Tape formatting..netbackup4.5 2

[JyotiAhuja]

I am having trouble with reusing a tape..
I don't see any option in the GUI by which we can reformat the tape so as to erase everything on that and reuse it!!
Thanks in advance!

-Jyoti

 

[Stumpr]

NetBackup doesn't have a "fomat" tape function that will overwrite the data on the tape.
NetBackup tapes consist of images and new images can be added to the tape until it eventually fills up the tape.
The tape will be made available for reuse when all the images on the tape expire.
There is a way to prematurely expire individual images and/or all images on a tape.
The command is bpexpdate and there is a man page in the documentation describing its use.

Bob Stump
Incorrigible punster -- Do not incorrige

 

[mrjazz]

A little remark on "bpexpdate":

sometimes the "bpexpdate" command fails (in the case your NetBackup databases are not consistent; can happen for example when you have removed a media server from your environment...).
You should first try with:

bpexpdate -m <mediaid> -d 0 -force -host <media server>

where "media server" is the one you will find as "Server Host" (the media server who has that tape in its mediaDB) entry with:

bpmedialist -m <mediaid>

If bpexpdate fails than you should check the entries in the volDB with:

vmquery -m <mediaid>

If you still have an entry there you can delete it with:

vmquery -deassignbyid <mediaid> <poolnumber> <status>

You will find the pool number in the output of vmquery and status is usually 0.

HTH.

mrjazz

 

[Stumpr]

Here is some intersting reading on tape commands:

How to manually remove a tape completely from NetBackup/Media Manager.

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/208420.htm

Bob Stump
Incorrigible punster -- Do not incorrige

 

[mrjazz]

Have just also found a very helpful article in the FAQs with a summary of all useful commands to expire/delete a tape in NetBackup. Look at:

faq776-3354

Hello from
mrjazz

 

[JyotiAhuja]

Hey Thanks guys!!
Its done!!
Thanks agn.

cheers,
Jyoti