This is true...but there is something else to consider.

If you are using IBM LTO Gen 1 drives, there was a bad level of microcode that
could write a EOT mark at the BOT.  A symptom of this is the inability to
read the
tape label.  If this is an offsite copy, you can reproduce it with your
onsite volumes
(assuming they have not suffered the same fate).  If you can't get the data
anywhere
else, and the problem is due to their microcode, IBM will recover the tape
for you
if you send it to them.

At 09:43 AM 2/20/2004, you wrote:

>The following error appears when TSM loads a specified tape:"Error:
>ANR8353E:I/O error reading label of volume in drive".
>Recommended action is to run DSMLABEL on tape but tape has valid backups
on it.
>Do you know of a way to label the volume again without losing the data?

Getting this error msg tends to mean that you have already lost the data,
in that the tape was written over by something other than TSM, as in a
shared library where inadequate controls are in place.
You can reattempt the reading on all your drives, and employ a utility to dump
the front of the tape to see what apparently re-used it.  Then pursue
corrrecting the procedural anomalies which caused the situation.
If a primary stgpool tape, you can perform a Restore Volume on it.
If a backup stgpool tape, Delete Volume and do a Backup Stgpool.

   Richard Sims,  http://people.bu.edu/rbs