This is not a flow chart but some things to do.

You can "query cont" to see if the tape has data on it.  If it doesn't then
see if it is a DBbackup, look at volhistory.

If it does have data, then where is it?  "Query libv libx volume" will show
if it is in a library.  If yes, I then update vol xxx acc=reado and then do
a "move data" on it to clean it off.  If this works, I decide to keep it or
scrap it.  I usually scrap them after three problems.

If it is not in the library check "q drm" or "q volhistory" or "query media"
and try and decide what to do.  If you can not find it anywhere and it has
data on it then you need to declare it destroyed and do a restore and hope
that all the copy tapes are good. You can use preview=yes to find which copy
tapes that you will need.

To try and catch this early I have scripts that do things.  One reports all
tapes readonly and all tapes unavailable (both in library and out).  Once a
week I audit a group of tapes in the library.  I do the groups by the last
number in the label.  Thus on this Wed I do all that end in 3 and next Wed I
do all that end in 4.  In ten weeks I will have audited all my private data
tapes in the libraries and then start over again.  These audits find bad
files as well as bad tapes.  This way I am proactive and try and find them
before a client finds them during a restore and fails.

Hope this helps (this may not be the best but is how I am doing it),


--
Phillip Ford
Phillip Ford
Senior Software Specialist
Corporate Computer Center
Schering-Plough Corp.
(901) 320-4462
(901) 320-4856 FAX
phillip.ford AT spcorp DOT com