Well, we can certainly set up cleaning from the library. Easy enough
there. According to the L80 tape users guide, if Automatic cleaning is
off (default), a clean message appears on the status display of the
operator panel. Of course, if NetWorker was configured not to auto
clean, then I suppose it would continue using the drive without a care,
and until someone noticed the alert message, this might continue for
some time. I work close to the box, so I can check but might miss a dat
or two? Does the library take the drive off line if more than a certain
amount of time passes before it's cleaned?
Also, when you say: "Once a month, whether you need it or not may be
acceptable for some things, but it's a really poor idea for drive
cleaning." how is a monthly schedule derived? I thought NetWorker asked
the drives/library first and didn't use a schedule?
Thanks.
George
Tim Mooney wrote:
>
> In regard to: Re: [Networker] Questions on setting up cleaning for...:
>
> > Hmmm ... How do you avoid the problem wherein the library goes to load a
> > cleaner tape, but NetWorker is in the middle of writing or reading to
> > that device or waiting to use that device?
>
> You don't, but in general that's very rare. Most libraries only clean
> a drive after its been idle for some period (perhaps 5 minutes). That's
> no guarantee that the library won't clean the drive just as NetWorker was
> getting ready to use it, but in my experience it's extremely rare.
>
> The alternative is NetWorker-controlled cleaning, which (at least through
> v6, it may be different with the SCSI Alert handling in V7) is IMHO much
> worse. "Once a month, whether you need it or not" may be acceptable for
> some things, but it's a really poor idea for drive cleaning. You're either
> cleaning too frequently or you're not cleaning often enough. Either way,
> you lose.
>
> We've had problems with library-initiated cleaning on our STK 9710 since
> we upgraded to SuperDLT drives, and I have to say it's my only gripe ever
> with StorageTek.
>
> I would rather completely disable any kind auto clean cleaning and monitor
> the drives programmatically (or visually, if that's convenient for you,
> for me it's not) than use NetWorker's (at least V6's) cleaning.
>
> Tim
> --
> Tim Mooney mooney AT dogbert.cc.ndsu.NoDak DOT
> edu
> Information Technology Services (701) 231-1076 (Voice)
> Room 242-J6, IACC Building (701) 231-8541 (Fax)
> North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105-5164
>
> --
> Note: To sign off this list, send a "signoff networker" command via email
> to listserv AT listmail.temple DOT edu or visit the list's Web site at
> http://listmail.temple.edu/archives/networker.html where you can
> also view and post messages to the list.
> =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
--
Note: To sign off this list, send a "signoff networker" command via email
to listserv AT listmail.temple DOT edu or visit the list's Web site at
http://listmail.temple.edu/archives/networker.html where you can
also view and post messages to the list.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
|
