How to REUSE medias from OFF SITE

[sunilmoses]

We have a site where we have setup a simple copypool media setup, however when trying to reuse the medias from off site, we are facing some strange issues. Need some help. Do allow me to explain what we have done. TSM version 5.3.2 on AIX



1. Backup happens each day by mounting a FlashCopy volumes to the TSM server, backup is done manually.



2. Each day a JOB runs (created as a server maintainence script using Administration console wizards), to copy changed data to a volume in copy pool. Tape libraray has multiple tape drives.



This is successfull.



At the end of it we have chosen to mark the status of tape as VAULT and do automatic edject to I/O slot.



This works well.



3. Customer takes medias, keeps track of it and brings it back exactly after one week if its a working day, or exactly one week later if its not a working day.



4. Meanwhile we have a schedule to do RECLAIM of OFF Site medias in CopyPool. This is also working as we can see the utilization come down. HOWEVER, CRAZY issue RECLAIMED media shows 0.1 % Utilized.



5. When we manually did a UPDATE Volume with following command it worked well ONCE



update volume * access=readwrite location="" wherestg=copypool

wherestatus=empty,filling whereaccess=offsite



or at least that what we think, we are not sure if the LOCATION parameer was specified as VAULT when the command was run..



6. Now daily when the customer runs the above command as below



update volume * access=readwrite location="" wherestg=copypool wherestatus=empty,filling whereaccess=offsite,unavailable



we got this status



ANR2207I Volume OOS164L3 updated.

ANR2207I Volume OOS168L3 updated.

ANR2207I Volume OOS169L3 updated.

ANR2207I Volume OOS170L3 updated.

ANR2207I Volume OOS171L3 updated.



7. However medias continue to show 0.1% utilised.



8. What even more disturbing is that medias RECLAIMED today and reintroduced into the library are being reused and their utilisation is increasing. This means things are happening.



9. So in short OFF Site medias are being reused, however a list of 12 medias continue to show in the CopyPool, customer is of the belief that reuse is not happening.

Things were not happening earlier and at that time SIX medias were in the list, now a total of 12 medias are being reported DAILY in the CopyPool. This is disturbing the customer, he thinks Off Media are not getting REUSED andhe will run outof medias.

DOUBTS



A. What are we missing, we cannot deploy DR etc as off site medias are taken directly to customers office and we cannot expect him to keep UPDATING TSM db etc, He will miss out of some steps, so we are trying to simplify and request that he runs one command for reuse only.



B. Is it to do with the parameter LOCATION in the above command, as the medias status when checked shows UNAVAILABLE, once one of our engineers changed it to VAULT and then ran above command, medias showed SCRATCH. Is this the only method or can we do it in one command line.



Do advice, we were trying to simplify things for the customer as he sits far away from the TSM site, and all management is remote



warm regards

Sunil

 

[moon-buddy]

I doubt if you have setup the environment correctly.

The right setup should make the OFFSITE copy pool media to be marked as EMPTY after a reclamation is complete. You should not be issuing any update command.

 

[tony_g]

I am seeing the same issue with many tapes. TSM 5.3.4 for AIX.

This is from the actlog after a reclamation process had finished.

12/07/2007 09:44:23      ANR1040I Space reclamation started for volume 000858,
                          storage pool 3584POOL_ONCSP (process number 326).
                          (SESSION: 22515, PROCESS: 326)
12/07/2007 09:57:07      ANR4933I Space reclamation ended for offsite volume
                          000858. (SESSION: 22515, PROCESS: 328)

However...

tsm: TSM>q drmedia 000858 f=d

           Volume Name: 000858
                 State: Vault
 Last Update Date/Time: 06/19/2006 14:38:22
              Location: VAULT
           Volume Type: CopyStgPool
Copy Storage Pool Name: 3584POOL_ONCSP
     Automated LibName:

tsm: TSM>q vol 000858 f=d

                   Volume Name: 000858
             Storage Pool Name: 3584POOL_ONCSP
             Device Class Name: 3584DRIVE_DC
            Estimated Capacity: 134,808.6
       Scaled Capacity Applied:
                      Pct Util: 0.1
                 Volume Status: Full
                        Access: Offsite
        Pct. Reclaimable Space: 100.0
               Scratch Volume?: Yes
               In Error State?: No
      Number of Writable Sides: 1
       Number of Times Mounted: 1
             Write Pass Number: 1
     Approx. Date Last Written: 06/18/2006 16:22:22
        Approx. Date Last Read: 06/17/2006 17:47:44
           Date Became Pending:
        Number of Write Errors: 0
         Number of Read Errors: 0
               Volume Location: VAULT
Volume is MVS Lanfree Capable : No
Last Update by (administrator): ADMIN
         Last Update Date/Time: 06/19/2006 14:38:22
          Begin Reclaim Period:
            End Reclaim Period:
  Drive Encryption Key Manager:


tsm: TSM>move data 000858
ANR2232W This command will move all of the data stored on volume 000858
to other volumes within the same storage pool; the data will be inaccessible
to users until the operation completes.

Do you wish to proceed? (Yes (Y)/No (N)) y
ANR2209W Volume 000858 contains no data.
ANS8001I Return code 11.

tsm: TSM>q content 000858
ANR2034E QUERY CONTENT: No match found using this criteria.
ANS8001I Return code 11.

Reuse delay on the copy pool is set to 0. Any ideas on how I should proceed to reclaim these tapes?