IBM Tapeutility, ITDT and mtlib Comands useful for managing Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) tape library

IBM Tape Diagnostic Tool (ITDT) v7.0 offers multiple functional capabilities that simplify the task of maintaining IBM tape products. The IBM Tape Diagnostic Tool incorporated the original “IBM Tapeutil” and offers a common interface on all platforms for the Tapeutil-interactive and scripting functions. 

The IBM Tape Diagnostic Tool is designed to:

• Be simply installed and handled.

• Run quick or extended diagnostics on tape drives to check if the tape device is defective and output a pass/fail result.

• Invoke tape library self-test operations.

• Retrieve dumps from tape drives and libraries.

• Perform firmware update check and retrieval for tape drives and libraries.

• Perform a firmware update on tape drives or libraries.

• Test the performance of the environment by completely writing a cartridge and measuring performance.

Also Read: Monitoring and Managing Tape Volumes

• Verify tape drive compression.

• Measure system performance per system test.

• Retrieve and display cartridge usage and health information.

• Verify the encryption environment.

• Scan the system to discover all supported tape and library devices and show the results in an overview.

• Perform a connection test.

• Perform a full write function

• Migration/Duplication of IBM Tape Drive Cartridge content using physical copy operations including LTFS awareness.

• Visualize IBM Tape Drive and IBM Tape Library dump and log files.

• Perform task automation using the ITDT scripting interface.

• Configure drive parameters as for example TCP/IP settings.

• Work without tape device driver.

Steps to download the IBM Tape Diagnostic Tool (ITDT):

• Access http://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral

• Product Group: "Storage Systems"

• System Storage: "Tape Systems"

• Tape systems : "Tape drivers and software"

• Tape drivers and software : "IBM Tape Diagnostic Tool ITDT"

• Platform: Select your platform and "Continue".

Tapeutil or ITDT Commands

If you are using IBM Tape Diagnostic Tool (ITDT), you just need to replace tapeutil by itdt. 

Also Read: Limitations of using TSM Tape Drive Encryption

tapeutil -f /dev/smc0 elementinfo	Displays element information - library information
tapeutil -f /dev/smc0 inventory	Displays the element status information
tapeutil -f /dev/smc0 inventory -i	Display only the import/export element status information
tapeutil -f /dev/smc0 inventory |grep -p Import	Display only the import/export element status information
tapeutil -f /dev/smc0 inventory |sed -n '/Import/,/^$/p'	Display only the import/export element status information
tapeutil -f /dev/smc0 inventory -i |awk '/Tag/ {if ( $4 != "" ) print $4; else print "IO_SLOT_EMPTY"}'	Display tapes in the I/O door
tapeutil -f /dev/smc0 move X Y	Move tape from slot element number X to slot element number Y
tapeutil -f /dev/smc0 devids	Display device ID element status information for all drives
tapeutil -f /dev/rmt1 status	Query drive status
tapeutil -f /dev/rmt1 vpd	Display drive Vital Product Data (VPD)
tapeutil -f /dev/rmt1 devinfo	Show device information
tapeutil -f /dev/rmt1 path	Check tape and path SCSI information
tapeutil -f /dev/rmt1 fuser	Display which process is using the drive
tapeutil -f /dev/rmt1 mount <element number>	Mount tape from element number on drive rmt0
tapeutil -f /dev/rmt1 unmount <element number>	Dismount tape from element number on drive rmt0
tapeutil -f /dev/rmt1 inqpage 83	Show drive serial

mtlib Commands

Use the mtlib command as shown below to verify the status of the Enterprise Tape Library 3494. For the purpose of these sample commands, the logical name of the Enterprise Tape Library 3494 is assumed as 3494a.

This command has the following format:

mtlib -l 3494a [-qL | -qI | -qI -v | -DE]

-qL

(Optional) Queries the Enterprise Tape Library 3494 and provides information on the library.

-qI

(Optional) Queries the Enterprise Tape Library 3494 and provides information on the tape volumes in the Enterprise Tape Library 3494. 

-qI -v

(Optional) Queries the Enterprise Tape Library 3494 and provides verbose information on the tape volumes in the Enterprise Tape Library 3494. The verbose information includes the state of the tape volumes, whether a volume is logical, volume class, and volume type. This command is useful to determine if a tape is mounted.

-DE

Queries the Enterprise Tape Library 3494 and returns device information.

Note: For complete information on using the mtlib command, see the Enterprise Tape Library 3494 documentation. Below table has useful mtlib commands.

Also Read: Tape Library related Interview Questions

mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -qL	Library status
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -A	Library address information
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -qS	Library information and statistical data
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -DE	Display drives information
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -qM	Show mounted tapes
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -vqI	Category codes for tapes - tapes information
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -qV -V VolName	Information about tape
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -vqV -V VolName	Information about tape (verbose)
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -qI	List tapes
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -qD -f /dev/rmt1	Drive status
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -a -V VolName	Barcode, examine tape to assure that it is physically in library
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -vqK -s FFFD	Number of 3590 cleaning tapes
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -qC -s FFFD	List 3590 cleaning tapes
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -qC -s FFF4	List 3592 cleaning tapes
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -C -V VolName -s<current category> -t<new category>	Change volume category
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -vC -V VolName -t FFFB	Remove tape from 3494 inventory
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -vC -V VolName -t FF10	Eject tape
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -f /dev/rmt0 -m -V VolName	Mount tape
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -m -x drive_serial -V VolName	Mount tape
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -f /dev/rmt0 -d	Dismount tape
mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -x device_serial -d	Dismount tape