Hostname Resolution Problem Leads to Lack of Free Tape Error

Summary

The backup job fails with a return code of 3445, no free tapes available", although there are sufficient tapes available to perform the backup job. "

Resolution

One of the situations in which a return code of 3445 ("no free tapes available") can be generated is when a device server (a server controlling a tape drive) and the DPX master server have multiple network interface cards (NIC).

The DNS (or hosts file) defines the master server with more than one name, which is different for each subnet NIC. The connection (ping) succeeds from the master server to the device server. The connection (ping) fails from the device server back to the master server with the IP address that is used to define the master server within the DPX enterprise and succeeds for the second IP address.

The situation above will result in a return code of 1129 ("volser is not available anymore") or a return code of 1150 in the tape mount manager logs on the device server (*.tml). These errors result in an eventual return code of 3445, which is fatal for the job.

The following is an example of the circumstances of such a situation:

The master server has two NICs and 2 IP addresses on different subnets:

172.20.*.*

192.168.*.*

A remote node has one NIC with an IP address of 192.168.*.*

The master server is defined in the DPX enterprise using a name that resolves to the 192.168.*.* address.

Communication from the master server to the remote client node is successful, a ping from the client to the master server resolves for the 172.20.*.* address and does not work (ping timeout) for 192.168.*.*

The master server was rescanned using the 172.20.*.* address, which resolved the issue.