This issue was discussed many times on this list. The main trick is to
update all volumes for low density tapes ACC=READOnly. The reason is that
3590E drives can only read low density tapes but cannot write to them at
low density. After either reclamation or MOVE DATA (i.e. manually forced
reclamation) the tape is free and you can start writing it at high density.
Should you "trap" and re-label cartridges is a question I cannot answer
from first hand - I haven't upgraded 3494 (yet). But you can try it by
yourself and prove it in practice - do MOVE DATA on a cartridge and write
some data on it (generate backupset, define new pool and the tape as
private, etc.). If it works ...

Zlatko Krastev
IT Consultant





Shawn Bierman <BiermanS AT METHODISTHEALTH DOT ORG> on 15.11.2001 21:20:15
Please respond to "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU>
To:     ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
cc:

Subject:        upgrading tape density

Hello,

** TSM 4.1 -- AIX 4.3.3.0 -- 3494 Library **

We upgraded our 3590B drives to 3590E1A drives.  We've also started using
the double density tapes (K).

If I am not mistaken, once the tape has been labeled it will remain at the
density that it was labeled at.  So, if I labeled a tape with the old 3590B
drives and the low density tape and this tape gets used and eventually
becomes scratch again, will it ever be re-labeled at the higher density so
that we are getting our moneys worth out of our upgrades?

I thought about using a script that would do a 'trap' and watch for tapes
becoming scratch and then just relabel them at that point.  Anyone been in
this situation before?

thanks for your time.
-shawn
Shawn L. Bierman
Shawn L. Bierman
Unix Technical Support Analyst II
Methodist Healthcare
Information Systems
(901) 516-0143 (office)
(901) 516-0043 (fax)