Re: Damaged Label on 3590J

Hi Rich!

        Yes...it's TSM and Yes TSM rejects the tape. It is interesting to
me that it also results in a "Intervention" on my 3494 Library that
specifies a damaged internal label...but that is beside the point (I guess
you can chalk one up for the LMCP driver).

        Anyway....I was thinking that any kind of an attempt to re-write
the label would result in the tapes data being lost and you pretty much
confirmed that is the case.

        Would you have any suggestions for using the AIX 5.3 tape util to
copy this to another cartridge?

Dave





Richard Sims <rbs AT BU DOT EDU>
Sent by: "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU>
04/29/2005 08:35 AM
Please respond to "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager"


        To:     ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
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        Subject:        Re: Damaged Label on 3590J


Well, it's not the 3494 that causes the ejection, but the application
trying to use the tape, which I presume is TSM. It would be worth
reviewing its error messages, and any in your OS log, before going
further.

I'm not aware of any way of rewriting tape labels without disturbing
the rest of the tape: the rewriting resets the tape contents, due to
the nature of serial media, which historically cannot be randomly
updated.

I think your recourse is to attempt to employ an OS utility to copy the
tape contents (beyond the label) to a replacement tape which has been
labeled the same as the original. Then you can transfer the barcode
label from the damaged tape to the replacement, and retire the cripple.

    Richard Sims

On Apr 29, 2005, at 6:39 AM, David Nicholson wrote:

> Hi List,
>
>         I have a 3590J with a damaged internal label.  The 3494 library
> ejects that cartridge when I try to use it.  The cartridge has
> obviously
> been abused (the case is cracked), but I would like to get the data
> off of
> it without having to bring all of my copypool volumes back from the
> vault.
>  Is there a way to re-write the internal label with the same volser
> without loosing the data on the tape?  I would then hope I could get a
> majority of the data off the tape..
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Dave