Error Reading Label in tapes with data

[deividchannel]

Hi!!
I have the same problem as in this post (From the year 2002!!)
http://adsm.org/forum/showthread.php?t=882
I have done what "tneedham" sugested and.... Ok It works whith tapes whith no data
The problem is that I have some tapes whith data and I can

 

[heada]

What is the activity log output when you attempt to run the label command that is listed in the other post? I have the feeling that it fails because it will not allow you to check the volume in as scratch if it has data on it and that is part of the command.

-Aaron

 

[deividchannel]

First of all, thank you very very much for reply!!!

This is the log....

ANR8816E LABEL LIBVOLUME: Volume 196AJA in library LIB3583
cannot be labelled because it is currently defined in a
storage pool or in the volume history file. (SESSION:
2912, PROCESS: 365)

I have tried both comands:

label libvol lib3583 search=bulk labelsource=b checkin=scr overwrite=y
label libvol lib3583 search=bulk labelsource=b checkin=private overwrite=y

I

 

[heada]

Because the volume is in both the volume history file and defined to a storage pool, you best bet at this point would be to mark the volume as destroyed and restore it from either the copypool if it is a primary volume or from the primary pool if it is a copypool volume. If this is the only copy of the data, there might be some tricks you can try, but I wouldn't recommend it if you can recreate the volume.

-Aaron

 

[deividchannel]

Uff I dont know how to restore a tape from the copypool... but it doesnt matter, I dont mind to lose a tape or two.
The problem is why happends?
Why this problem is more frecuent every day
How to prevent the tapes from the error in the label
Thank you very very much

 

[BBB]

You aren't really having the same problem as tneedham. His problem was forgetting to label brand new out of the packet tapes before using them. You generally only need to label a tape once in its life.

The key question here is what exactly are you trying to achieve? Are you trying to create more scratch tapes?

Your problem is you appear to be trying to delete and re-label tapes that still have data on them (they are still in a storage pool or in the volume history without a trailing STGDEL entry). During normal operations you should ***not*** be doing this. There is no need to re-label tapes when you need more scratch tapes. You just checkin *empty* tapes as scratch, and there is no need to re-label them.

To get empty tapes, you need to run expiration and reclamation (or use "move data"), and review your retention policies. Deleting tapes with data on them to get more scratch tapes is really very unsafe. If you run out of space on your PC's hard disk, do you choose to randomly delete a few GB of data? I don't think so..

 

[deividchannel]

You aren't really having the same problem as tneedham. His problem was forgetting to label brand new out of the packet tapes before using them. You generally only need to label a tape once in its life.

The key question here is what exactly are you trying to achieve? Are you trying to create more scratch tapes?

Your problem is you appear to be trying to delete and re-label tapes that still have data on them (they are still in a storage pool or in the volume history without a trailing STGDEL entry). During normal operations you should ***not*** be doing this. There is no need to re-label tapes when you need more scratch tapes. You just checkin *empty* tapes as scratch, and there is no need to re-label them.

To get empty tapes, you need to run expiration and reclamation (or use "move data"), and review your retention policies. Deleting tapes with data on them to get more scratch tapes is really very unsafe. If you run out of space on your PC's hard disk, do you choose to randomly delete a few GB of data? I don't think so..

Hi!!

I am not trying to get more scratch tapes. there are some tapes in error of reading label (more each day!!!) and I want to prevent the problem.

Why the Error Readig Label is more frecuent each day?... what I am doing Bad?

 

[alimirza]

Can you actually post the error that you get regarding TSM not able to read the error. The error that you have posted simply indicates that a volume cannot be labeled again as its already labeled and has an entry in the volhis file. Kindly paste complete log for one volume with error.

 

[deividchannel]

For example I put the command:

move data hg0029 (in the command line)

and in the log.... (q act)
ANR8355E I/O error reading label for volume HG0029 in
drive DRIVE2 (mt2.0.0.3). (SESSION: 3648, PROCESS: 574)

This tape was fine and suddenly ....

You know what I mean?? (mybe my english is not as good as it sould be)

 

[deividchannel]

Can you actually post the error that you get regarding TSM not able to read the error. The error that you have posted simply indicates that a volume cannot be labeled again as its already labeled and has an entry in the volhis file. Kindly paste complete log for one volume with error.

let me explain again:

A tape give me the error:
ANR8355E I/O error reading label for volume XXXXX in
drive DRIVEX (mt2.0.0.3). (SESSION: 3648, PROCESS: 574)

If the tape is empty (data has expired)
label libvol lib3583 search=bulk labelsource=b checkin=scr overwrite=y
It works
I am Happy
else (If The tape has data....)
Problem....

How can I at least prevent the error
ANR8355E I/O error reading label for volume XXXXX in
drive DRIVEX (mt2.0.0.3). (SESSION: 3648, PROCESS: 574)
Why it happends?

Uf thanks for lost time with me

 

[heada]

It appears that your drives are having an issue reading tape labels. I would check the cleaning cycle of the drives to make sure the read/write heads aren't dirty. Also, what are the conditions where the tapes are stored? If it is dusty or very humid, the tapes could be damaged. If none of these are the issue, I would check with the drive vendor to perform any maintenance on the drive and update any firmware on the drive.

-Aaron

 

[BBB]

Yeh I agree very much with Aaron, especially if this is happening a lot.

Have you done many test restores lately? If you run a few "audit vols" this will make TSM check all the data stored on the tape media is still readable.

Lables mysteriously becoming unreadable could be a sign of some sort of insidious problem messing up your tapes... Just fixing the labels is sort of side-stepping what could be a symptom of something more serious.

 

[deividchannel]

So I have a problem...
I have cleaned the drives recently. The tapes are stored in a Special place with good
conditions of Temperature, etc
I have been tolking with vendor. He sais that is very inusual that both drives fails at the
same time... and change them is 6.000 Euros each, I have two, so 12.000 Euros

Well thank you all... if tere is something new I will advise.
Regards

 

[GregE]

Did you ever discover what was causing your issue? It sounds like exactly my issue. Tapes with data having problems. I no longer have no confidence in restores until this is fixed.