How to relable a barcode label?

[tehinternet]

This not necessarily a support issue, more of a question on the ideal process, so I'm asking here.

In the past I've needed change the barcode label on a tape and I recall it took a lot of trial and error in Veeam to get it to happen. The problem I hit is that even when the tape is physically relabled, Veeam still thinks:

3/12/2021 1:06:05 PM :: Error: Library locations are out of sync, please run the inventory. Tried to load tape MOxxxxL7 into the drive, but WKxxxxL7 was loaded instead.

I need to relabel some times. I can't find any documentation on the process. I'm still stuck on the first one.
So far I've tried:

-Erase (short erase) on tape
-Mark as free
-Move from medial pool to 'free' media pool.
-Take the tape out and let the library update its inventory
-Physically relabel the tape.
-Put back into library and let it update it's inventory.
-The new tape number appears 'online' in Veeam and the old tape number is 'offline'.
-Run a test file to tape job with this new tape number in a media pool.
-File to tape job starts and then quickly dies with the above posted error.
-Veeam now updates to no longer display the new tape number and switches referring to the old tape number which is now online.
-I haven't gotten there yet because I have weekend backups running right now, but in my near future I see lots of removing and reloading tapes until I get it to recognize the new tape number. I ran a long erase on the tape. That just adds wear I assume and took around 36 hours I think. I don't even know if that would work, but I'd like to think there's something else better than what I'm doing.

When clicking on a tape I see there is the 'Remove' option. I missed that earlier. It appears to be greyed out/unavailable to use when a tape is loaded. But appears to be active when the tape is offline.


QUESTIONS:
Is my problem because I forgot to click 'Remove' after I took the tape out and relabeled it?

What is the best path forward for this tape I've already relabeled and ran a long erase on?

What is the ideal way to go from start to finish to relabel a tape?


Thanks.

[HannesK]

Hello,
as the error message says "please run the inventory."

Did you do that? https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110

Best regards,
Hannes

[lyapkost]

Hi Mike. The easiest way to relable a tape is:

1. Physically remove the tape from the library.
2. Do 'Rescan library' from VBR console or wait for 3 minutes for the scheduled rescan. The tape should become offline (black & white icon).
3. Remove it from VBR console ('Remove' option now is not grayed out as you've noticed).
4. Physically change the label on the tape.
5. Insert the tape to the IO-slot or library magazine and give your library a minute to 'figure out' what's changed.
6. Do 'Import tapes' (if the tape was put to the IO-slot) or 'Rescan library' (if it was put to the magazine) from VBR console.
7. (optional) Catalog the appeared tape in case you need the data written to it.

I'll ask our TW team to add this information to the UG. Thanks!

[nunciate]

I am using Veeam 11.01.1.1261.

In the past, I would just export the tapes.
Find them in the library media list and choose "Remove From Catalog"
Place new labels on the tapes.
Then Re-import the tape.
The tape would show in the online section with the new label as Unrecognized.
I would then do a quick erase and that would be it. I could then use the tape with the new label.
I haven't done this in a while. Not since my last upgrade of the Veeam servers.

Today I tried this same process and I receive the errors below. The tape is not quick erased.
It appears to do an inventory instead of a quick erase and the tape then changes from the new label to the label in the online section.
It shows up with its original Media Pool and Media Set information.
(FYI, some of these tapes were removed from the catalog months ago so it isn't a matter of waiting long enough before importing them again.)

Doing a Catalog of the tapes is about a 50/50 chance of it moving to the free pool with the right label. Otherwise, it just ends up switching to the old information as above.

Also, a full erase appears to do the job as well but that takes about an hour per tape so it isn't an option.

How can this be resolved? I need to re-label all old LTO6 tapes and send them to another data center where we re-use them with new labels.

[HannesK]

Hello,
if the process from above or helpcenter does not work, please open a support case and post the case number here for reference.

Best regards,
Hannes

PS: support can only help if you upload logs https://www.veeam.com/kb1832

[nunciate]

I think I figured it out. The one thing that works every time is to move all the tapes to the Free Pool before erasing them.Z
It appears that if the tape is in the Unrecognized state the system will do an inventory first. The inventory returns the original tape name and so it imports that information.

These steps just worked for over 50 tapes.
Export Old Tapes.
Remove from Configuration old Tape labels
Relabel tapes
Import tapes with new labels.
Move new tapes to Free Pool (Because they show up as Unrecognized)
Quick Erase All tapes.
Good to Go!

[lyapkost]

Hi Alan. Glad to hear it worked for you. In future, if you may just mark imported tapes as free and use them again. Or move these tapes to the media pool where they are going to be used, this operation triggers 'mark as free' as well. There's no need to specially erase such tapes, a new tape job will do it for you.