Forum Discussion

Tabriz's avatar
Tabriz
Level 5
4 years ago

Standalone volume

Hi Community,

I have some questions related standalone volume.

There are 2 volume group in netbackup.Standalone and Robot volume group.

I know what is difference between Standalone volume and Robot volume.

But l would like to know if in tape library there are 30 tapes.10 of them are standalone and 20 of them are robot volume (inventory robot library).Why we need to use standalone volumes if there are robot volumes.In Quantum tape library there are 2 tape driver(How to check which tape driver supports robot or standalone volume ) .If in standalone volume group tapes are expired we must export it manullay?

 

Thanks

  • mph999's avatar
    mph999
    4 years ago

    Standalone volume goup (---) simply contains tapes that are not in a library.

    If the tapes are inventoried into a library later, they would move automatically from --- to the corresponding vol group.

    Generally, you don;t have to worry about volume groups, it's managed by NetBackup and should just 'happen' in the background.

    A voume group is a logical representation of location.

    000_00000_TLD  - Robot 0 where robot type is TLD
    000_00001_TLD  - Robot 1
    001_00001_TLD - Robot 1, but a different density (hcart/ hcart2 etc) than those tapes in 000_000001_TLD

    The first three digits represent how many different densities of tapes there are, although you cannot tell 'what' the density is.

    If you have 30 tapes in your library, none of them should be 'standalone' - they should be in a robotic volume group (eg anything other than ---) .  If tapes are in --- but are in a library,  then running an inventory from NBU should move them to their corresponding volume group.

  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    4 years ago

    Looking at your query, it seems that you are missing some 'basics'.

    There are 2 aspects to a tape/volume location:
    1. The physical location - a tape is either inside the robot or outside the robot.
    2. The logical location - this is the NetBackup view. Robotic or standalone.
    It is important that the physical and logical location correspond. A tape that is physically inside the robot must have a 'Robotic' status in NetBackup. A tape that is physically outside the robot, must have a 'standalone' status in NetBackup.

    Q. Why we need to use standalone volumes if there are robot volumes.
    A. You CANNOT use standalone tapes/volumes for tape drives that are in a robot/library. 
    Drives that are in a robot can only use volumes/tapes that are also in the robot. If you do not have sufficient tapes in the robot, you need to put new or expired standalone tapes in the robot and run Inventory. (Inventory will update the logical NBU status.)

    Q. In Quantum tape library there are 2 tape driver(How to check which tape driver supports robot or standalone volume )
    A. Tape drives in a robot/library can ONLY use volumes/tapes that are inside the robot.

    PLEASE speak to backup administrator to explain to you how tape rotation works in YOUR company, when are tapes taken offsite, when are they coming back and who is responsible for adding tapes to the robot and performing Inventory.

    Sorry, there are things that we cannot teach you here in the forum and cannot be learned in manuals.
    You need to ask your backup administrator to teach you site-specific tape management.

  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    Level 6
    4 years ago

    Looking at your query, it seems that you are missing some 'basics'.

    There are 2 aspects to a tape/volume location:
    1. The physical location - a tape is either inside the robot or outside the robot.
    2. The logical location - this is the NetBackup view. Robotic or standalone.
    It is important that the physical and logical location correspond. A tape that is physically inside the robot must have a 'Robotic' status in NetBackup. A tape that is physically outside the robot, must have a 'standalone' status in NetBackup.

    Q. Why we need to use standalone volumes if there are robot volumes.
    A. You CANNOT use standalone tapes/volumes for tape drives that are in a robot/library. 
    Drives that are in a robot can only use volumes/tapes that are also in the robot. If you do not have sufficient tapes in the robot, you need to put new or expired standalone tapes in the robot and run Inventory. (Inventory will update the logical NBU status.)

    Q. In Quantum tape library there are 2 tape driver(How to check which tape driver supports robot or standalone volume )
    A. Tape drives in a robot/library can ONLY use volumes/tapes that are inside the robot.

    PLEASE speak to backup administrator to explain to you how tape rotation works in YOUR company, when are tapes taken offsite, when are they coming back and who is responsible for adding tapes to the robot and performing Inventory.

    Sorry, there are things that we cannot teach you here in the forum and cannot be learned in manuals.
    You need to ask your backup administrator to teach you site-specific tape management.

  • mph999's avatar
    mph999
    Level 6
    4 years ago

    Standalone volume goup (---) simply contains tapes that are not in a library.

    If the tapes are inventoried into a library later, they would move automatically from --- to the corresponding vol group.

    Generally, you don;t have to worry about volume groups, it's managed by NetBackup and should just 'happen' in the background.

    A voume group is a logical representation of location.

    000_00000_TLD  - Robot 0 where robot type is TLD
    000_00001_TLD  - Robot 1
    001_00001_TLD - Robot 1, but a different density (hcart/ hcart2 etc) than those tapes in 000_000001_TLD

    The first three digits represent how many different densities of tapes there are, although you cannot tell 'what' the density is.

    If you have 30 tapes in your library, none of them should be 'standalone' - they should be in a robotic volume group (eg anything other than ---) .  If tapes are in --- but are in a library,  then running an inventory from NBU should move them to their corresponding volume group.

    • Tabriz's avatar
      Tabriz
      Level 5
      4 years ago

      mph999 

      Thanks for the response

       

      Our tape library is i40 Quantum.The license supports (generally be 35tapes in library + (5 slot MAP)

      BUT The Quantum license supports 25 slots.(seven of the slots) are empty.Need to in addition tapes for Duplication. 

      On Netbackup Administrator Console in media there are 39 tape with barcodes(three of them for CLN).

      In the standalone volume group tapes out of the tape library.Can l use them for the empty slots?.(But l don't know the tapes are expire or not.Do l need to specify ?)

       

       

      • Marianne's avatar
        Marianne
        Level 6
        4 years ago

        About your question if you can add more tapes in empty slots -

        The Quantum library knows which slots are usable for backups.
        If you manually put tapes in empty slots that are not licensed/usable in the library, those tapes will remain as standalone. Neither the library nor NetBackup can use those tapes.

        It is extremely important to only use the MAP to add/eject tapes. That way, the robot will only use usable/licensed slots to put tapes into.
        You may want to look for a user manual for your tape library....