Checkin / Checkout in VTL

[tariq.kaifi]

Hello,

Few volumes (in VTL) are gone unavailable in my library client. So, from library manager, I checked out one VTL tape and it went fine with no errors (now "q libvol" is not showing it). But, when I am trying to checkin that same VTL volume again in library manager, its looking for the volume in entry/exit port of library and the process is failing.

Is there any different way to perform checkin/checkouts in VTL or I should have not tried this option at all?

Will audit library pulls this volume again into the VTL?

Suggestions please?? Thanks

 

[hogmaster]

hi,
Depending on the type of VTL and you actual checkout command the VTL may have removed the tapes from the entry exit port. If this is the case then you have to use the VTL tools to put the tapes into the entry exit port. Then you will have to do a CHECKIN LIBVOL name_of_lib SEARCH=BULK ...
Another possibility is that you are doing a
CHECKIN LIBVOL name_of_lib SEARCH=BULK when you should use SEARCH=YES to look within the VTL

 

[tariq.kaifi]

Thanks Hogmaster for coming back on this quickly.

We are using EMC DL4200 VTL and I used below command for checkout. Is this wrong in terms of VTL?
checkout libv <library_name> <volume_name> remove=no checklabel=no

And I didn't use SEARCH=BULK, instead tried with both options YES and NO but no luck.

Again, same question, will audit library help?

Thanks!

 

[hogmaster]

Hi
The checkout command you have used tells TSM not to put the tape in the entry/exit port, then
you have to use SEARCH=YES during checkin, search=yes mean to search within the library, not in the entry/exit port.

 

[tariq.kaifi]

Yes hogmaster, my understanding also says the same. I used SEARCH=YES but still it was trying in entry/exit port; not sure why??

Anyway, now I tweaked my checkin command a bit by using vollist parameter with value having only one volume name. And ran into below error.

Command used: checkin libv <library_name> search=yes status=private owner=<library_client> vollist=<volume_name>

11/04/10 10:31:14 ANR8422I CHECKIN LIBVOLUME: Operation for library
<library_name> started as process 19. (SESSION: 6623,
PROCESS: 19)
11/04/10 10:31:15 ANR8357I Error reading label of volume from slot-element
xxxx in drive <drive_name> (/dev/rmt94) of library
<library_name>. (SESSION: 6623, PROCESS: 19)
11/04/10 10:31:15 ANR8832E CHECKIN LIBVOLUME for volumes in search mode in
library <library_name> failed. (SESSION: 6623, PROCESS: 19)
11/04/10 10:31:15 ANR0985I Process 19 for CHECKIN LIBVOLUME running in the
BACKGROUND completed with completion state FAILURE at
10:31:15. (SESSION: 6623, PROCESS: 19)

So, what can I interpret in error "ANR8357I Error reading label of volume" in VTL?

Regards

 

[hogmaster]

The "Tape" is broken , i have seen this before on the EDL , I just can't remember i I had to checkout the volume adn let EDL recreate it and then checkin the tape and relebel it. First out just try to label the tapes using TSM. make sur that they are no longer used

label libvol name_of_lib search=yes labels=barcode overwrite=no checkin=scratch search=yes

if this doe not work then you have to checkout the volumes with remove=yes

Good luck

 

[tariq.kaifi]

Tape has valid data; cannot afford to checkin it as scratch

Will audit (from EDL side, not using TSM audit function) pull it back with all the data intact?
Do you see any hope of the volume coming back after rebooting the EDL (again with all the data intact)?

Unfortunately, problem occured before it could have backed up to offsite pool

Thanks!

 

[hogmaster]

Yes,try to audit the library usinng the EDL, and possibly to reboot it.

/Good luck.