Tape problem - newbie

[uishu]

Hello all...

I`m using IBM 3581 F28 model.
This is what i do:
- installed the server and defined a library and the library paths
- defined the drive in the library and the library paths
- defined a device class for the library
- i defined a storage pool associated with the device class
- i had labeled the tapes into the library (i don`t have a barcode reader)

Now i can see all the 8 tapes in the library, scratch but i cannot see the capacity of the tapes. What should i do to see that?

Tsm was before installed but i don`t know what happened and it was installed again. On the tapes there are data saved (possible that 1-2 tapes to be full), but as i told you i see all scratched. What to do to see old data on them, or to format them so i can start using them?

The drive defined has state "Empty", there is no mounted volume...how to mount a volume so i could start using it?

Format of writing i choose: Ultrium2c
Op. System: Windows Server 2003
TSM Version: 5.5
ISC: 6.0.1

Please help me to understand how the system works...or what to do to make things right.

Thank You.

 

[quinstear]

You say TSM has been installed again. Have you restored the TSM database from a backup?

 

[uishu]

I did installed TSM again but i didn`t restore the old database...i don`t think that the database had a backup...so i`ve created a new database in another folder...the old database still exists on disk. I`ve created a new one because the data on the old database it isn`t important.... but...in my case...there is a way to restore the old database (i don`t have a backup, only the old database on disk) so that way i can see data on volumes? what to do to see tape`s capacity?

I`ve added one volume (Tape1) to the Storage Pool and in my library the status of the tape changed to "Private".... from what i`ve learn i kniow that it`s ok... but don`t know what to do to see tape capacity.

Excuse my bad english and thanks for the reply!!

 

[JohanW]

Tape capacity is 0 as long as the tape is Empty. While it's Filling, it'll use the Est/Max Capacity from its device class. When it's Full, it'll show the actual capacity in use. (I have one full tape where %Util+%Recl=123.7%, and I haven't the first clue how TSM got to that value. So take it with a grain of salt.) The device class will say whatever you fill in, so take that with a grain of salt, too. (Some people intentionally use either a too large or too small value there to influence reclamation. I haven't thought about that long and hard enough to be able to say how it works exactly.)

You might be able to reassemble a working TSM instance from your old database if you also still have dsmserv.opt, devcnfg.out and volhist.out, but frankly, if the data is not important, just start taking backups in the new instance.

Tsm was before installed but i don`t know what happened and it was installed again. On the tapes there are data saved (possible that 1-2 tapes to be full), but as i told you i see all scratched. What to do to see old data on them, or to format them so i can start using them?

You don't need to format them, they already are. They're labelled, that's enough. (As a matter of fact, writing a label on them might make them unrecoverable for the previous TSM installation. Not sure. At the very least, you'd have to relabel them with the original labels to get the previous installation to recognise them again, if you got the old installation running again.)

The drive defined has state "Empty", there is no mounted volume...how to mount a volume so i could start using it?

TSM does that automatically when it needs tape storage. Not something you need to worry about.

 

[quinstear]

If you have not restored your old TSM database and you are not concerned about any previously backed up data then this is fine.

As JohanW states whilst a tape is empty you will not see the capacity. Whilst it is filling you will see an estimated capacity and when it is full you will see the capacity of data on the tape.

the best thing to do to get some better understanding is read the documentation on IBM's website

 

[uishu]

Thanks for the answers...!!! i managed him to work. and i did read the documentation but sadly is that is a lot of information and i cannot memorate all things... but here comes peoples like you with experience. Thank you again!

well...i have a few more questions so please guide me to go on the right way:

Why when i use GUI for taking backups the folders on the computer client disk has the sign "forbidden" and tells me "out of storage space" when i`ll try to backup a folder that is bigger (>1 GB) than my diskpool (=1 GB). What to do to solve this issue?
I did put the storage pools in hyerahichal order (first data goes on Diskpool (1 Gb capacity) - then migrates to Tapepool).

When the first tape will be full, TSM will mount automatically another scrath tape? or I should define all the tapes (the number the tapes that I want) to the storage pool? What will happen with the full tape?

And the last thing...
There can be deleted a specific file or folder (not all data, just 1 file) from Tapepool or Diskpool?

Thank you!

 

[JohanW]

The "forbidden" sign probably means that file was excluded, either in dsm.opt or by OS excludes because of VSS snapshots.

If you can't backup files larger than your primary storage pool, and you have a "next" storage pool configured, maybe you need to set maxscratch higher on your next storage pool. If that one is full already (because it can't claim more scratch tapes), migration and large backups will both fail.

Yes, when TSM needs more storage, it will assign scratch tapes automatically. Up to the maxscratch limit. Or, if you have only one tape storage pool anyway, you can define empty tapes to a storage pool. But it's less flexible.

Full tapes will simply remain in the library. You can take them out, but they will be needed for restores and reclamations, so try to keep all your primary tapes in the library.

Yes, you can delete a single file from TSM. In the GUI client, go to Utilities -> Delete Backup Data. (Mind the active/all toggle). You cannot control where any individual file is stored (tapepool or diskpool).

 

[uishu]

Hey!
my maxscratch is set to 200 and i have 7 scratch tapes waiting.

I`ve defined my first storage pool (Diskpool) and added one volume to the storage pool (c:\TSM\server2\disk1.dsm) who has the capacity of 1 Gb...but after i defined him i can see that the "Estimated Capacity" is 1 Mb... and cannot take backup of files > than 1 Mb :/...and in the GUI pannel things are the same ("forbidden" sign)....

The "forbidden" sign probably means that file was excluded, either in dsm.opt or by OS excludes because of VSS snapshots.

how should i do if so?

somehow i`m lost...please guide me!

 

[JohanW]

Take a good look at the include/exclude statements in dsm.opt.

And could you post the output of QUERY STGP DISKPOOL F=D ?

 

[BBB]

Hey!
my maxscratch is set to 200 and i have 7 scratch tapes waiting.

I`ve defined my first storage pool (Diskpool) and added one volume to the storage pool (c:\TSM\server2\disk1.dsm) who has the capacity of 1 Gb...but after i defined him i can see that the "Estimated Capacity" is 1 Mb... and cannot take backup of files > than 1 Mb :/...and in the GUI pannel things are the same ("forbidden" sign)....


how should i do if so?

somehow i`m lost...please guide me!

You probably haven't done it right. Please post the output of

q stg diskpool f=d
q vol stg=diskpool

and then
q stg <yourtapepoolname> f=d
q devc f=d
q libv

The diskpool needs to have a "nextstgpool" set for your tapepool as somebody already mentioned to you. Did you set that?

 

[uishu]

hello again!
Here there are:

1) q stgp Diskpool f=d

Storage Pool Name: Diskpool
Storage Pool Type: Primary
Device Class Name: Disk
Space Trigger Util: 0
Pct Util: 0
Pct Migr: 0
Pct Logical: 100
High Mig Pct: 80
Low Mig Pct: 20
Migration Delay: 1
Migration Continue: Yes
Migration Processes: 1
Reclamation Processes: 
Next Storage Pool: Ltopool
Reclaim Storage pool:
Maximum Size Threshold: No Limit
Acces: Read Write
Description:
Overflow Location:
Cache Migrated Files?: No
Collocate?: No
Amount Migrated: 978
Elapsed Migr Time: 65
Reclamation in progress?: 
Last Update: Admin
Date: (not important i think)
Storage Pool Format: Native
Copy Storgae pool:
Active Data Pool:
Continue Copy on Error?: Yes
CRC Data: No
Reclamation Type:
Overwrite Data When Deleted:

2) q vol stg=diskpool

Volume Name: C:\TSM\Server2\Disk1.dsm
Storage Pool Name: Diskpool
Device Class Name: Disk
Estimated Capacity: 1.025
Pct Util: 0
Volume Status: on-line

3) q stg <poolname> f=d

Here i tried the following commands:

q stg C:\TSM\Server2\Disk1.dsm f=d
q stg Disk1.dsm f=d

and the output was:

No Match found using this criteria

4) q devc f=d

Device Class Name: Disk
Device Acces Strategy: Random
Storage Pool Count: 1
.....
all other things below has no value
....
Worm: No
Drive Encryption:
Scaled Capacity:
Last Updated by:
Last Updated time: 08.04.2009 15:05:07 EEST

and

Device Class Name: Ltoclass
Device Acces Strategy: Sequencial
Storage Pool Count: 1
Device Type: LTO
Format: Ultrium2C
Est/Max Capacity: 1.433.600
Mount Limit: 200
Mount Wait: 60
Mount Retention: 60
Label Prefix: ADSM
Drive Letter:
Library: Lb0.1.0.3
.....
all other things below has no value
....
Worm: No
Drive Encryption: Allow
Scaled Capacity:
Last Updated by: Admin
Last Updated time: 29.05.2009 11:06:05 EEST

5) q libv

For the first Tape:

Lib Name: Lb0.1.0.3
Volume Name: T1
Status: Private
Owner:
Last Use: Data
Home Element: 1
Device Type:

For the second tape and then it`s the same thing till the 8 tape...only differs the "Home Element" number:

Lib Name: Lb0.1.0.3
Volume Name: T2
Status: Scratch
Owner:
Last Use:
Home Element: 2
Device Type:

Hope this helps! Thank You!

 

[JohanW]

q stgp Diskpool f=d is missing Estimated Capacity, which in my environment comes between Device Class Name and Space Trigger Util. But your q vol stg=diskpool shows Est Cap 1.025, which probably is in kilobytes (in my environment it would show 1.025 M if it were 1 Gigabyte). So I think your diskpool is indeed 1 MB, not 1 GB.

q devc f=d has Est/Max Capacity: 1.433.600 My environment has this as Est/Max Capacity (MB), so your value may be in bytes. 1 MB per tape ?!?

The missing q stg <poolname> f=d would be q stgp ltopool f=d. You were mixing stgpool and volume identifiers.

 

[uishu]

q stgp ltopool f=d

Storage Pool Name: Ltopool
Storage Pool Type: Primary
Device Class Name: Ltoclass
Estimated Capacity: 288.144 Gb
Space Trigger Util: 
Pct Util: 0
Pct Migr: 0.5
Pct Logical: 100
High Mig Pct: 80
Low Mig Pct: 40
Migration Delay: 0
Migration Continue: Yes
Migration Processes: 1
Reclamation Processes: 1
Next Storage Pool: 
Reclaim Storage pool:
Maximum Size Threshold: No Limit
Acces: Read Write
Description:
Overflow Location:
Cache Migrated Files?: 
Collocate?: Node
Reclamation Threshold: 60
Offsite Reclamation Limit:
Mac Scratch Vol Allowed: 200
Number of Scratch Volumes Used: 0
Delay Period for Vol Reuse: 0 days
Migration in progress?: No
Amount Migrated: 0
Elapsed Migr Time: 0
Reclamation in progress?: No 
Last Update: Admin
Date: (not important i think)
Storage Pool Format: Native
Copy Storgae pool:
Active Data Pool:
Continue Copy on Error?: Yes
CRC Data: No
Reclamation Type: Threshold
Overwrite Data When Deleted:

q vol stg=diskpool shows Est Cap 1.025 which is in MB

q devc f=d has Est/Max Capacity: 1.433.600 Gb = ~1.44 TB for all the tapes...

ah...one more question... What are the commands or what to do to allow clients to delete they`re own files that was backed up? I cannot find it anywhere!

 

[JohanW]

OK, I'm stumped on why you wouldn't be able to backup files larger than 1 MB, as long as they are not excluded (i.e. do not have the forbidden sign). If they are excluded, you can't back them up at all.

And UPD NODE <nodename> BACKDELETE=YES. See HELP UPD NODE. Then, on the client, in the GUI, Utilities -> Delete Backup Data. (It can be done in the CLI as well.)

 

[JohanW]

One last ditch guess: start a client GUI, go to Utilities -> View Policy Information, and check that under Copy Group, where Copy Type = Backup, the Copy Destination is set to DISKPOOL.

 

[uishu]

OK, I'm stumped on why you wouldn't be able to backup files larger than 1 MB, as long as they are not excluded (i.e. do not have the forbidden sign). If they are excluded, you can't back them up at all.

They have the forbidden sign! this is what i told in an earlier post xD... They files are excluded...if i try to include them an ugly error appear...

 

[JohanW]

If they're simply excluded, anything and everything we're doing with server storage is not going to help. Client issue. Fix it there. As I've said before, take a long, hard look at dsm.opt.

 

[uishu]

I`ll try to see if i`ll be able to fix it! Thank you so much for guiding me JohanW...i`ll be back with feedback or questions if something i will not understand! Thank You!

 

[uishu]

hello again!

it was the policy problem... i modified the policy and now i can take backups.

I defined a space trigger for my Diskpool and when the diskpool fills out, there are created additional files on disk and data don`t migrate to tape. I`ve deleted the space trigger so now all it`s ok...data is writing to tape when the High Migration Point is reached.

But when i run "q con T1" to see data on the first tape, yesterday i was getting some error like "java heap" because i`m using the console line from ISC... today it shows me when i run the comand that is processing and it passed almost an hour and there was no output... What could be the problem? Tape is ok, is in "filling" state and i`ve also cheched the screen of the IBM 3581 device and when the migrate occurs it says that data is writing to tape.

When i run "q con C:\TSM\Server2\'Disk1.dsm" all works fine and shows me data on the diskpool...

Thank you foe helping me!

 

[JohanW]

Does it work from dsmadmc instead of ISC?

(And consider starting a new thread for a new problem. If you solve it, someone else may be able to find it later.)