -keep (to keep the tapes in
the library after labeling)

If you type dsmlabel without any qualifiers, you will get some help.  Be
careful with -overwrite.  -barcode says use the barcode as the label source.

This is a neat command to use to have your library do something.  We ran it
on a 3575 with six drives and 320 tapes and the library didn't stop moving
for an hour.  Well, it did stop moving after about 20 minutes when the a
tape got stuck in a drive and the library pulled it out and spewed tape all
over the inside of the library.  The good news about that was the customer
had left the room a couple of minutes before it happened.  I'd rather be
lucky than good.

Now, how about it developers?  Why can't we have a label libvol processes=
switch that will allow us to use all those expensive tape drives?

Kelly J. Lipp
Storage Solutions Specialists, Inc.
PO Box 51313
Colorado Springs CO 80949-1313
(719) 531-5926
Fax: (719) 260-5991
Email: lipp AT storsol DOT com
www.storsol.com
www.storserver.com


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