I did a little further digging (after consulting with a fellow admin):
something also to consider : Reference : https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-i-removable-media-tape-and-tape-library-devices#TAPMLB
Control Path and Data Path Failover
When saving to a tape library, data flows across 2 channels: the data path and the control path. The actual data travels along the data path. The tape library control commands "mount tape", "eject tape", "inventory library" and so on, flow along the control path. In all libraries except the 3494, the control path and data path use the same cable.
Control Path Failover:
IBM i supports control path failover on systems that are running IBM i 7.1 or higher and using IOPless fibre cards for their tape or virtual tape. If a save is running and the IBM i detects a problem with the control path it is using, it automatically starts sending the library commands down another control path that is attached to the same fibre port and is associated with another drive in the same tape library. The save continues without interruption. If multiple control paths fail, the save continues to fail over until there are no more operational control paths. Note: This function does not support failover to a control path on a different Fibre Channel port or a different library.
Data Path Failover
Tape multi-path support is available for IBM i 7.2 and later releases. See Tape Multipath
Redundant tape connections (multi-path) are not supported on IBM i 7.1 and earlier
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Marius le Roux
Owner
MLR Consulting
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Original Message:
Sent: Thu August 15, 2024 02:03 PM
From: Marius le Roux
Subject: Backup Issue
Michael,
Questions that come to mind:
- Is the Library shared amongst other systems? (BRMS has a networking feature that flips libraries in a pool between systems)
- What "type" of library is it?
- like LTO / VTL / Cloud backup?
- Is this a standalone BRMS install? or a hub and node option? (like Server / Client configuration?)
Some Links you can peruse (if you have the capacity and some time to troubleshoot through it)
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/i/7.3?topic=brms-last-active-device <== This shows you that the "Last Active/ Good known Device" will be selected, so probably fixing the network/adapter card failure will resolve your issue
---> further to that, look at the control group settings of the devices used, there might be two libraries configured as failover perhaps? (normally you can have many tape drives for multiple parallel saves)
https://helpsystemswiki.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IWT/pages/888963080/BRMS+SQL+Services <--- good insight for the "log" of BRMS with SQL statements
https://helpsystemswiki.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IWT/pages/165642242/Tape+Library+Resource+Status+Tool <---- this will give you helpful diagnostics (might want to consider asking an admin to help you run these commands)
https://helpsystemswiki.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IWT/pages/165642273/Troubleshooting+Network+Connectivity+Problems+in+Enterprise <--- also a good way to see, if these libraries are connected on a network basis, to see why they fail.
https://helpsystemswiki.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IWT/pages/221904929/BRMS+Partners <--- if you need professional support then you can contact one of these companies,.
As Satid S said, best to go through the History Log of the system / QSYSOPR log (close to the time of the failure) & BRMS log itself for helpful indications (also the WRKPRB - Problem Log) might give some clues as well.
HTH
Marius
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Marius le Roux
Owner
MLR Consulting
Original Message:
Sent: Wed August 14, 2024 11:33 AM
From: Michael Ruth
Subject: Backup Issue
Good day,
I am having an issue where my backup on my Dev system has always been running under TAPMLB03, in Media Library Services. For some reason after the Friday night back and when the weekly backup is to start Saturday night, something causes a switch to TAPMLB02. I go into BRMS and make my changes to TAPMLB02 and then by the weekend it switches back to looking for TAPMLB03. The tape drive is TAP04, which I'm sure no relevance. When I look at the adapter card for the failing device and it says not operational, and it flip flops back and forth. Don't really see anything in the log. Ideas?
Michael Ruth
iSeries Support – SiteOps IT North American MQ & RD
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