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List: amanda-users
Subject: Re: autolabel and automatic labeling
From: Michael Stauffer <mgstauff () gmail ! com>
Date: 2014-02-04 20:15:38
Message-ID: CANBOegKKkYiFkQGBvKCXTC8A8j17P7k7VX8tvQdxVEQV-MPFQQ () mail ! gmail ! com
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OK, thanks Jon.
-M
On Tue, Feb 4, 2014 at 2:57 PM, Jon LaBadie <jon@jgcomp.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 04, 2014 at 11:18:24AM -0500, Michael Stauffer wrote:
> > Thanks Jon. What I'm unsure about is this part from the amanda.conf page,
> > about autolabel param:
> >
> > *"autolabel* *string* [*any*] [*other-config*] [*non-amanda*] [
> > *volume-error*] [*empty*]
> >
> > Default: not set. When set, this directive will cause Amanda to
> > automatically write an Amanda tape label to most volume she encounters.
> > This option is DANGEROUS because when set, Amanda may erase near-failing
> > tapes or tapes accidentally loaded in the wrong slot."
> >
> > What does "encounters" mean here? If amanda comes across a tape during an
> > operations other than 'amlabel', will a label be written if it matches
> any
> > of the cases defined by this param (presumably by amanda calling
> amlabel)?
> > Or does this only apply to when the operator manually runs 'amlabel'?
> >
> > If I only define autolabel like so:
> >
> > autolabel "%b-%c"
> >
> > is it safe to assume Amanda will never label anything on her own?
> >
>
> This is based on my reading as I've always manually labelled my tapes.
>
> "autolabel" seems quite protective and thus has options to override
> the protections. It will not autolabel empty tapes, amanda tapes
> from other configs, tapes with non-amanda data on them, and
> unreadable tapes.
>
> I think that eliminates all tapes except those already labelled with
> for the current config. There I can think of 4 conditions:
>
> In Tapelist? Marked Active Expected Autolabel Action
> yes no-reuse NA skip
> yes reuse yes skip (too recent)
> yes reuse no skip (use for the dump)
> no NA NA ?
>
> The only one I can see being autolabelled is the last.
>
> It seems to me that you have to tell autolabel under what conditions
> it is allowed to autolabel. Then the responsibility is yours ensure
> no valuable tape meeting those conditions is ever encountered by amdump.
>
> HTH
> Jon
>
> > On Mon, Feb 3, 2014 at 7:18 PM, Jon LaBadie <jon@jgcomp.com> wrote:
> >
> > > On Mon, Feb 03, 2014 at 06:47:32PM -0500, Michael Stauffer wrote:
> > > > Hi,
> > > >
> > > > I'm hoping to use autolabel like this:
> > > >
> > > > autolabel "$b-$c-config-name"
> > > >
> > > > so that I can do tape labeling like this to easily label new tapes:
> > > >
> > > > amlabel config-name slot N
> > > >
> > > > With my definition of autolabel above, will amanda *never*
> automatically
> > > > label a tape that it encounters and is unsure of? This is way I infer
> > > from
> > > > the autolabel discussion in amanda.conf man page, but it's not stated
> > > > explicitly. I'd like to play it safe (at least for now) and always
> > > manually
> > > > label new tapes.
> > >
> > > It is explicit on the amlabel manpage:
> > >
> > > "As a precaution, amlabel will not write a label if the volume
> > > already contains an active label or if the label specified is on an
> > > active tape. The [-f] (force) flag bypasses these verifications."
> > >
> > > jl
> > > --
> > > Jon H. LaBadie jon@jgcomp.com
> > > 11226 South Shore Rd. (703) 787-0688 (H)
> > > Reston, VA 20190 (609) 477-8330 (C)
> > >
> >>> End of included message <<<
>
> --
> Jon H. LaBadie jon@jgcomp.com
> 11226 South Shore Rd. (703) 787-0688 (H)
> Reston, VA 20190 (609) 477-8330 (C)
>
[Attachment #3 (text/html)]
<div dir="ltr">OK, thanks Jon.<div><br></div><div>-M</div></div><div \
class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Feb 4, 2014 at 2:57 PM, \
Jon LaBadie <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jon@jgcomp.com" \
target="_blank">jon@jgcomp.com</a>></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote \
class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc \
solid;padding-left:1ex"><div class="im">On Tue, Feb 04, 2014 at 11:18:24AM -0500, \
Michael Stauffer wrote:<br> > Thanks Jon. What I'm unsure about is this part \
from the amanda.conf page,<br> > about autolabel param:<br>
><br>
</div>> *"autolabel* *string* [*any*] [*other-config*] [*non-amanda*] [<br>
> *volume-error*] [*empty*]<br>
<div class="im">><br>
> Default: not set. When set, this directive will cause Amanda to<br>
> automatically write an Amanda tape label to most volume she encounters.<br>
> This option is DANGEROUS because when set, Amanda may erase near-failing<br>
> tapes or tapes accidentally loaded in the wrong slot."<br>
><br>
> What does "encounters" mean here? If amanda comes across a tape during \
an<br> > operations other than 'amlabel', will a label be written if it \
matches any<br> > of the cases defined by this param (presumably by amanda calling \
amlabel)?<br> > Or does this only apply to when the operator manually runs \
'amlabel'?<br> ><br>
> If I only define autolabel like so:<br>
><br>
> autolabel "%b-%c"<br>
><br>
> is it safe to assume Amanda will never label anything on her own?<br>
><br>
<br>
</div>This is based on my reading as I've always manually labelled my tapes.<br>
<br>
"autolabel" seems quite protective and thus has options to override<br>
the protections. It will not autolabel empty tapes, amanda tapes<br>
from other configs, tapes with non-amanda data on them, and<br>
unreadable tapes.<br>
<br>
I think that eliminates all tapes except those already labelled with<br>
for the current config. There I can think of 4 conditions:<br>
<br>
In Tapelist? Marked Active Expected Autolabel Action<br>
yes no-reuse NA skip<br>
yes reuse yes skip (too recent)<br>
yes reuse no skip (use for the dump)<br>
no NA NA ?<br>
<br>
The only one I can see being autolabelled is the last.<br>
<br>
It seems to me that you have to tell autolabel under what conditions<br>
it is allowed to autolabel. Then the responsibility is yours ensure<br>
no valuable tape meeting those conditions is ever encountered by amdump.<br>
<br>
HTH<br>
Jon<br>
<div class="im"><br>
> On Mon, Feb 3, 2014 at 7:18 PM, Jon LaBadie <<a \
href="mailto:jon@jgcomp.com">jon@jgcomp.com</a>> wrote:<br> ><br>
> > On Mon, Feb 03, 2014 at 06:47:32PM -0500, Michael Stauffer wrote:<br>
> > > Hi,<br>
> > ><br>
> > > I'm hoping to use autolabel like this:<br>
> > ><br>
> > > autolabel "$b-$c-config-name"<br>
> > ><br>
> > > so that I can do tape labeling like this to easily label new \
tapes:<br> > > ><br>
> > > amlabel config-name slot N<br>
> > ><br>
> > > With my definition of autolabel above, will amanda *never* \
automatically<br> > > > label a tape that it encounters and is unsure of? \
This is way I infer<br> > > from<br>
> > > the autolabel discussion in amanda.conf man page, but it's not \
stated<br> > > > explicitly. I'd like to play it safe (at least for now) \
and always<br> > > manually<br>
> > > label new tapes.<br>
> ><br>
> > It is explicit on the amlabel manpage:<br>
> ><br>
> > "As a precaution, amlabel will not write a label if the volume<br>
> > already contains an active label or if the label specified is on an<br>
> > active tape. The [-f] (force) flag bypasses these \
verifications."<br> > ><br>
> > jl<br>
> > --<br>
> > Jon H. LaBadie <a \
href="mailto:jon@jgcomp.com">jon@jgcomp.com</a><br> > > 11226 South Shore Rd. \
<a href="tel:%28703%29%20787-0688" value="+17037870688">(703) 787-0688</a> (H)<br> \
> > Reston, VA 20190 <a href="tel:%28609%29%20477-8330" \
value="+16094778330">(609) 477-8330</a> (C)<br> > ><br>
</div>>>> End of included message <<<<br>
<div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><br>
--<br>
Jon H. LaBadie <a href="mailto:jon@jgcomp.com">jon@jgcomp.com</a><br>
11226 South Shore Rd. <a href="tel:%28703%29%20787-0688" \
value="+17037870688">(703) 787-0688</a> (H)<br> Reston, VA 20190 <a \
href="tel:%28609%29%20477-8330" value="+16094778330">(609) 477-8330</a> (C)<br> \
</div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>
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