You could always set the tape volumes you don't want overwritten to a 
"read-only" status - what I am unsure of is if Networker will still see the 
data as expired and recycle it anyway.  I have to do that a lot as of late 
because our offsite storage keeps sending back tapes that were sent just a week 
or so before saying their retention period is up - our tape retention is 6 
months and tapes are returning in 2 weeks.  So, under media I will set the tape 
volume to read-only and then add the tape volume to Networker's library, and 
inventory the tape volume(s) so I can check the savesets just to be sure they 
were sent back prematurely.  I'm always afraid Networker will grab one by 
mistake, but it's nice to refresh my memory on how it checks for available 
media again.  Perhaps I'm just overcautious...




Bryan
Storage/Database Administrator

________________________________________
From: EMC NetWorker discussion [NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU] on behalf 
of Michael Leone [Michael.Leone AT PHA.PHILA DOT GOV]
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 10:11 AM
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Subject: Re: [Networker] Precedence of use - expired or blank tape, in the same 
pool?

> Hello,
>
> here's the info that's at my disposal, it's not an official document.

That's great and very helpful, thanks. My tests seemed to indicate that,
too. I had 2 unmounted tapes from the same pool, one appendable (well, 0%
used, so blank) and one recyclable. The job pulled the appendable (blank)
tape first. But I didn't know if there was an order of precedence (I
assumed there was), or if NW just randomly choose an available unmounted
tape from the required pool.


>
> How networker selects a volume for writing :
>
> After a backup starts and the Networker server determines what pool
> the save set should be written to, it?s now necessary to determine
> what volume within the pool to use.
>
> 5 categories in order of priority : (each requiring the volume
> available on an appropriate storage node)
>
>    - mounted, appendable volume from the required pool
>      Not currently mounted ? Server sends an Alert ?Volume not
> immediately available? and
>      continues search.
>    - unmounted, appendable volume from the required pool
>    - unmounted, recyclable volume from the required pool
>    - unmounted recyclable volume from a different pool  (disabled
bydefault)
>
>    Now it depends if ?Auto media management ? is enabled or not.
>       - not enabled : volume request Is not cleared from Alerts and
> administrator
>                    must manually provide a volume
>       - enabled : networker looks for 1 more category
>
>    - unmounted, unlabeled volume (any volume without a Networker or EDM
(EMC
>      Datamanager) label.
>
>
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Jacques Lapeire
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
> ] On Behalf Of Michael Leone
> Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 3:07 PM
> To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
> Subject: [Networker] Precedence of use - expired or blank tape, in
> the same pool?
>
> I have a question from my legal staff. Let's suppose I create a tape
with
> a 2 months browse/retention policy. And I leave it in my library for
more
> than 2 months - i.e., it is now older than it's expiration period, and
is
> therefore recyclable (all savesets on the tape have expired). And I also

> have new blank tapes that are labeled in the same pool.
>
> Which will NW use first, if it needs a tape - will it re-label the
> recyclable tape, or will it use one of the blank unused tapes in the
same
> pool? And what settings would control that?
>
> (the reason for the question - we are legally prevented, at the moment,
> from overwriting any tape. So they want to know what will happen if we
> happen to put in an old tape that has expired, but have forgotten to
slide
> the switch to make the tape read-only. Will that tape be overwritten
> first, or will NW use unused, labeled tapes in the same pool first)
>
> --
> Michael Leone
> Network Administrator, ISM
> Philadelphia Housing Authority
> 2500 Jackson St
> Philadelphia, PA 19145
> Tel:  215-684-4180
> Cell: 215-252-0143
> <mailto:michael.leone AT pha.phila DOT gov>