Label libvol and Checkin libvol difference

[MasterLee]

My library is 3584 TS4500 and server is 8.1.4 version. I have 4 tsm app servers and corresponding to 4 logical libraries. My autolabel on library is disable. What I was confused is, how I checkin new tapes?
If I 'checkin libvol <vol name> checklabel=barcode' for a new tape cartridges, will it also be labelled?
and how to checkin tapes which used to be in another tsm server/logical library but I have deleted in tsm app and re-assigned in library?

 

[RecoveryOne]

Label libvol is to initialize 'new' tapes. If you are moving tapes from one library to another (logical or otherwise) you will need to use the overwrite=yes. This will likely render any data useless on the volume, so should only be used if you are 100% sure you don't need that volume elsewhere.

Checkin libvol is generally used if you have to export tapes for whatever reason, and then load them back into the library for further writes, a restore or as scratch tape. This will not label/initialize a new tape for use.

It goes much deeper than that, and check out the documentation on the two commands.
Since you mentioned multiple logical libraries, there is a good chance you will need to tell which library the tapes belong to. I have a split 3310, and when I add tapes to the mailslots, I need to select which logical library those tapes belong to.

 

[MasterLee]

tksfor your reply. my library is 3584 ts4500. i have 4 logical libraries and 4 tsm servers. in library, i normally split tape cartridges to 4 logical partition. so each of tsm server can see about 25% of tape volumes.
for the checkin tape from one library to another library, why we need overwrite=yes? the tape has been labelled when it was checkin in previous library, how come i need to overwrite the label? also overwrite=yes is for tape which has no history record and the label inside is not match with barcode, right?

 

[RecoveryOne]

So I am 100% clear on what you are trying to accomplish.
You have 4 logical libraries, that you need or want to take unused tapes from lets say Lib_A and reassign to another library, Lib_B, as scratch tapes, without worrying about being able to read data from Lib_A. We are not talking about export node or import node.

If the above is true, then yes you need to issue the label libvol with overwrite=yes. Once the tapes are assigned to the new logical library you need to relabel the volumes from the new application instance owner. In very simple terms, Tivoli, CommVault, other backup products write a unique label to the start of a volume. Most good products will read that label when loading a tape.
If that label doesn't match the id that created it, then it will be marked as foreign media and not usable (See note below). So you must relabel the volume to bring it in as a 'new' tape. The labeling of the volume really doesn't concern what logical library owns it, but it does matter with what instance is driving that logical library.

Note: You an export node from one tsm instance, and import to a new tsm instance via physical media. I'm assuming you are not talking about that process.

As far as I know, beyond the export/import I know of no other way to read 'foreign media' and make it usable. If there is, I'd like to know as well!

 

[MasterLee]

thanks for your reply. However, In stead of 'LABEL', I ran '
CHECKIN LIBVOLUME tsm-library02 search=yes status=scratch checklabel=barcode' and
CHECKIN LIBVOLUME tsm-library02 search=yes status=private checklabel=barcode'.

but strange thing is, the tape cartridges got checked in:

06/23/2020 20:54:58 ANR8430I Volume C02000L8 has been checked into library
TSM-LIBRARY02. (SESSION: 237119, PROCESS: 212)
06/23/2020 20:54:59 ANR8430I Volume C02001L8 has been checked into library
TSM-LIBRARY02. (SESSION: 237119, PROCESS: 212)
06/23/2020 20:54:59 ANR8430I Volume C02002L8 has been checked into library
TSM-LIBRARY02. (SESSION: 237119, PROCESS: 212)
06/23/2020 20:54:59 ANR8430I Volume C02003L8 has been checked into library
TSM-LIBRARY02. (SESSION: 237119, PROCESS: 212)
06/23/2020 20:54:59 ANR8430I Volume C02004L8 has been checked into library
TSM-LIBRARY02. (SESSION: 237119, PROCESS: 212)
...

and then tsm did label it and mounted teh tapes:

06/25/2020 04:32:09 ANR8530W Volume C02000L8 in drive DRIVE6 in library
TSM-LIBRARY02 is not labeled. (SESSION: 260956, PROCESS:
229)
06/25/2020 04:32:14 ANR8810I Volume C02000L8 has been labeled in library
TSM-LIBRARY02. (SESSION: 260956, PROCESS: 229)
06/25/2020 04:32:14 ANR8337I LTO volume C02000L8 mounted in drive DRIVE6
(/dev/IBMtape10). (SESSION: 260956, PROCESS: 229)
06/25/2020 04:32:16 ANR0513I Process 229 opened output volume C02000L8.
(SESSION: 260956, PROCESS: 229)
06/25/2020 04:32:17 ANR1360I Output volume C02000L8 opened (sequence number
1). (SESSION: 260956, PROCESS: 229)
06/25/2020 04:39:38 ANR1361I Output volume C02000L8 closed. (SESSION: 260998)
06/25/2020 04:39:38 ANR0514I Session 260998 closed volume C02000L8. (SESSION:
260998)
06/25/2020 04:39:45 ANR8336I Verifying label of LTO volume C02000L8 in drive
DRIVE6 (/dev/IBMtape10). (SESSION: 260956, PROCESS: 229)
06/25/2020 04:41:56 ANR8468I LTO volume C02000L8 dismounted from drive DRIVE6
(/dev/IBMtape10) in library TSM-LIBRARY02. (SESSION:
260956, PROCESS: 229)
06/25/2020 07:03:59 ANR8530W Volume C02001L8 in drive DRIVE9 in library
TSM-LIBRARY02 is not labeled. (SESSION: 258573)
06/25/2020 07:04:03 ANR8810I Volume C02001L8 has been labeled in library
TSM-LIBRARY02. (SESSION: 258573)
06/25/2020 07:04:03 ANR8337I LTO volume C02001L8 mounted in drive DRIVE9
(/dev/IBMtape8). (SESSION: 258573)
06/25/2020 07:04:05 ANR1340I Scratch volume C02001L8 is now defined in
storage pool BA_TPOOL_PROJECT2. (SESSION: 258573)
06/25/2020 07:04:07 ANR0511I Session 258573 opened output volume C02001L8.
(SESSION: 258573)
06/25/2020 10:49:45 ANR0514I Session 258573 closed volume C02001L8. (SESSION:
258573)
06/25/2020 10:51:16 ANR0511I Session 264393 opened output volume C02001L8.
(SESSION: 264393)
06/25/2020 11:22:17 ANR0514I Session 264393 closed volume C02001L8. (SESSION:
264393)
06/25/2020 11:24:23 ANR0511I Session 264636 opened output volume C02001L8.
(SESSION: 264636)
....

my library all defined with autolabel=no.