How to unlock tape library?

[pkelly_sts]

Last week I was finally in a position to disable Backup Exec on our last backup server allowing the Tape library (HP MSL2024) to be owned/used exclusively by Veeam.

My plan now is to have the users insert the BExec daily tapes into the library as they expire and add them to a growing Veeam media pool instead, but the user has come along today to open the mail slot to insert the tape but the library is saying "Locked by host".

In BExec i'd just right-click the library and select "unlock" but there's no such feature in Veeam, so what's the correct unlocking process?

I tried via the web interface for the library (which would be a pain to have to keep using anyway) but it returns with:

"IR: library media removal prevented by host - Code: 46"

No tape jobs are running at all, last tape job completed >15hrs ago

I could spin up the BExec services again just to unlock the library but I'd rather know the correct/best process to follow!

Advice appreciated...

[pkelly_sts]

No-one? Seems a small thing to have to log a case for...

[Dima P.]

Hi Paul,

Sorry for the delay. So you are saying that BE was completely disabled and can't lock the mail slot?

[pkelly_sts]

Correct. All services stopped & set to "Disabled". (We can't uninstall as we still have a history of backups that, if things come to it, we might need to restart BExec to restore, for at least the next 12 months anyway).

[Dima P.]

Paul,

For testing purposes try to disable veeam tape service and check if the problem remains.

[pkelly_sts]

Typical - just asked a local user to verify locked status before I played with the service and the library is unlocked this time! So, either the lock status was a one-off anomaly or the unlocked status (today) is. Will try it again on Monday after a weekend full of jobs & see what it looks like... If it is locked I'll try the service-flip as you've suggested & report back.

[Dima P.]

Paul,

Thanks! Here is a regkey to modify the rescan frequency (which is 3 mins by default) – you can change the value after confirmation that our service locks the mail slot.

Code: Select all

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Veeam\Veeam Backup and Replication\
TapeLibrariesDiscoverPeriod