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MarkFlag for Ireland

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Commvault not reading LTO3 tapes

Hi,

We have a problem here and we are not sure if it's Commvault Simpana 9 or the DELL Tape Library ML6000. We updated the Tape Library firmware before xmas. Ever since the upgrade Commvault or the Library doesn't seem to be able to read

Unable to read tapes with the following format XXXXL3 but is able to read 00XXXXL3. I've attached the current Media Barcode Format settings
tapes.JPG
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ASKER

Sorry I mean't to say:
Unable to read tapes with the following format XXXXL3 but is able to read XXXXXXL3. I've attached the current Media Barcode Format settings


The following tapes were the problematic ones. We removed them from the Tape Library before xmas.
1004L3
1083L3
1085L3
1203L3
1027L3
1206L3
1221L3
1217L3
1052L3
1111L3
1103L3
1024L3
1138L3
1183L3
1028L3
1163L3
1128L3
1064L3
1074L3
1104L3
1019L3
1054L3

At the moment the library is set to Extended. And can read labels like
001496L3
001418L3
000790L3
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Member_2_231077

Have you tried changing it to Plus Six as I suggested?
Avatar of Mark

ASKER

Yes I tried that one of my work mates put in tape 1024 but we still couldn't see the tape in the library from the web interface. We then rebooted the Tape Library but the tape still didn't show up!
If you couldn't see it through the library GUI then the labels are probably incompatible.
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ASKER

Yes but we used to be able to see the Tapes with four digits before the Firmware update! Are you now saying the labels are an issue?
Avatar of Gerald Connolly
Have you made the library do a full inventory since you updated the firmware?
Avatar of Mark

ASKER

I rebooted the Library I thought that does the Inventory when it's booting back up! How do I do a full inventory for the ML6000?
It should have done.

Restart shuts down and restarts the library's operating system and firmware. When performing a restart, the library finishes all active commands received from the host application and does not process any new commands. The library shuts down all partitions and restarts them during the reboot. In addition, the library performs an inventory of cartridges, tape drives, and slots during a reboot.


Have you read this section from the manual? It implies that the default barcode MUST be 8 chars long. ( http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/stor-sys/ml6000/en/html/ch10.htm )

Barcode Requirements
Cartridges must have an external barcode label that is machine and operator-readable. A barcode must use only uppercase letters A to Z and/or numeric values 0 to 9. The library supports Code 39 (3 of 9) type barcodes.
The supported tape cartridge barcode formats are as follows:

Standard — (default) Five to 16 characters total, including a barcode number and optional two-character media ID. If a media ID is included, the label must have a five to 14 character barcode number followed by a media ID; for example, "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXL4". If a media ID is not included, the label must have a five to 16 character barcode number; for example, "XXXXX" or "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX". Only the barcode number is reported to the host.

Standard Six — Six character barcode number with or without a two-character media ID; for example, "XXXXXXL4" or "XXXXXX". Only the six character barcode number is reported to the host.

Plus Six — Six character barcode number followed by a two-character media ID; for example, "XXXXXXL4". The six character barcode and media ID are reported to the host.

Extended — Five to 16 characters total, including a barcode number and optional two-character media ID. All characters are reported to the host, regardless of the barcode label having a media ID or not. If a media ID is included, the label must have a five to 14 character barcode followed by a media ID; for example, "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXL4". If a media ID is not included, the label must have a five to 16 character barcode number; for example, "XXXXX" or "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX".

Media ID Last — Five to 14 character barcode number followed by a two-character media ID, for example, "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXL4". The media ID is reported to the host last, as in "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXL4".

Media ID First — Five to 14 character barcode number followed by a two-character media ID, for example, "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXL4". The media ID is reported to the host first, as in "L4XXXXXXXXXXXXXX".
Dell-supplied barcode labels provide the best results. Barcode labels from other sources can be used, but they must meet the following requirements:

ANSI MH10.8M-1983 Standard

Number of digits: 5 to 16 (default for LTO is 6+2)

Background reflection: greater than 25 percent

Print contrast: greater than 75 percent

Ratio: greater than 2.2

Module: minimum .254 mm (10 mil)

Print tolerance: ± 57 mm
Additional Requirements:

Length of the rest zones: 5.25 mm ± 0.25 mm

No black marks should be present in the intermediate spaces or rest zones

No white areas should be present on the bars
Installing Barcode Labels
Each cartridge in the library must have an external label that is machine and operator-readable to identify the barcode. Most manufacturers offer cartridges with the labels already applied or with the labels included that you can attach.
All barcode labels must be applied to the front of a cartridge. Peel off the label and place it on the cartridge. Verify that the label is oriented so that the numbers appear above the barcode. The cartridge cannot have any stickers or labels attached to the top or bottom because if the labels come loose, they can get caught in the tape drives or become unreadable by the scanner.
Caution:      Do not place a barcode label or any labels on the top or bottom of a cartridge. Doing so can cause the tape cartridge and tape drive operations to fail.
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