Ghost tape in the library 1

[firefox638]

I have a Quantum PX502 running Comm Vault 6.1. I have a brand new tape that we have used once, and it failed to copy the data correctly. The Comm Vault now shows the tape as a expired tape, I ran a data verification on it and it says it's not part of this library,(huh?) Now i'm trying to delete the tape from the library, that it doesn't belong to but I can't. And I can't delete the contents nor can I format the tape... If any of you have a solution I would be very glad to hear it. I have a ghost.

 

[bigg22]

Does it give you the option to just delete the tape? Not delete contents.

 

[firefox638]

I've tried to delete from the library. It's still there. I tried to delete the contents. no good there either. I checked the log file from the media log and the Unique ID is blank. if that helps.

 

[birky]

Hi

Looks like a wrong OML could have been written..try using the tapetool gui in the Base dir..see below.



How to format media with TapetoolGui


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Description:

How to format MEDIA with TapetoolGui. This may be necessary if there is a MEDIA Label (OML) that was previously written to a tape and now the MEDIA has a different barcode or if there was a hardware issue which caused tapes to have incorrect OML written to the tape
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Resolution:


1.) First you should verify the access path from the operating system for the tape drive (i.e. tape0, tape1 etc...) To do this go to Storage Resources < Libraries < Library Name < MasterDrivePool, expland the MasterDrivePool. Right click on the drive you plan on loading the tape into and choose properties. When the properties of the drive comes up select the Drive Controller tab. If the MEDIAAgent you wish to use is listed at the top under Active Drive Controller, then click on the Details radio button. You should see the access path to the drive from the Operating System. If the MEDIAAgent is not listed at the top and there are multiple MEDIAAgents, you will see a list of MEDIAAgents. Find the one you wish to use to perform the format from and you will see the access path to the right of the MEDIAAgent name.


2.) Now that you have the access path to that particular tape drive from a MEDIAAgent, you now need to load the tape into the drive manually from the CommCell Console Gui. Go to Storage Resources < Libraries < Library name < MEDIA by Location < MEDIA in Library. Right click on the tape you need to format and choose 'Load MEDIA'. Choose the MEDIAAgent, DrivePool and Drive and click OK.


3.) Once you see confirmation within Event Viewer that the tape has been loaded into the Drive, you will will now need to Launch the TapeToolGui application on the MEDIAAgent you selected when loading the MEDIA into the drive. TapeToolGUI.exe is located in the \Program Files\CommVault Systems\Galaxy\Base directory on the MEDIAAgent. If you are not already on that MEDIAAgent then you will to perform a Remote session to the MEDIAAgent to run the utility.


4.) Once you launch TapeToolGUI you should first verify you are working with the correct piece of MEDIA by first choosing Read Label and then choose the tape access path the tape is loaded (i.e. tape0, tape1). Then click Start. This will show you the current On MEDIA Label (OML) written to the tape. There will be a section that reads Barcode = . This is the barcode that was originally written to this tape. If you do not see a MEDIA Label then this tape is either a blank tape or has somehow been overwritten. An OML will looks something like the following.

5.) Once you have verified this is the tape you want to format then, select Format and the Tape Name (leave block size as 64k) and click Start. The format is very quick as it is only removing the header off the tape which removes the old OML. After the format is complete you can now go back to the MEDIA in Library view within the CommCell Console and Unload MEDIA. If you get a Magic Number error just ignore it.



Note: Versions of TapeToolGui before QiNetix 6.1 does look different, the functionality is the same but you will need to manually type access path ( ie tape0, tape1)


6.) If the tape is already marked as a spare tape within QiNetix then you are done. If the tape still thinks it has data on it then you will need to right click on the MEDIA and choose DELETE Contents and return it to default scratch. After the contents has been DELETEd then it would be recommended to DELETE and re-discover the MEDIA. Once discovered again it should appear as blank spare MEDIA.


Now any new jobs that pick up this tape will not see previous OML and should not have any problems using it.


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[firefox638]

followed your advice and the event log showed that the UniqueID is no longer blank.. However; I still cannot delete the tape number from the library. it moved it into the expired status and exported it. Then, to make things worse the PX502 that it is running on had an INIT error. Now I have two problems instead of this this ghost. ;~) any help would be greatly appreciated. I need to get this entry out of the library.

 

[birky]

so now you just need to remove the entry form the library itself...yes?

If I'm reading correctly then this seems more like a hardware issue rather than a Galaxy issue now....have you power cycled the library (not just by reseting but, actually powering down and back up?)

Galaxy shouldn't try to use this tape now that it's been exported

 

[firefox638]

The entry is still there. We have powered it completely off and pulled the plugs. I'm still at a loss.

 

[birky]

hhmmmmm..think I'd be tempted to give Quantum a call, I know that a few people have also had problems with the PX502 with Backup Exec

 

[firefox638]

Thanks Birky for your valuable input. We've come to that conclusion too. If/when we get a solution I'll post it here.

 

[firefox638]

Soultion to the problem.
Because the tape is marked as "Expired" Comm Vault will not allow any data or tape manipulation of that tape until the data that was last written on the tape has been "Pruned" from the database. Now this next part I am assuming. When a tape has been "Expired" CommVault removes the OML and sets it to blank. This again would preclude any tape/data manipulation until the data has aged and is no longer required for any use. The duration of ageing process is, of course determined at each site.

In the above case the tape was written to on 3-16-07 and the pruning of that data will happen in 4 weeks. So, for the next 4 weeks that tape will remain idle. At that time we will delete the tape from the database and reformat the tape which will over write the existing (in this case non-existing) OML.