Networker

[Networker] Write protected tapes

2003-05-06 11:06:40
Subject: [Networker] Write protected tapes
From: John Seyller <seyller AT CLEMSON DOT EDU>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTMAIL.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Tue, 6 May 2003 11:06:40 -0400
Hopefully someone has found a work around to this long standing
networker problem.  We run Solstice Backup 5.5.4 on Sun E4000 with an
attached Sun L3500 (ATL7100) and L700 (STK L700) libraries both with
DLT7000 tape drives.  When we remove tapes from the libraries we write
protect the tapes with the write protect tab.  The reason for this is to
prevent writing on the tape if we later need to recover data from an
atached stand alone DLT7000 drive.  The stand alone drive is used for stand
alone backups each day with ufsdump.  If a tape is placed in the drive for
a recover and accidently left in the drive when cron starts ufsdump it
could get overwritten unless it is write protected.

        Occasionally tapes will be deposited into the libraries and still
be manually write protected.  We mark the tapes as recyclable and networker
re-labels them when needed.  If networker tries to label a tape which is
manually write protected it will report an error and continue to try until
the tape is marked not recyclable.  This usually happens in the middle of
the night and the group fills up all available tapes and waits until the
problem is corrected.  It would be nice if networker could be configured to
only try to label a write protected tape a certain number of times.  The
best fix is to make sure that all tapes placed in a library have manual
write protect set to off.  Unfortunately, a few mistakes always slip
through the crack.  Does anyone know of a command which can be issued to
determine if a tape is manually write protected.  The mt status command
will tell, but only if you try a write operation.  If the tape was not
write protected then a file mark or whatever would get written and probably
destroy the volume information on the tape.

        The lcd screen on the L3500 will indicate a write protected tape if
it is mounted in the drive,  but I know no way of issuing a status command
to get the information.  Am I missing some simple solution to this
problem?  Has anyone else been bitten by this and solved the problem?
Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards,
John Seyller
Clemson University

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