Good idea for sites that have the need to read an 8 char label in an library 
that only supports the 6 characters.  I'll try this myself.

I still believe that if you are starting from scratch it is best to set up the 
library to only use 6 characters. Then there is no need for any special 
consideration down the line.

William Boyer <bjdboyer AT COMCAST DOT NET> wrote:
Just check the tapes in with CHECKLABEL=YES instead of CHECKLABEL=BARCODE. Then 
TSM/the library will ignore the barcodes and read
the internal label. Once they're checked in TSM only uses the element numbers 
to move tapes around.

Now if you have a lot of tapes to checkin, this could take a while.

Bill Boyer
"Some days you're the bug, some days you're the windshield" - ??

-----Original Message-----
From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf Of 
TSM_User
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 3:06 PM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: Re: 8 or 6 character

We have found that if you check the tapes into a library that does not read the 
last 2 characters then you can not use them. It is
a good idea to use the 6 character configuration.

As an example if you have a tape seen as A00001L1 in an IBM library the TSM DB 
will know the tape as this. When you check it into
an STK library as A00001 TSM will not assume it is the same tape at the L1.

We have sites with both IBM 3583's and STK L40's at our hot site we have one of 
each as well for recovery. We did not make sure to
turn off the reading of the last two characters so now we can read our STK 
tapes in the IBM library but not the other way around.

Maybe if you were in a major pinch there would be a way to update the database 
with the help of support but there is no rename
volume command in TSM.

Otto Schakenbos wrote:
today we became our new 3584 (to replace 2 x 7337) and we are of course
very happy. Now the initial adrenaline shock is over and we stopped
drooling I remembered something about 8 and 6 character labels. The
library currently uses 8 character labels, what happens if, in a
disaster recovery scenario for example, I need to use a library that
can only read 6 character label. (which is every non-ibm library if i
recall correctly?)
Am I able to read my volumes in such a library or is it a good idea to
switch to 6 character now for compatibility since it is still relatively
easy to do so at this point? (will need to re-label all my shiny new
volumes but that is ok)
I know it has been posted before but can't find it.

thnx

--
Otto Schakenbos
System Administrator

TEL: +49-7151/502 8468
FAX: +49-7151/502 8489
MOBILE: +49-172/7102715
E-MAIL: oschakenbos AT teleflex DOT com

Teleflex Holding GmbH
Corporate IT Europe
Fronackerstrasse 33-35
71332 Waiblingen
GERMANY


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