Tivoli Storage Manager for Sun Solaris Administrator's Guide


Cleaning Drives


Task Required Privilege Class
Clean drives System or unrestricted storage

The server can control cleaning tape drives in SCSI libraries and offers partial support for cleaning tape drives in manual libraries. For automated library devices, you can automate cleaning by specifying the frequency of cleaning operations and checking a cleaner cartridge into the library's volume inventory. TSM mounts the cleaner cartridge as specified. For manual library devices, TSM issues a mount request for the cleaner cartridge.

Note:This support is not for SCSI libraries that have their own automatic cleaning built into the device (for example, STK 9710, IBM 3570, and IBM 3575). When available, use the device's automatic cleaning function.
Operations Note:

Drives and libraries from different manufacturers differ in how they handle cleaner cartridges and how they report the presence of a cleaner cartridge in a drive. Consult the manufacturer's information that accompanies the library and the drives for an explanation. The device driver may or may not be able to open a drive that contains a cleaner cartridge. Sense codes and error codes that are issued by devices for drive cleaning vary. If a library has its own automatic cleaning, the library attempts to keep the process completely transparent to all applications. Because of this combination of variability, the server cannot reliably detect a cleaner cartridge in a drive and cannot determine if the library has started a cleaning process.

Cleaning Drives in an Automated Library

Set up server-controlled drive cleaning in an automated library with these steps:

  1. Define or update the drives in a library, using the CLEANFREQUENCY parameter. The CLEANFREQUENCY parameter sets how often you want the drive cleaned. Refer to the DEFINE DRIVE and UPDATE DRIVE commands. Consult the manuals that accompany the drives for recommendations on cleaning frequency.

    For example, to have DRIVE1 cleaned after 100GB is processed on the drive, issue the following command:

    define drive autolib1 drive1 device=/dev/rmt/1mt element=82
     cleanfrequency=100
    

    Consult the drive manufacturer's information for cleaning recommendations. If the information gives recommendations for cleaning frequency in terms of hours of use, convert to a gigabytes value by doing the following:

    1. Use the bytes-per-second rating for the drive to determine a gigabytes-per-hour value.
    2. Multiply the gigabytes-per-hour value by the recommended hours of use between cleanings.
    3. Use the result as the cleaning frequency value.
  2. Check a cleaner cartridge into the library's volume inventory with the CHECKIN LIBVOLUME command. For example:
    checkin libvolume autolib1 cleanv status=cleaner cleanings=10
     checklabel=no
    

    After the cleaner cartridge is checked in, the server will mount the cleaner cartridge in a drive when the drive needs cleaning. The server will use that cleaner cartridge for the number of cleanings specified. See Checking In Cleaner Volumes and Operations with Cleaner Cartridges in a Library for more information.

For details on the commands, see Administrator's Reference.

Checking In Cleaner Volumes

You must check a cleaner cartridge into an automated library's volume inventory to have the server control drive cleaning without further operator intervention.

It is recommended that you check in cleaner cartridges one at a time and do not use the search function of check-in for a cleaner cartridge.

Attention: When checking in a cleaner cartridge to a library, ensure that it is correctly identified to the server as a cleaner cartridge. Also use caution when a cleaner cartridge is already checked in and you are checking in data cartridges. Ensure that cleaner cartridges are in their correct home slots, or errors and delays can result.

When checking in data cartridges with SEARCH=YES, ensure that a cleaner cartridge is not in a slot that will be detected by the search process. Errors and delays of 15 minutes or more can result from a cleaner cartridge being improperly moved or placed. For best results, check in the data cartridges first when you use the search function. Then check in the cleaner cartridge separately.

For example, if you need to check in both data cartridges and cleaner cartridges, put the data cartridges in the library and check them in first. You can use the search function of the CHECKIN LIBVOLUME command (or the LABEL LIBVOLUME command if you are labeling and checking in volumes). Then check in the cleaner cartridge to the library by using one of the following methods.

Manual Drive Cleaning in an Automated Library

If your library has limited capacity and you do not want to use a slot in your library for a cleaner cartridge, you can still make use of the server's drive cleaning function. Set the cleaning frequency for the drives in the library. When a drive needs cleaning based on the frequency setting, the server issues the message, ANR8914I. For example:

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|ANR89141I Drive DRIVE1 in library AUTOLIB1 needs to be cleaned.                 |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

You can use that message as a cue to manually insert a cleaner cartridge into the drive. However, the server cannot track whether the drive has been cleaned.

Operations with Cleaner Cartridges in a Library

When a drive needs to be cleaned, the server runs the cleaning operation after dismounting a data volume if a cleaner cartridge is checked in to the library. If the cleaning operation fails or is cancelled, or if no cleaner cartridge is available, then the indication that the drive needs cleaning is lost. Monitor cleaning messages for these problems to ensure that drives are cleaned as needed. If necessary, use the CLEAN DRIVE command to have the server try the cleaning again, or manually load a cleaner cartridge into the drive.

The server uses a cleaner cartridge for the number of cleanings that you specify when you check in the cleaner cartridge. If you check in more than one cleaner cartridge, the server uses one of them for its designated number of cleanings. Then the server begins to use the next cleaner cartridge.

Visually verify that cleaner cartridges are in the correct storage slots before issuing any of the following commands:

To find the correct slot for a cleaner cartridge, use the QUERY LIBVOLUME command.

Cleaning Drives in a Manual Library

Cleaning a drive in a manual library is the same as setting up drive cleaning without checking in a cleaner cartridge for an automated library. The server issues the ANR8914I message when a drive needs cleaning. For example:

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|ANR89141I Drive DRIVE1 in library MANLIB1 needs to be cleaned.                  |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Monitor the activity log or the server console for these messages and load a cleaner cartridge into the drive as needed. The server cannot track whether the drive has been cleaned.


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