Typically, automated library devices require little human intervention after you set up a media rotation. However, you may occasionally need to add, remove, or manually manage media in automated library devices. TSM tracks the media in the library volume inventory, which it maintains for each automated library device. The library volume inventory is separate from the storage pool inventory for the device. To add volumes to a device's volume inventory, check volumes into the device. For details on the check-in procedure, see Checking Media into Automated Library Devices. To add volumes to a library device's storage pool, see Adding Scratch Volumes to an Automated Library Device.
You can extend the media management function of TSM by using Windows Removable Storage Manger (RSM) to manage media. The capabilities of these programs go beyond the media management function offered by TSM and they allow different applications to share the same device. See Using Removable Media Managers With Tivoli Storage Manager.
You can manage media in automated library devices by:
Task | Required Privilege Class |
---|---|
Modifying the Status of Automated Library Volumes | System or Unrestricted Storage |
Removing Volumes from Automated Library Devices | System or Unrestricted Storage |
Returning Partially-Written Volumes to Automated Library Devices | System or Unrestricted Storage |
Auditing a Library Device's Volume Inventory | System or Unrestricted Storage |
Adding Scratch Volumes to an Automated Library Device | System or Unrestricted Storage |
Managing Category Numbers for 3494 Library Devices | System or Unrestricted Storage |
Administrators can modify the status of volumes by issuing the UPDATE LIBVOLUME command. The command allows you to assign a private status to a scratch volume or to assign a scratch status to a private volume. The private volumes must be administrator-defined volumes with either no data or invalid data. They cannot be partially-written volumes containing active data. Volume statistics are lost when volume statuses are modified.
You can remove volumes from automated library devices by issuing the CHECKOUT LIBVOLUME command. TSM mounts each volume and verifies its internal label before checking it out of the volume inventory. After a volume has been checked out, TSM moves the media to the entry/exit port of the device if it has one, or TSM requests that the operator remove the volume from a drive within the device.
For automated library devices with multiple entry/exit ports, you can issue the CHECKOUT LIBVOLUME command with the SEARCH=BULK parameter. TSM ejects the volume to the next available entry/exit port.
Partially-written volumes that are removed from the device will need to be checked in again if TSM attempts to access them. See Managing Partially-Written Volumes.
Partially-written volumes that are checked out of a library device continue to be defined to a storage pool and have a status of private. You can return partially-written volumes by doing the following:
After TSM has reclaimed valid data from volumes, TSM can reuse the media. Scratch volumes are automatically returned to the library as scratch volumes. To reuse private volumes, check them into the library. See Overview of Volumes.
You can issue the AUDIT LIBRARY command to audit the volume inventories of automated library devices. Auditing the volume inventory ensures that the information maintained by the TSM server is consistent with the physical media in the library device. The audit is useful when the inventory has been manually manipulated. TSM deletes missing volumes and updates the locations of volumes that have moved since the last audit. TSM cannot add new volumes during an audit.
Unless devices are equipped with bar code readers, the server mounts each volume during the audit process to verify the label. After the label has been verified, the volume remains in a wait state until the mount retention interval times out. You can save time by issuing the DISMOUNT VOLUME command to force idle volumes to be dismounted.
You can save time when auditing volume inventories for devices equipped with bar code readers by using the bar code reader to verify the identity of volumes. If a volume has a bar code label with six characters or less, TSM reads the volume name from the bar code label during the audit. The volume is not mounted to verify that the external bar code name matches the internal, recorded volume name.
If a volume has no bar code label or the bar code label does not meet TSM label requirements, TSM mounts the volume in a drive and attempts to read the internal label. See Labeling Media.
For example, to audit the TAPELIB library device using its bar code reader, enter the following command:
audit library tapelib checklabel=barcode
As the demand for media grows, you may need to add scratch volumes to library devices. The maximum number of scratch volumes for a library device is determined when the library storage pool is created. See Defining Volumes.
To increase the maximum number of scratch volumes:
You may need to temporarily store volumes in an overflow location in order to make room for additional scratch volumes. See Setting Up and Managing a Volume Overflow Location for an Automated Library Device.
You can issue the UPDATE STGPOOL command to increase the number of scratch volumes that can be added to a storage pool.
As the demand for media grows, the number of volumes needed for a storage pool may exceed the physical capacity of an automated library device. To make room for new volumes while keeping track of existing volumes, you can define a physical location as an overflow area. TSM tracks the volumes moved to the overflow area thus allowing you to make storage slots available for new volumes.
You can perform the following steps to create an overflow location:
Define or update the storage pool associated with the automated library device by issuing the DEFINE STGPOOL or UPDATE STGPOOL command with the OVERFLOW parameter. For example, to create an overflow location named ROOM2948 for a storage pool named ARCHIVEPOOL, issue the following:
update stgpool archivepool ovflocation=Room2948
Issue the MOVE MEDIA command to move media from the library device to the overflow location. For example, to move all full volumes in the specified storage pool out of the library device.
move media * stgpool=archivepool
All full volumes are checked out of the library device, and TSM records the location of the volumes as Room2948.
Use the DAYS parameter to specify the number of days that must elapse before the volume is eligible for processing by the MOVE MEDIA command.
For example, enter this command:
query media * stg=* whereovflocation=Room2948 wherestatus=empty move media * stg=* wherestate=mountablenotinlib wherestatus=empty cmd="checkin libvol autolib &vol status=scratch" cmdfilename=\storage\move\media\checkin.vols
Operators must check volumes in from the overflow area when TSM needs them. TSM issues mount requests that include the location of the volumes.
Operators can locate volumes in an overflow location by issuing the QUERY MEDIA command. This command can also be used to generate commands. For example, you can issue a QUERY MEDIA command to list the volumes in the overflow location, and at the same time generate the commands to check those volumes into the library device. For example, enter this command:
query media format=cmd stgpool=archivepool whereovflocation=Room2948 cmd="checkin libvol autolib &vol status=private" cmdfilename="\storage\move\media\checkin.vols"
Use the DAYS parameter to specify the number of days that must elapse before the volumes are eligible for processing by the QUERY MEDIA command.
The file that contains the generated commands can be run using the TSM MACRO command. For this example, the file may look like this:
checkin libvol autolib TAPE13 status=private checkin libvol autolib TAPE19 status=private
You may occasionally need to manipulate the access mode for volumes, for example, when removing partially-written volumes from or returning them to library devices. To change the access mode of a volume, issue the UPDATE VOLUME command with the ACCESS=UNAVAILABLE parameter.
If you want to make volumes unavailable to send the data they contain offsite for safekeeping, consider using copy storage pools instead. You can back up primary storage pools to a copy storage pool and then send the copy storage pool volumes offsite. You can track these copy storage pool volumes by changing their access mode to offsite, and updating the volume history to identify their location. For more information, see Defining a Copy Storage Pool.
Administrators configuring IBM 3494 Tape Library Dataserver devices must become familiar with 3494 category numbers. Category numbers are identifiers for the volumes used for the same purpose or application. A 3494 library device has an intelligent control unit that tracks the category number of each volume in the volume inventory. The category numbers are useful when multiple systems share the resources of a single library device. Typically, a software application that uses a 3494 library device uses volumes in only one or more categories that are reserved for that application. To avoid loss of data, ensure that each application sharing the library device uses unique category numbers.