"Unsupported Command" when activating mailslot on SSL1016

[Marnus]

Good day

I've being battling to turn on mailslot support for Data Protector which keeps saying
"Cannot EJECT repository element(s): (no mailslot(s) defined)"

On the SSL1016 using either the GUI or the front panel results in a "Unsupported Command" error, when trying to define an I/E Slot.

When using the uma to retrieve the element addresses i only get this

scsi4:0:1:1> addr
Element Addresses (T=Transport, X=Im/Export, D=Drive, S=Storage):
Transport: 0 .. 0 (T1 .. T1)
Data Drive(s): 32 .. 32 (D1 .. D1)
Repository: 256 .. 271 (S1 .. S16)

i can easily do a move S1 T1, but as there is no "X", i think data protector is indeed not being funny... the tape drive isn't reporting a mailslot.

This is a mayor hassle for us. Every time i enter a tape i have to first go through a whole process of discovery and scanning and moving and manually having to check which slots are open and even data protector gets confused when manually loading tapes and trying to sync it all up.

Here are the version numbers as reported by the SSL1016 GUI

Version:
Policy 53.0
Servo 82.0

PS: I can see the tape and loader easily (using MSA1000 with N1200 router, i have static FC SC mappings and only one server needing to do backups and nothing fancy, i've loaded some data protector patches, but it clearly doesn't seem to be a problem with DP.

Any ideas?

[Marnus]

I'm an idiot.. forgot to report the REAL version number of the loader

V31.0

here is something from the event logs.. i click the I/E Slot tick box, and then when i click submit the screen shows "Unsupported Command"

This is what the log file shows during that process.

1561: 2004-Feb-24, 15:34:27.028 LDR log page 0x30
1562: 2004-Feb-24, 15:34:27.028 LDR sending response/cmd 0/16
1563: 2004-Feb-24, 15:36:16.896 IE CMD: status 0x3d ie_enable 0 ie_slot 0
1564: 2004-Feb-24, 15:36:24.506 LDR rcvd drive cmd 16
1565: 2004-Feb-24, 15:36:24.506 LDR log page 0x3e

[Seth Pickett]

Marnus,

First, based on your firmware versions I assume you have a DLT1 SSL1016. The DLT1 SSL1016 does not support the I/E functionality. The SDLT320 and LTO2 SSL1016s do, but not the DLT1 version.

Second, the I/E slot and the media slot are not the same thing on a SSL1016. Even if you did have one of the SSL1016s that did support the I/E slot you would not be able to have media ejected to the mail slot. There is no SCSi support for the mailslot. The best you could do would be to designate the I/E slot (normally slot 16), have the media sent to the I/E slot, and then manually move the media from the I/E slot to the mailslot.

Hope this helps,

Seth

[Marnus]

Thank you very much for clearing that up. HP never mentioned this limitation.

It makes things complicated as the user that will be handling the tapes isn't that clever (night shift). It also makes things slightly "what's the point", why include a barcode scanner if it doesn't even know a tape was inserted, what happens when the operator pushes the left button once to many and puts a tape in the wrong slot, you don't get a backup...

Data Protector goes out of sync as well and it takes a long time to run a scan of all the tapes to get it back in shape. I would think things were slightly more integrated by now.

anyway.. they take tapes offsite daily... and there is 30 tapes... i'll figure out a way to rotate it all without causing confusion.

Thanks for your help!

[Seth Pickett]

I would agree that the I/E slot is not as useful as it could be. However, remember that this is an entry level automation product with only some "library-like" features, and sells at an entry-level price.

Regards,

Seth

[Marnus]

quick q: Does having barcodes make scanning the loader faster?

You are right. I'll figure out a way to work it so that everbody is happy. I just wish i could have known sooner, like in the technical briefing regarding this SAN solution at the HP reseller. "BTW... you cannot eject/load tapes from the Data Protector Console with this unit".

Anyway

Issue closed

I'll make one a "mailslot" and move the previous nights backup to that slot with a post exec command. They must remove the tape from that slot (put up a huge sticker on how to do it).. can load a tape anywhere there is an open slot, i'll just add a pre-exec command to scan the whole autoloader to make sure that the backup protector can find the tape is is suppose to use, if it might have being offsite.

Thanks!

[Seth Parker · Accepted solution]

I've had to fight something similar, even though I don't really care about the mailslot functionality.

There is a setting in the drive properties under the Advanced button of the Settings tab. Try selecting "Rescan" and see if that helps. I say try, because I did a bunch of permutations and I can't remember exactly what our operator is doing.

Another thing I did was to create a barcode scan script and an inventory script. This way, the operator can force the issue, if needed.

A barcode scan can be forced with:
omnimm -repository_barcode_scan "LIBRARY_NAME"

An inventory can be forced with:
omnimm -repository_update "DRIVE_NAME"

The only time I remember that we *have* to do an inventory is when we put in barcoded blank media. That way DP knows for sure that it's blank media. Even so, I don't remember if I tried to actually run a backup with no media in the library other than a new, barcoded, blank tape.

Hope this helps...
Seth

Hey, Seth Pickett, how odd to have 2 Seth P. responding to the same thread!

[Marnus]

now that is helping me!... i'll definitely give it a shot.

I'm slowly but surely learning the scripting power of Data Protector (my problem-child is a Microsoft clickety click), and begining to think i can propably get something working.

If i make the barcodes something readible for everybody... i would almost have something they can work with, as long as i can move the tape to "mailslot" (slot 15 in my case), after the backup is done, Post-exec propably runs after the tape is moved to it's home slot, so i'll have to "remember" what slot the tape came from... maybe i can make a script that moves the last order tape to the mailslot before the backup begins, don't have to worry about pre-defining the tape to use either, always use the oldest one.... hmmmm.. time to start testing these ideas..

I must say i'm impressed by the quality of the autoloader.. we accidently dropped the autoloader from about 50cm, fell on it's side... still working :\

Thank you very much for your help!

[P.Prakash_1]

Hi

Currently I am facing a problem with one of our SSL1016 autoloader in disabling the I/E slot. Getting "Unsupported command"

It's a DLT1 autoloader hence I/E slot should be disabled (unchecked) but I could see it enabled (checked) on the Web interface. I think this is the reason behind DP5.1 not working with this autoloader. Below are the firmware versions. Can any one provide your valuable inputs on this.

Autoloader Version V40.0
Drive Version : Policy 64.0
Servo 94.0

The problem I am facing with DP5.1 is that it doesnt sense no more than the first slot in the autoloader.

Thanks in advance

Prakash