Alan,
My understanding is that a default  audit volume will physically read the
tape,
and mark as damaged in the database those files that it cannot read.
Subsequent
reads of that tape will then skip the damaged files.
If you specify aufit volume with the " fix=yes"  parameter then the database
entry for any unreadable file will be deleted.
Are you sure that it is the drives that are the problem and not the batch of
tapes.
What type of write errors are you seeing temporary or pemanent.
If they are permanent write errors I personally would ditch the tapes or at
least run an erase against
them before reuse.
regards,
John




Alan Davenport <alan.davenport AT selective DOT com> on 03/19/2002 06:43:56 PM

Please respond to "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <adsm-l AT vm.marist DOT edu>

To:   adsm-l AT vm.marist DOT edu
cc:    (bcc: John Naylor/HAV/SSE)
Subject:  Read-Only tapes.



Hello,

          I am running TSM 4.1 on OS/390 and using 3490E tapes. Since the
tapes themselves and the drives that use them are aging, I get several tapes
that go to read-only status due to write errors each week. I am currently
doing MOVE DATA on these volumes then UPD VOL 123456 ACCESS=READW after the
data is moved off of the tape. My question is does an AUDIT VOL 123456
actually verify the data on the tape or does it just verify the database
entries for the volume?  I know that a move data function, by its very
nature, verifies that the data can be read. It also has the advantage of
getting the data off of a suspect tape.  However the disadvantage is that
two drives as opposed to one are required for move data and in most cases
the tapes are OK and the write error is due to a drive hiccup. I would like
to hear your thoughts on this.

    Take care,
          Al

Alan Davenport
Senior Storage Administrator
Selective Insurance
alan.davenport AT selectvie DOT com
(973) 948-1306








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