Export node to tape - import elsewhere

[c.j.hund]

Hi all,

It looks like export/import questions are the thing today.

I have a simple question, and I thought after years of doing TSM I understood this process, but maybe not:

Can you export a node's archive data to tape, eject that tape from your library, then import it into an entirely different TSM instance and library?

I thought this was possible. However, when my tape arrived and I was checking it into the new TSM instance, I got an error message stating that there was a problem with the tape's label. I'm not entirely sure if that's expected here or not. So, I did a "label libv" on the tape with an "overwrite=no", and after that I WAS able to check my tape into the TSM instance I want to move this archive data to. Everything is looking good at this point. I go to import my node and it's archive data into this new TSM instance (specifying the volume in the import command), and I get a:

09/04/2008 11:47:49 ANR1366W Input volume A##### contains an invalid identifier. (SESSION: 12429)

Perhaps something happened to my tape during shipping that ruined its label, or maybe I just need to re-label the tape with an "overwrite=yes"?

Sincere thanks for any input,
C.J.

 

[heada]

It is very possible to perform an export/import just as you want to do but it looks like the importing TSM server can not read the tape correctly. Are you importing to the same platform that you exported from? Same tape drive type and firmware level?

-Aaron

 

[c.j.hund]

It is very possible to perform an export/import just as you want to do but it looks like the importing TSM server can not read the tape correctly. Are you importing to the same platform that you exported from? Same tape drive type and firmware level?

-Aaron

The platforms and tape drives are similar enough that I don't think that should be the issue. However, I just discovered that the tapes coming from the outbound library are encrypted by the tape drives, and we do not have a similar service running on the tape drives on the inbound library. I'm going to guess that's what's causing this error message:

09/04/2008 12:45:59 ANR0798E IMPORT NODE: Error encountered in accessing data
storage - volume cannot be used. (SESSION: 12429)

 

[heada]

If one encrypts and the other can't decrypt then its all garbage. This is by design.

-Aaron

 

[c.j.hund]

I'm still having an issue with importing data. A quick run down of the situation:

I turned off decru on a group of tapes in one environment. This is how we were encrypting data. Once I verified these tapes were no longer being used by decru, I went ahead and exported data to the tapes. That went perfectly, and I was able to verify that the data on the tapes was unencrypted.

That was step 1. Step 2:

I sent these tapes to an entirely different TSM environment. There is no connection between the new and old TSM servers. I'm conducting a test whereby I'm attempting to import all the archive data for one of my nodes. All of this data is contained on a single tape. At first I was having a problem getting the tape mounted. My library manager was reporting a problem reading the label on the tape. I checked the tape back out and then labelled it in with "overwrite=no". Now I can mount the tape, but when I attempt to import the data off that tape into this new environment, I get the following error messages:
12/02/2008 12:54:44 ANR8337I LTO volume **3841 mounted in drive LTO0314 (/dev/rmtlto-0314). (SESSION: 27983)
12/02/2008 12:54:44 ANR0510I Session 27983 opened input volume **3841. (SESSION: 27983)
12/02/2008 12:54:44 ANR1366W Input volume **3841 contains an invalid identifier. (SESSION: 27983)
12/02/2008 12:54:44 ANR0514I Session 27983 closed volume A03841. (SESSION: 27983)

Both servers are at the same level, 5.3.5.2. The only difference I can see between the old and new environments is that the device class I'm importing to is of type "DRIVE", as where the device class I exported from was of type "ULTRIUM 2". I wouldn't think that would matter, as the drives in this new environment are ULTRIUM 2 as well.

I haven't tried overwriting the existing label on this tape I'm importing from, but now that I can mount the thing, I wouldn't think that'd matter. I'm stumped as to what to try next.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
C.J.

 

[c.j.hund]

The messages on the library client relating to this import:

12/02/2008 12:53:44 ANR2017I Administrator ****** issued command: IMPORT NODE
******* filedata=all devclass=****** dates=relative volumenames=**3841 (SESSION: 27983)
12/02/2008 12:54:44 ANR0798E IMPORT NODE: Error encountered in accessing data
storage - volume cannot be used. (SESSION: 27983)
12/02/2008 12:54:44 ANR0985I Process 771 for IMPORT NODE running in the
BACKGROUND completed with completion state FAILURE at
12:54:44. (SESSION: 27983)

 

[c.j.hund]

More information on the firmware levels involved here on the drives in question.

The environment I exported out of had 4 drives. One drive was at 67U1, the other three were at 73V1.

All the drives in this environment I'm importing to are at 67U1.

I wouldn't think this firmware level difference would account for the "invalid identifier" message I'm receiving. It's almost like the data is still encrypted.

 

[heada]

Firmware has bitten many people in the past. Make sure the level that you are writting to is the same that you are reading from. If there are errors after that, then we can look for some other gremlin.

-Aaron