In an open environment TSM will not automatically checkin the tape, nor does
it do the checkin on S/390.  OAM does the checkin on S/390.  I am betting he
is using S/390.  And, yes, TSM is then able to mount the tape.

If I were a real good C programmer I would write a task to connect to the
lmcpd that listens for the the insert function and runs a script passing the
volume inserted as the parameter.  The script could then be tailored to my
business needs.

Paul D. Seay, Jr.
Technical Specialist
Naptheon Inc.
757-688-8180


-----Original Message-----
From: Justin Bleistein [mailto:justin.bleistein AT SUNGARD DOT COM]
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 2:22 PM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: Re: volume management in tsm


yeah that's what I figured. I took particular interest in one of you
statements below, when you said that if TSM is calling for a tape mount, all
the operator has to do is put a tape in the ATL I/o slots drawer and the
robot will take it and check it in to TSM and use it?. Did I read that
right? Or do the operators have to physically open of the the 3494
bays/doors and physically mount the tape as if it were manual?

--Justin



                      "Thorson, Paul"
                      <PThorson AT LRS DOT COM        To:
ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
                      >                        cc:
                      Sent by: "ADSM:          Subject:  Re: volume
management in tsm
                      Dist Stor
                      Manager"
                      <[email protected]
                      .EDU>


                      09/26/2002 12:46
                      PM
                      Please respond to
                      "ADSM: Dist Stor
                      Manager"






Justin,

I've experienced this on several occasions including having close to 1000
tapes outside of a 3494.  Obviously, someone has miscalculated the size
necessary to house all your primary storage pool volumes - the easiest
solution is to bolt on a couple more 'S' frames on the ATL.

TSM will manage the tapes automatically outside of the ATL - there is no
need to update their location as 'rack'.  If needed, TSM will request a tape
volume until the tape is checked in or the "mount wait" of the device class
is exceeded.  When put in the ATL, the tape is automatically checked in and
used by TSM.  If the mount wait is exceeded, the tape is then updated to
"unavailable" and causes a restore/retrieve to fail and reclamation to move
on to the next candidate tape.

Predicting which tapes will be reclaimed can be a challenge, since TSM
splits files and often needs a highly utilized tape to move a file segment.
If you can identify a set of tapes which are full and not expiring too fast
and they are not needed to often for restores, you can rotate them out of
the ATL.

I had the luxury of having tape operators monitor the requests, so we made
it work until more slots were installed.  That took a bit of training and
documentation, but is fairly simple.

Regards,

- Paul

Paul Thorson
Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc.
Tivoli Specialist - LRS IT Solutions
(217) 793-3800 x1704


-----Original Message-----
From: Justin Bleistein [mailto:justin.bleistein AT SUNGARD DOT COM]
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 10:52 AM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: volume management in tsm


      We are in a bit of a pickle or soon will be anyway.... We have an
IBM/3494 atl in our TSM environment. Which has about 1,000 slots in it.
These slots are filling and fast. We're trying to make room for more scratch
tapes. Now I've tried everything from "move data" to weird "reclaimation"
sinareos. And we just can't seem to free up sificiant slots. I had an idea
of ejecting all tapes which haven't been written to in a while there just
waiting to expire, this way migration or backup storage pool processes won't
call for them, and once they're out rack them in the data center and mark
there location as: "rack". Now that will free up a ton of spots in the atl.
The problem is how can TSM manage those tapes even though they are not in
the ATL. I can check them in with check label = no, and just mark there
location as: "rack" this way the database will keep updating them. The
problem is what if reclaimation runs, now you can't do it because the tapes
can't be mounted they're in the rack outside the atl. Unless the robot comes
out to get them I don't see how this can work. It seems that trying to come
up with a solution to the problem of lack of slots in the atl will just
create more of a problem. Any thoughts? Or ideas? on how I can manage these
tapes even though they can't be mounted?. P.S. = Yes it is collocated. Let
me know if anyone has done this thanks!.

--Justin Richard Bleistein