MSL5030 New Tape Barcode not Recognized

[BarentsKrans]

We are using the MSL5030 with 2 tape drives. We use HP ultrium 1 200 Gb tapes (C7971A). We label the tapes ourselves with HP Barcode labels. Old tapes are recognized fine but we recently put in new tapes and put barcode labels on them. The barcodes are not showing up in our backup program (Backup Exec for Netware 9.2). Instead you see the name for example LTO_000010 while the barcode is CX8693L1. Why are the barcodes not recognized? What can i do to fix the problem?

[rich pattison]

Hi there

This could be Backup Exec mis-interpreting the barcode information from the library. You can load a utility like L&TT to check what the library is reading, independantly of you backup software.
L&TT for Netware is a free download from here:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=261315&prodTypeId=12169&prodSeriesId=254838&swLang=8&taskId=135&swEnvOID=1064

Barcode length/left or right justification/check digit - can be set on the library. Barcode rules can be set under Backup Exec. Standard HP barcode for Ultrium should have 6 alphanumeric characters with the suffix L1 (as yours seem to have). There should also be two barcodes on the label - one with 'low definition' along the whole length of the label - and one in 'high definition' which is about half the length of the label.

Hope this helps

[Bill Costigan]

You can also just point your web browser to the IP address of the library. The libray has a built in web based mgmt. program.

Go to status and then simply put your mouse cursor over one of the tapes in a slot. A little pop up window will display the bar code.

If the bar code displyed is correct, I'd look at the backup software.

[BarentsKrans]

To Bill:

If i hover over the tapes in the web interface the message "no barcode" appears for all tapes.

[rich pattison]

.........Hey I just remembered - the status button on the front panel of the library itself shows barcodes. Press STATUS then either left or right magazine - and it shows the magazine inventory with barcode labels. (If you use the browser - you'll need a password)

[Bill Costigan]

So the problem seems to be with the library or the barcodes themselves. Because the the libray CAN read the older barcodes I have to assume the problem is with the bar codes themselves.

Maybe you got a batch of bad labels. You didn't put them on crooked or upside down of something like that. Did you :)

[BarentsKrans]

If i look on the status display of the library itself all the slots that contain tapes are showing up as black squars. No barcode label.

Yes, i put the barcode labels (stickers from HP) on right. No mistakes there. ;)

If have heard from a HP engineer that Backup Exec can overwrite the barcode settings from the library. Can this be the problem? If so how can i resolve it. I see no option in BE to correct this.

[rich pattison]

Hi

If the library Front panel shows black squares when there is a barcode label on the media it *HAS* to be a problem with the library or labels - nothing to do with Backup exec. I've attached a picture of what the barcode for Ultrium should look like - if yours look like this - I suggest you get your friendly CE to run the onboard barcode diagnostic tests, and replace the reader if required.

But the MSL library has to read the serial number barcode (printed on a label inside the unit) when it powers-up, and if it can't do this it usually gives an error message - you haven't mentioned that this is happening, which tells me that the reader is probably OK, and your labels are faulty in some way.

[BarentsKrans]

The barcodes we use look exactely like the picture. The labels come from a batch that was shipped with the library an we use this label batch for like 3 years now. Not very likely that the labels are faulty.

If i reboot the library an the robot does his scan of the tapes and library barcodes, i get a error:
Fault code: 3032 (soft)
Chassis S/N Character count is not correct.

If have looked for the error condition in the manual but it does not come with a solution. Is my robot arm or barcode-scanner defect?

[rich pattison]

.....OK - it sounds like the barcode scanner itself is either faulty, or has the wrong configuration settings. Our MSL5030 has the following settings -(from the front panel "status"-"view system data"-"library options"):
Barcode label size - 8 characters
Barcode label alignment - left align
Check digit - disabled
Barcode reader - retries enabled

If your settings are the same - then it looks like you have a faulty barcode scanner. As a last resort it is possible to reset the library configuration to default settings - but then you will lose all the other settings like IP addresses/SCSI ID's etc, so this is a "no-going-back" action.

If you are suspicious that the scanner is faulty, I strongly suggest you log a fault call and get an engineer to take a look at it.


Rich