|
midrange.com
I fought the initializing here. Why? Because if you use the expiration
date correctly, you can use this function to avoid deleting data on current
tapes. For example, I lost the following battle. Clerk at remote site is
in charge of changing tapes on the remote 400. If she fails to change
tapes, (she forgets, sick, on vacation, leaves the company, whatever) then
do you want to initialize the previous nights backup? What happens if this
stretches out for weeks? Basically you're using the same old tape. In my
mind this is as bad as putting MONMSG CPF0000 at the top of all your CL
programs.
I guess you could cover this with your CHKTAP.
Perhaps a solution like the following might be feasible. Assume that you
run a two week rotation. And your tapes are labeled MON1, TUE1, WED1,
THU1, FRI1, MON2, TUE2, WED2, THU2 and FRI2. Assume that you have a
technique to retrieve which week you are running, 1 or 2. You can append
this onto the system value QDAYOFWEEK to get the MON1 value. Armed with
this
INZTAP DEV(TAPDEV) NEWVOL(MON1) NEWOWNID(OURCOMPANY) VOL(MON1)
From message monitoring you can check to see if:
a) The wrong tape is loaded
b) If files are still active. However, if you have the right tape loaded
and your expiration date calculated right this should be a real fluke.
You should still get all the tape statistics on that volume. Why would you
do this versus just writing over the tape as recommended by others? I find
that the INZTAP is a good place to abort the backup if necessary. Since
human intervention is required this should be the highest point of failure.
We do all of our job endings, etc after the INZTAP. Makes recovery easier.
Rob Berendt
==================
Remember the Cole!
D.BALE@handleman.co
m To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Sent by: cc:
owner-midrange-l@mi Subject: Re: tape volume ID
drange.com
02/13/01 11:12 AM
Please respond to
MIDRANGE-L
I guess I've always just used the default EXPDATE(*PERM) on the save
operations and dealt with initializing the tape when I need it again.
I suppose I could wrap a CHKTAP and a INZTAP together in a program to
retrieve
the volume ID via CHKTAP and initialize the tape with that. If there's no
volume ID or the tape is uninitialized, assign a new volume ID based on a
"next number" scheme. Any thoughts on that idea?
Dan Bale
IT - AS/400
Handleman Company
248-362-4400 Ext. 4952
-------------------------- Original Message --------------------------
Dan,
I think what people are saying is that if the data on the tape is expired
it will just write over it and you do not have to initialize the tape.
Rob Berendt
==================
Remember the Cole!
-------------------------- Original Message --------------------------
Using what command? If INZTAP, don't you still have to specify the NEWVOL
parameter?
Dan Bale
IT - AS/400
Handleman Company
248-362-4400 Ext. 4952
-------------------------- Original Message --------------------------
Of course, if you wanted to reuse a tape and it's expiry date hadn't been
reached, you could always specify SEQNBR(1) CLEAR(*ALL)
...Neil
Chuck Lewis <clewis@iquest.net>
Sent by: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com
2001/02/12 12:47
Please respond to MIDRANGE-L
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com, D.BALE@handleman.com
cc:
Subject: Re: tape volume ID
Dan
What I do is initialize a tape with a unique volume ONCE. Start with 000000
(or
000001 if you aren't into IBM numbering <BG>)...
I have a file that keeps track of all of this (you can buy packages to do
this
too). My backups save with an expiration date calculated 21 days from the
day
they
are running (via a program) so they do not need to be reinitialized when
they
are
due to be used again (the expiration date has passed).
You can go into System Service Tools (STRSST) and take 1. Start a service
tool
and
then take 1. Product activity log and then take either 4. Work with
removable
media
lifetime statistics or 5. Display or print removable media session
statistics.
Either way you will see WHY you want to keep Volume ID's unique - this will
show
you the statistics of among other things, errors for each tape used.
HTH !
Chuck
D.BALE@handleman.com wrote:
> I've seen a "standard operating procedure" over the years of initializing
> tapes for backup using a new/different volume ID every time a tape is
used
> (usually the current date value). Does doing this defeat the ability of
the
> AS/400 to detect bad tapes over a period of time? "Problem Analysis" is
a
> term that pops into my head for some reason. It seems to me that the
Volume
> ID should be set once per tape, and never used again on another tape.
Yes?
No?
>
> As I'm just getting involved in this again for the first time in five
years,
> my memory's still a little shaky on the subject, but I seem to remember
> thinking that if INZTAP didn't require a NEWVOL entry everytime you
needed to
> initialize a tape, it would be easier to keep the *SAME volume ID. Is
there
a
> good reason why *SAME is not a valid value for the NEWVOL parameter?
>
> Dan Bale
> IT - AS/400
> Handleman Company
> 248-362-4400 Ext. 4952
+---
| This is the Midrange System Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to
MIDRANGE-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator:
david@midrange.com
+---
+---
| This is the Midrange System Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
+---
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
This mailing list archive is Copyright 1997-2024 by midrange.com and David Gibbs as a compilation work. Use of the archive is restricted to research of a business or technical nature. Any other uses are prohibited. Full details are available on our policy page. If you have questions about this, please contact [javascript protected email address].
Operating expenses for this site are earned using the Amazon Associate program and Google Adsense.
