Overview:
When attempting to expire a media in NetBackup 6.5 with the bpexpdate command, the following message is received:
Requested media id was not found in the EMM database

Troubleshooting:
If there are database inconsistencies involving a particular media ID, bpexpdate may not be able to expire that media, even though it is reported as assigned in the EMM database.  

For example, if a volume is assigned, it is expected that it would have a associated media server name recorded in the Enterprise Media Manager (EMM) database.  This is the media server that currently "owns" or last wrote to the media.

If a volume is assigned, but does not have a media server listed in the EMM database, there is an inconsistency.  Therefore, bpexpdate will not work and a procedure must be followed to ensure that the media is expired.  Media in this sort of predicament may or may not have unexpired images associated with it.

Log Files:  N/A

Resolution:
The procedure for analyzing and eliminating inconsistencies for a media is as follows, using "000538" as an example media ID:

1. Use nbemmcmd to list the media server record for the media ID.  If the Last Write Host hostname appears as NONE or is blank, yet there is a value for Time Assigned, this indicates an incomplete EMM media record.  In the output below, "000538" is assigned, but has no associated media server.  

 

nbemmcmd
 

Unix: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd/
 

Windows: <Install_dir>\NetBackup\bin\admincmd
 

 

Command syntax example and output:
 

nbemmcmd -listmedia -mediaid 000538
 

 

 

NBEMMCMD, Version:6.5
 

====================================================================
 

Media GUID:                     51b3f3d6-0f92-4f09-9526-0c3bd1e705e5
 

Media ID:                       000538
 

Partner:                        -
 

Media Type:                     HCART
 

Volume Group:                   ---
 

Application:                    Netbackup
 

Media Flags:                    1
 

Description:
 

Barcode:                        000538
 

Partner Barcode:                --------
 

Last Write Host:
 

Created:                        08/31/2007 09:20
 

Time Assigned:                  09/14/2006 10:14
 

First Mount:                    -
 

Last Mount:                     -
 

Volume Expiration:              -
 

Data Expiration:                -
 

Last Written:                   -
 

Last Read:                      -
 

Robot Type:                     NONE
 

Robot Control Host:             -
 

Robot Number:                   -
 

Slot:                           -
 

Side/Face:                      -
 

Cleanings Remaining:            -
 

Number of Mounts:               0
 

Maximum Mounts Allowed:         0
 

Media Status:                   ACTIVE
 

Kilobytes:                      0
 

Images:                         0
 

Valid Images:                   0
 

Retention Period:               -
 

Number of Restores:             0
 

Optical Header Size Bytes:      0
 

Optical Sector Size Bytes:      0
 

Optical Partition Size Bytes:   0
 

Last Header Offset:             0
 

Adamm Guid:                     00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
 

Rsm Guid:                       00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
 

Origin Host:                    backup01a
 

Master Host:
 

Server Group:
 

Upgrade Conflicts Flag:
 

Pool Number:                    1
 

Volume Pool:                    NetBackup
 

Previous Pool Name:             -
 

Vault Flags:                    -
 

Vault Container:                -
 

Vault Name:                     -
 

Vault Slot:                     -
 

Session ID:                     -
 

Date Vaulted:                   -
 

Return Date:                    -
 

=====================================================
 

Command completed successfully.
 

 

2. Determine if the media ID exists in the merge table.  If the media ID appears in this listing, then a different issue exists - do not proceed further.  Contact Symantec Technical Services for assistance with getting this media ID out of the merge table.  The following example shows no media IDs in the merge table:

 

nbemmcmd
 

Unix: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd/
 

Windows: <Install_dir>\NetBackup\bin\admincmd
 

 

Command syntax example and output:
 

nbemmcmd -listmedia -mergetable
 

 

The following number of records were found:0
 

Command completed successfully.
 

3. From the same path, type bpimmedia -mediaid 000538 to determine if there are any images on this piece of media.  If there are no images, then no output will be displayed.  If there are images, an IMAGE line and FRAG line will appear for each valid image on the media ID.

4. As long as the media ID does not appear in the merge table, the bptm command can be used to build a complete media record for each affected media ID.  Then the volume can then be unassigned and expired.  This will require the media ID of the affected media, as well as the density and the volume pool number.
 

 

bptm
 

Unix: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/
 

Windows: <Install_dir>\NetBackup\bin\
 

 

Command syntax example from a UNIX server with a media ID of 000538, a density of HCART, that resides in Volume Pool 1 (NetBackup):
 

bptm -makedbentry -m 000538 -den hcart -poolnum 1
 

5.  Once this command completes, rerun the nbemmcmd -listmedia -mediaid 000538 command from step 1.  There should now be a valid Last Write Host hostname.  

6. The tape can now be expired with the bpexpdate command:

 

bpexpdate
 

Unix: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd
 

Windows: <Install_dir>\NetBackup\bin\admincmd
 

 

If there are no valid images for the media, the command syntax example and output:
 

bpexpdate -m 000538 -justmedia -d 0  
 

 

Are you SURE you want to delete 000538 y/n (n)? y
 

 

If there are  valid images for the media, the command syntax example and output:
 

bpexpdate -m 000538 -d 0  
 

 

Are you SURE you want to delete 000538 y/n (n)? y
 

 

 

Now that the media is expired, it can be used for backups again and will be overwritten.