RELABELSCRATCH=YES option may lead to the incorrect labeling of sequential (VTL) volumes.
Flash (Alert)
Abstract
Scratch volumes may be incorrectly relabelled when RELABELSCRATCH=YES is specified in the library definition. This problem is addressed in APAR IC58862. DO NOT USE the RELABELSCRATCH=YES option in the library (VTL) definition until the fix for IC58862 is applied. This fix is available in the 5.5.2.0 and above TSM Server levels.
Content
Problem Summary and Symptoms
TSM server level 5.5.1.0 added a new option, RELABELSCRATCH to the Library definition for VTL libraries only. When set as RELABELSCRATCH=YES the TSM server will initiate a relabel process when volumes in the given library are returned to the scratch pool. Details of this option can be found in the following technote:
A problem exists with the use of the RELABELSCRATCH=YES option when more than one scratch volume is eligible for relabeling at the same time. Under this condition the relabel process initiated by the server may relabel the volume with an internal volume label that does not match the external barcode. During relabel processing the following message will appear in the TSM server activity log if more than one volume is eligible for relabeling:
ANR8947W There were less labels in the vollist than volumes available.
The TSM server relabel processing will not relabel any volume with a label that is currently defined as a TSM storage pool volume or in the server's volume history (as a db backup, backupset volume, etc.). The following message will appear in the TSM server activity log when the relabel process is given a volume to relabel and the internal label on the volume is currently defined on the server:
ANR8808E Could not write label <label name> on the volume in drive <drive name> of library <library> name because that volume is already labeled with <volume name> which is still defined in a storage pool or volume history.
The volume receiving the ANR8808E is not relabeled and it is returned to the library manager as a private volume. While the volume is not mislabeled at this point it cannot be used again as a scratch volume until a successful relabel is completed (for the VTL to allow its reuse) and the library volume is updated or checked back in as scratch.
Volumes may get incorrectly relabelled when the new label is not currently in use on the TSM server. In this case the new label only exists as a scratch library volume not a defined storage pool, db backup or other in use type of volume. If TSM attempts to use a mislabeled volume the following message in the TSM server activity log:
ANR8356E Incorrect volume mounted <volume name> was mounted instead of volume expected <volume name> in library <library name>.
Who is Affected
TSM 5.5.1.0 server users who used the RELABELSCRATCH=YES option in their library (VTL) definition and had more than one scratch volume eligible for relabel at the same time.
If the RELABELSCRATCH=YES option has been defined in a library definition on a TSM server review the server activity log for messages ANR8947W and ANR8808E which indicate the possibility of having volumes with mismatched labels exists. If ANR8356E messages appear in the activity log then volumes with mismatched labels do exist. Recovery steps 1 through 3 below can be used to determine if any volumes with mismatched labels exist.
Recovery
The following specific cleanup steps are required to ensure all data remains available to TSM and all incorrectly labeled volumes are correctly relabelled:
NOTE: DO NOT remove or delete any volume from the VTL! DO NOT use an Audit Library with checklabel=barcode until the full cleanup is complete
1) Use the TSM Audit Library process with a TSM server trace running to:
a) Resync the TSM server's volume inventory using the internal volume labels from each volume
b) Obtain the information needed to create a list of the incorrectly/mismatched labeled volumes
From a TSM Admin command line enter:
TRACE DISABLE
TRACE ENABLE PVR MMS NA
TRACE BEGIN <filename>
AUDIT LIBRARY <libname> CHECKLABEL=YES
wait until audit library process has ended
TRACE END
The Audit Library checklabel=yes will now allow TSM to correctly locate all volumes with data in from the slot where the internal label and data are as the server expects.
2) Determine which volumes have mismatched labels:
From the TSM server trace entries the volume barcode/slot and internal label/slot information can be extracted from the following trace points:
barcode/slot [mmsscsi.c][10010][]:Barcode for volume in slot 1040 is '110000'.
internal label/slot [mmsscsi.c][17636][]:Label of volume in slot-element 1040 in library LIB1 is 110053.
In the above example the volume with barcode 110000 in slot 1040 has an internal label of 110053
Extract the above trace entries from the server trace and map all volumes with mismatched labels.
3) Process volumes with mismatched labels depending upon their volume and library volume state:
Run a query volume against all volumes in the mismatched label list. Any volume that returns as a defined storage pool volume needs to have the data moved off of it:
MOVE DATA <volumename>
where volumename is the internal label from the mismatched pair
Run a query libvol against all volumes in the mismatched label list. Any volume that returns with a status of private needs to be updated to a libvol status of scratch
UPDATE LIBVOL <volumename> STATUS=SCRATCH
NOTE: Some volumes with mismatch labels may still be scratch library volumes. Step 4 will correct these volumes as well.
4) Once all the volumes with mismatched labels are returned to library volume scratch status they should have their labels rewritten using their barcode as the labelsource.
Generate a list of all scratch libvols in the inventory of the library in question:
SELECT VOLUME_NAME FROM LIBVOLUMES WHERE STATUS='Scratch' AND LIBRARY_NAME='<libname>' > vollist.txt
Edit the vollist.txt file to remove the two header lines. Only volumes names should remain in the list.
Recommendation
DO NOT USE the RELABELSCRATCH=YES option in the library (VTL) definition until the fix for IC58862 is applied. This fix is available in the 5.5.2.0 and above TSM server levels.
Additional Note:
If there are no drives available when the relabel process begins the process will complete successfully but will not actually relabel the volume and check it back in. Any volumes that encounter this issue will be left in the library, not checked in, or relabelled. A manual LABEL LIBVOL command will have to be issued to complete proper processing of any such volumes. This is currently a limitation of LABEL LIBVOL processing which will not wait for a drive to become available.The following technote provides further details of this issue: http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21330112
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