topic Re: VMS Backup in Operating System - OpenVMS

VMS Backup

Bona_1 — Wed, 06 Apr 2005 06:04:25 GMT

I keep getting the error

***********
"-SYSTEM-F-VOLINV, volume is not software enabled %BACKUP-I-OPERSPEC
%BACKUP-I-OPERASSIST, operator assistance has been requested
**********

Whenever I try to backup to tape. I have two tape drives installed, so it's unlikely to be a hardware error. Does anyone know what could be wrong?

Thanks

Re: VMS Backup

Jeroen Hartgers_3 — Wed, 06 Apr 2005 06:41:50 GMT

It is a little less off info.

what is the syntax you use to backup?

Re: VMS Backup

Bona_1 — Wed, 06 Apr 2005 07:07:06 GMT

This is the format for the backup:

***********
backup/log/ignore=(nobackup,label,interlock)
INGRESII_CKP:[INGRES.CKP.PPASDB]*.*;* PPAS01$MKC100:ppas35.bck/sav/media=compact
**********

Re: VMS Backup

Ian Miller. — Wed, 06 Apr 2005 07:13:27 GMT

typicaally that message is output if the tape is not loaded as far as BACKUP can tell.

Re: VMS Backup

Wim Van den Wyngaert — Wed, 06 Apr 2005 07:26:39 GMT

From Google (but I agree)

There should be several factors causing such behaviour. Check between the
followings:

1) The tape is already mounted by another process
(show dev/full will indicate the owing process)
If this occurs you have to dismount the tape before reusing it
WARNING: Do not unload the tape from the drive if it is already mounted,
otherwise you'll have other problems....

2) The tape is not loaded in the drive (I don't think this is your case)
3) The tape drive is offline :
show dev will show the drive status.
In this case maybe:

1) The drive is broken
2) A scsi (if is it a scsi device) address conflicts with drive's one.
3) The scsi controller is broken
4) The scsi controller conflicts with other peripherals.

I think we have the same problem very rarely and have to do (on controller level) :
show tape full
to get the name xxx of the device
clear unknow xxx

Wim

Re: VMS Backup

Robert_Boyd — Wed, 06 Apr 2005 13:51:55 GMT

Bona,

I noticed that you didn't include any information about how you are MOUNTing the tape volume. Could you provide us with the command that you use to MOUNT the tape?

Robert

Re: VMS Backup

Daniel Fernandez Illan — Thu, 07 Apr 2005 04:36:46 GMT

Bona
This message indicates that volume isn't mounted or loaded. If the response of:
sho dev mk
indicates that device is allocated the dismount the tape using:
dismount/nounload mkc100:
After you can reintent backup operation.
Else if device isn't allocated for other proccess, the tou need mount device previously using commando mount.

Saludos, Daniel.

Re: VMS Backup

Kevin Szeto — Thu, 07 Apr 2005 11:08:37 GMT

Try to replace the SCSI cable & clean the tape drive.

Re: VMS Backup

Jan van den Ende — Thu, 07 Apr 2005 13:42:05 GMT

Bona,

this answer ASSUMES that the next quote is EXACT:

***********
backup/log/ignore=(nobackup,label,interlock)
INGRESII_CKP:[INGRES.CKP.PPASDB]*.*;* PPAS01$MKC100:ppas35.bck/sav/media=compact
**********

That would be consistent with the error.

A device $MKC100: would not exist.
If you have a single node, with VAXCLUSTER=0, then that device would be _MKC100:, without the "$", you may specify with or without "_"
If you have VAXCLUSTER=1, then there are two possibilities:
ALLOCLASS = 0 (zero)
Now you need SCSNODENAME, and the device is $MKC100:
and id ALLOCLASS is not equal 0, then the device is $$MKC100:.

... if you know all of this, and my assumptions are based on typo or malformed forum presentation, then just ignore this post.

Proost.

Have one in me.

Jan

Re: VMS Backup

Jan van den Ende — Thu, 07 Apr 2005 13:47:41 GMT

Bona,

from your profile:

I have assigned points to 36 of 192 responses to my questions.

Maybe you can find some time to catch up?

Just click your own name, and in your profile click "Unanswered questions"
Even if you consider any answer not deserving any points, then you can assign 0 (zero), and the "unassigned" flag wiil go.

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

Re: VMS Backup

Ian McKerracher_1 — Fri, 08 Apr 2005 10:43:29 GMT

I had a similar problem a year ago. I still do not know what caused the problem but after receiving the VOLINV error message I found that I could not dismount the tape because the system said that the tape was not mounted. But I could not mount the tape because the system said that the tape was already mounted.

I eventually found that the tape was owned by a regular overnight backup batch job which had indicated that it had completed successfully hours earlier (Wim mentioned this in an earlier reply).

I entered the following commands:

$ dismount/abort
$ stop process/id=
$ deallocate

Since then we have not had a problem.

Regards,

Ian