Solstice Backup 5.1 Administration Guide

Autochanger Configuration and Management

After you install and test your autochanger on a server or storage node machine, use the instructions in this section to manage the devices and media in your autochangers.

Adding More Autochanger Devices

To add more devices to an autochanger, first define the new devices in the Devices resource so the Backup server or storage node recognizes the added devices. Then, enter the pathnames for the autochanger devices in the Jukeboxes resource so that Backup recognizes that the new devices belong to the autochanger.

Caution -

After you add a device pathname to the Devices resource, you must also add it to the Devices field in the Jukeboxes resource. Backup associates the device in the autochanger with the autochanger name. Refer to the Backup online help for a description of the Devices resource and how to use it.

If an autochanger has more than one device, you must list the device pathnames in the same order as their physical location in the autochanger. If you are unsure of their order, refer to the autochanger hardware manual or become root on the Backup server or storage node machine and enter the inquire command at the shell prompt. The /etc/LGTOuscsi/inquire command returns a list of the SCSI devices attached to your system.

Auto Media Management With Autochanger Devices

The auto media management feature further automates the backup procedure. It frees you from the task of prelabeling volumes before backup. When you enable the auto media management attribute in the Jukeboxes resource, Backup assumes that the volumes loaded in the autochanger can be handled exclusively as Backup media. Backup volumes that appear unlabeled are considered blank and are automatically labeled, mounted, and overwritten with new data. Backup only uses volumes that it considers unlabeled if it cannot locate a writable volume or a volume ready for recycling.

Backup does not recognize the following volume labels and considers these volumes unlabeled and available for use:

Volumes without a label.
Volumes labeled with something other than a Backup label.
Volumes with Backup labels that were written in a density different from the device in which it is currently loaded. For example, if you performed Backup backups on an older 8mm tape drive, a newer 8mm tape drive might not be able to read the volumes from the older device because a different density was used to write the data.

Caution -

Be careful about sharing Backup volumes between different backup devices if you have auto media management enabled. You could potentially relabel and overwrite valuable data. If you place or store other volumes you do not want Backup to use in the autochanger, place them in slots that are not included in the available slot range assigned for Backup to use.

The auto media management attribute is located in both the Jukeboxes and Devices resources. For autochangers, you only need to enable the Auto Media Management attribute in the Jukeboxes resource. Backup does not allow you to enable Auto Media Management in the Devices resource if the device is located in an autochanger.

If you back up to a standalone device and want to use the Auto Media Management feature, see "Standalone Device Configuration ".

Cleaning Cartridge Use and Management

Maintaining a backup device in good working order requires periodic cleaning. Backup provides automatic cleaning of devices located in an autochanger. Backup does not support automatic cleaning for stand alone devices.

The SunSoft Backup Device Supplement contains a list of currently supported autochangers for which Backup automatically recognizes cleaning cartridges.

Use both the Jukeboxes and Devices resources to make the necessary selections for automatically cleaning your autochanger devices.

The choices specific to the autochanger appear in the Jukeboxes resource, where you enable and disable the automatic cleaning feature. Select the appropriate cleaning slots for the cartridges.

The functions specific to the devices located in the autochanger appear in the Devices resource. You are notified when a device needs cleaning, and of the date the device was last cleaned, and can decide how often a device should be cleaned.

Backup only cleans devices before mounting or after unmounting a volume in a device to ensure that there is no interference with other autochanger operations.

The Backup cleaning cartridge support provides notification messages to inform you of cleaning cartridge operations, as shown in Table 7-1.

Table 7-1 Auto Clean Notifications


Notification Message	Meaning
Device cleaning required	The Auto Clean attribute is disabled and the device needs to be cleaned.
Device cleaned	The Auto Clean attribute is enabled and the device has been cleaned.
Cleaning cartridge required	The Auto Clean attribute is enabled and there are no usable cleaning cartridges available.
Cleaning cartridge expired	The cleaning cartridge has been used the specified number of times and needs to be replaced.

Check the documentation from your autochanger manufacturer for recommendations on the frequency and cleaning methods for your autochanger devices.

How to Use a Non-Default Slot for the Cleaning Cartridge

Insert the cleaning cartridge in the slot you select.

In the Jukeboxes resource, find the Default Cleaning attribute and write down the number of uses left on the cleaning cartridge.

To view the Default Cleaning attribute in the Backup administration program, display the Jukeboxes window in details mode.

Specify the slot number you want to use for the cleaning cartridge in the Cleaning Slots attribute, and set the Auto Clean attribute to Yes.

Change the Available Slots attribute to reflect the range of slots available for data volumes.

If the slot for your cleaning cartridge is not the first or last slot in the autochanger, you must specify two ranges of slots in the Available Slots attribute. This is because the inventory of the autochanger must be performed in two steps, once for each range of slots.

For example, if the autochanger contains 11 slots and slot 6 is used for the cleaning slot, specify:
1-5 7-11
On separate lines in the Available Slots attribute, or use the following syntax with nsradmin:
available slots: 1-5, 7-11;

At the command line, enter the following command:
# nsrjb -U uses -j autochanger -S slot
In this command:

uses is the number of uses left on the "Default Cleaning" field (the number you wrote down in Step 2).

slot specifies the slot you now use as the cleaning slot.

You can omit the -j ption if there is only one autochanger.

Every time you replace the cleaning cartridge in the autochanger, you must run the nsrjb program to specify the number of uses left.

Caution -
If your autochanger does not support the element status or barcode labeling option, you must issue the command shown in Step 5 to tell the autochanger to add the cleaning cartridge to its inventory.

Cartridge Access Port

A Cartridge Access Port (CAP) enables you to deposit and withdraw volumes in an autochanger without opening the door to the autochanger. Each time you open the door of an autochanger to add or remove media, you invalidate the status of the autochanger. You then need to reinventory the contents of the autochanger so that Backup can track the backup media. The inventory process can take a long time to complete.

This CAP feature is useful because you can add (deposit) and remove (withdraw) volumes in an autochanger without having to reinventory the autochanger.

When you use the CAP to add or remove volumes, Backup does not automatically take inventory, read barcode labels, or locate empty slots in the autochanger. Use the autochanger inventory feature and Jukeboxes resource for these tasks.

How to Deposit a Volume

To use the CAP to deposit a volume, follow these steps:

Become root on the Backup server or storage node machine.

Press the button on the front of the autochanger to move the cartridge holder forward and open the CAP.

Place the volume in the holder.

Press the button again to move the media into the autochanger and close the CAP.

Enter the nsrjb command at the system prompt.

Replace slot with the slot number for the volume and volume with the label name of the volume:
# nsrjb -d -S slot volume
If you do not specify a volume name with the nsrjb command, Backup marks the slot with a -* to indicate that the volume in that slot is unknown. Inventory the slot with the following command:
# nsrjb -I -S slot
To verify that the volume was deposited in the correct slot, use Backup to mount the volume.

How to Withdraw a Volume

To use the CAP to withdraw a volume from a specific slot in the autochanger, follow these steps:

Become root on the Backup server or storage node machine.

Enter the nsrjb command at the system prompt. Replace slot with the slot number for the volume and volume with the label name of the volume:
# nsrjb -w -S slot volume

When the volume reaches the CAP, press the button to open the CAP.

Remove the volume and close the CAP.