Overview

Each Scalar i2000 snapshot log contains an rmTapeAlerts.csv file in the path varlogadicM000127. The file can be opened with Microsoft Excel and provides a summary of all Tape Alert activity logged on the library since installation (or since the last "clear to ship"). For each Tape Alert logged in the rmTapeAlerts.csv file, there should be a corresponding Tape Alert RAS Event logged in tmprasDumpOutput.

 

NOTE: There are known discrepancies between the rasDumpOutput file and the rmTapeAlerts.csv file in library FW i6.5 and earlier.

 

The data in the rmTapeAlerts.cvs file is leveraged by the Scalar i2000 Advanced Reporting Tools to create the various Media and Drive reports available through the Advanced Reporting Tool Licensing. If the Advanced Reporting Tool is not available, or when you are analyzing the data directly from the snapshot, you can use this data to manually create pivot tables and charts in Excel.

 

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Format of the rmTapeAlerts.csv File

The rmTapeAlerts.csv file displays the Tape Alert data in multiple columns, which include values for the following metrics:

 

• MediaID - Includes the physical barcode as read by the library scanner associated with each Tape Alert event
• Drive SN - Includes the physical Serial Number of the tape drive associated with each Tape Alert event
• Tape Alert - Includes the Tape Alert Value, as logged/sent by the drive for each error event
• Count - Includes a value of "1" used when tabulating the events (this value should always be 1) 
• Last Occurrence - Includes Date/Time and Runtime values for each error event 

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Considerations When Reviewing the rmTapeAlerts.csv File

The following should be considered whenever reviewing the rmTapeAlerts.csv  file:

 

1. There can be more than one Tape Alert associated to the same error event. For example, it is very common to see a TA3 (Hard Error) occur along with a TA4 (Media Error), TA5 (Read Error), or TA6 (Write Error), and also with a TA20 (Clean Request). The latter is important to understand when viewing TA data and quantifying trends to specific media or drives.  

    

2. The rmTapeAlerts.csv  file will log Tape Alerts as defined in the snapshots in the file varlogadicM000127tdmd_alert.conf. The tdmd_alert.conf file contains configuration settings for each Tape Alert that defines a severity to each Tape Alert value (INFO, WARN, or FAIL). Only Tape Alerts assigned values of WARN or FAIL will be logged in the rmTapeAlerts.csv file. 

 Note: The Scalar i2K i6.5 FW changed some Tape Alert values from WARN to INFO. Keep this in mind when reviewing TA data across FW versions before/after i6.5.

 

 Note: Do not manually change these values in the tdmd_alert.conf file without direct guidance from Engineering.

 

3. Use multiple "views" of the data to ensure that the trends being seen can be isolated to a specific media or drive. For example, comparing only Tape Alerts across drive SNs may show a trend to a specific drive; but if you don't compare TAs across mediaIDs, a rogue piece of media that causes multiple errors in the same drive can lead to defining the incorrect field action.  

 Watch or download a video that provides an overview of where the rmTapeAlerts.csv  file exists, what data it contains, and example(s) of how to create a pivot table to create multiple views of the data to isolate trends and help define service actions.

 

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What's Next?

ras Dump Parser Tool >

 

Additional Resources