RSM Eject Command May Not Move Media to Off-Line Media Library

• Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Server

SYMPTOMS

There may be situations when you want to delete media from your tape library because the media is damaged or has exceeded its usage count. However, before you can delete the media from Removable Storage Manager (RSM), the media must be in the Off-Line Media library. This is performed by issuing an Eject command.

When you issue an Eject command against media, RSM starts the Eject Media wizard. After the wizard finishes and the media is ejected, RSM normally moves that media to the Off-Line Media library.

When certain types of tape library changers are used, RSM cannot physically perform an eject, and consequently does not move the media to the Off-Line Media library even after the Eject Media wizard reports that the operation was successful.

This mostly happens on tape changers that consist of a tape cassette magazine that holds multiple tapes in a single cartridge. These types of cartridges must usually remain full at all times for them to function correctly and therefore do not support the Eject command for a single tape.

CAUSE

Most changer-type devices that are managed by RSM have either doors or ports that removable media are inserted into or ejected from. These doors or ports have electrical control interfaces that can be addressed programmatically to initiate receiving (injecting) or expelling (ejecting) media.

Some changer devices do not have these electrical control interfaces that RSM can use to issue an Eject command. Normally, RSM maps an Eject command to use the IEPORT interface. If that interface is not available, RSM remaps the command to use IEDOOR.

On libraries without IEports, the RSM Eject Media wizard maps an "eject request" on a particular media to an IEDOOR (door access) command. The RSM service itself only knows that you want to open the door, not necessarily that you want to take out a particular media. For these types of libraries that have no IEports, when you perform an eject using the snap-in, RSM does not physically eject the media or move the media into the Off-Line Media library. Instead, it simply issues a door access command using the IEDOOR interface.

This is evident while looking at the Work queue and Operator Request queue. A normal Eject command is processed as such, and displays "Eject" under the operation columns. For the types of devices described above, all you see is "Door Access" under the operation columns.

RESOLUTION

To actually eject media and move it to the Off-Line Media library for these types of tape changers, you must physically push the eject button when you are prompted to do so. (This is in the form of an operator request and an associated Administrative alert.) Then, replace the media in the tape magazine with another tape. Once the new tape is in the magazine, insert the magazine back into the tape changer, and then perform a full inventory so RSM can recognize that the media has been switched. This causes the removed tape to be placed in the Off-Line Media pool, and the tape to be inventoried.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

To perform a "full inventory" of a tape library:

1. In RSM, expand the Physical Locations folder.



2. Locate and then click the effected tape library.



3. Right-click the tape library, and then click Properties.



4. Change the inventory method from None or Fast to Full, and then click OK.



5. Right-click the tape library again, and then click Inventory.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbhw kbtool
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb