Tape Robot path lost after enabling Solaris MPxIO

Created: 18 Sep 2012 | Updated: 10 Dec 2012

manmountain Certified

Hi folks,

After enabling multipathing on Solaris server I encountered this issue with path to tape library unit.

When I attempt run an inventory on the robot I get the following errors.

>> robot inventory failed: Unable to open robotic path (201)

I have rebuilt the dev/sg/* and /dev/rmt/* devices.

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH31047

>> [0928][root@netbackup1:/]$ /usr/openv/volmgr/bin/sgscan all conf -v

Tape device types enabled in the Solaris tape driver, st(7D), configuration file:

All devices recognized by the SCSI Generic (sg) driver:

/dev/sg/c0t0l0: Disk (/dev/rdsk/c0t0d0): "HP LOGICAL VOLUME 5.14"

/dev/sg/c0tw500143801600db10l0: Tape (/dev/rmt/3): "HP Ultrium 5-SCSI I5AW" : NOT-IN-ST-CONFIG-FILE

/dev/sg/c0tw500143801600db11l0: Tape (/dev/rmt/0): "HP Ultrium 5-SCSI I5AW" : NOT-IN-ST-CONFIG-FILE

/dev/sg/c0tw500143801600db16l0: Tape (/dev/rmt/1): "HP Ultrium 5-SCSI I5AW" : NOT-IN-ST-CONFIG-FILE

/dev/sg/c0tw500143801600db17l0: Tape (/dev/rmt/2): "HP Ultrium 5-SCSI I5AW" : NOT-IN-ST-CONFIG-FILE

/dev/sg/c1t0l0: Cdrom: "hp DVD A DS8A5LH 1HE4"

I still get robot inventory failed. Any ideas what the issue might be?

Thanks

Quick Look Solution

Solaris Sparc or x86? We have

Solaris Sparc or x86?

We have seen numerous problems (on this forum) on x86 servers where MPxIO was enabled.

Only way to get robotics working was to disable MPxIO.

Filed Under

Tags:

Backup and Recovery, NetBackup - 7.1.x and Earlier, NetBackup, Configuring, Installing

Comments

revaroo

Symantec Employee

Sep

2012

Does robtest work, can you

Does robtest work, can you move a tape from a slot to a drive and back again?

If not, look outside of NetBackup.

Marianne van den Berg

Trusted Advisor

Accredited

Certified

Sep

2012

SOLUTION

Solaris Sparc or x86? We have

Solaris Sparc or x86?

We have seen numerous problems (on this forum) on x86 servers where MPxIO was enabled.

Only way to get robotics working was to disable MPxIO.

Supporting Storage Foundation and VCS on Unix and Windows as well as NetBackup on Unix and Windows
Handy NBU Links

manmountain

Certified

Sep

2012

Oh ok.... Yes it's an x86! $

Oh ok.... Yes it's an x86!

$ robtest

Configured robots with local control supporting test utilities:

TLD(1) robotic path = /dev/sg/c0tw500143801600db10l1

Robot Selection

---------------

1) TLD 1

2) none/quit

Enter choice: 1

Robot selected: TLD(1) robotic path = /dev/sg/c0tw500143801600db10l1

Invoking robotic test utility:

/usr/openv/volmgr/bin/tldtest -rn 1 -r /dev/sg/c0tw500143801600db10l1

Opening /dev/sg/c0tw500143801600db10l1

robotic path /dev/sg/c0tw500143801600db10l1 does not existRobotic test utility /usr/openv/volmgr/bin/tldtest

returned abnormal exit status (1).

manmountain

Certified

Sep

2012

Is there any point to try to

Is there any point to try to play around and see if I can get it working? Or is this a know bug that is not currently supported?

I have multipathing enabled SAN storage devices and would like to keep this functionality as throughput is greatly increased.

Andy Welburn

Trusted Advisor

Sep

2012

I suppose you could play

I suppose you could play around with it if you want, but:

Configuring Solaris 10 x86 for multiple drive paths
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?pag...

To use multiple paths to the same tape drive, NetBackup requires that Solaris Multiplexed I/O (MPxIO) be disabled.

Regards Andy

"Have you still got the box it came in?"

Marianne van den Berg

Trusted Advisor

Accredited

Certified

Sep

2012

I cannot find any

I cannot find any workaround...

Maybe best to log a Support call?

Supporting Storage Foundation and VCS on Unix and Windows as well as NetBackup on Unix and Windows
Handy NBU Links

manmountain

Certified

Sep

2012

Yea no joy... I attempted to

Yea no joy... I attempted to create a single path to each drive and still have MPxIO enabled. There was an issue still with the robot. When I did disable MPxIO it worked and I could see both 2 drives and robot.

Could I use Veritas Volume manager to manage storage LUNs. This should not affect how Solaris OS or netbackup views the tape drive?

manmountain

Certified

Sep

2012

Since I have reconfigured

Since I have reconfigured drives and robot I am getting below error when running backups.

"The robotic Library is not defined in EMM"

Any ideas how I can resolve this?

Marianne van den Berg

Trusted Advisor

Accredited

Certified

Sep

2012

I wanted to suggest Storage

I wanted to suggest Storage Foundation (Veritas Volume Manager) but obviously had no idea if something like SF Basic (free version) would be sufficient.

About your latest problem - were daemons restarted after reconfig?

Please restart NBU, then post output of 'tpconfig -l'.

Supporting Storage Foundation and VCS on Unix and Windows as well as NetBackup on Unix and Windows
Handy NBU Links

manmountain

Certified

Sep

2012

[1507][root@netbackup:/]$

[1507][root@netbackup:/]$ tpconfig -l

Device Robot Drive Robot Drive Device Second

Type Num Index Type DrNum Status Comment Name Path Device Path

robot 0 - TLD - - - - /dev/sg/c0tw500143801600db10l1

drive - 0 hcart2 1 UP - HP.ULTRIUM5-SCSI.000 /dev/rmt/0cbn

drive - 1 hcart2 2 UP - HP.ULTRIUM5-SCSI.001 /dev/rmt/1cbn

It actually appears to be only stage 2 of disk staging where backups are relocated from disk to tape that is not working.

Marianne van den Berg

Trusted Advisor

Accredited

Certified

Sep

2012

Double-check STU specified in

Double-check STU specified in the staging portion of the DSU config. Just re-select the Storage Unit for this robot & drive combination.

Supporting Storage Foundation and VCS on Unix and Windows as well as NetBackup on Unix and Windows
Handy NBU Links