Scalise, Kathleen (NSTS.JAX) wrote:
> I too experience this problem.  On my old UNIX server 6.1.3, Scalar 1000
> as well as on my new Windows server 7.2.1, Scalar i2k.
> 
> I have a script that emails me the tapes available in my changer.  I
> show useable tapes (tapes that are not full), expired tapes as well as
> FULL tapes.  The FULL tapes shows the expiration date of the tapes.  
> 
> NOTE:  tapes 000030 and 000031 have expired, however there are 4
> savesets on the tape (000030) that are still browseable, incremental
> backups from 5/15 and 5/16.

They can't have expired. Volumes that still contain browsable save sets
have not expired - by definition. What criteria are you using to make
the decision that they have expired?

> Browse and retention policy is set to 4
> weeks.  On tape 000031 the same 2 clients savesets an incremental from
> 5/17.  The oldest FULL index I have for these clients are from 5/14, and
> by removing the oldest cycle from the index on these clients it changes
> the status to recov, but still doesn't change the status of the tape to
> expired/recyc.

No it won't. The tape won't get marked as recyclable until nsrim runs
(approximately daily). Also be aware that by deleting the oldest cycle
you have removed the capability to restore to a point in time that
coincides with your retention policy. Remember that in order to restore
from an incremental you need to retain the next oldest full backup that
the incremental depends on, even if this was written before 4 weeks ago.

> 
> 
>  These tapes will be available for recycling on the Expires date  
>  pool          volume         written flags   expires
> NonFull        000002          750 GB        6/22/2006
> NonFull        000011          810 GB        6/28/2006
> NonFull        000012          828 GB        6/20/2006
> NonFull        000013          795 GB        6/30/2006
> NonFull        000014          617 GB         7/3/2006
> NonFull        000015          710 GB         7/4/2006
> NonFull        000025          756 GB         7/6/2006
> NonFull        000027          816 GB        7/12/2006
> NonFull        000028          721 GB        7/10/2006
> NonFull        000030          839 GB        6/13/2006
> NonFull        000031          750 GB        6/15/2006
> NonFull        000043          818 GB        7/14/2006
> 
> 
> I send myself this email daily because I have to manually set the mode
> to recyc.  I DO NOT have Auto Media Management set to yes.  The
> explanation for that field states that it will include automatic
> labeling of BLANK tapes.  These are not blank.  I do have the pools set
> to auto recycle and recycle from other pools.
> 
> This has always been troublesome for me...

What is the basis for the decision in the report that these tapes are
recyclable? Is it taking the simplistic view that the last backup was 4
weeks ago? This is flawed logic. NetWorker is cleverer than that.

Just trust NetWorker to get it right (it is good at this) and let tapes
recycle when they are genuinely recyclable.

At least YOU understand what AMM does.  :-)

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