Skip to main content
commvault.com commvault.com
Question

Unable to Reuse LTO-6 Tape After Backup

  • July 4, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 41 views
T
Novice
Forum|alt.badge.img

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice regarding a tape backup issue in Commvault.

Environment:

    Commvault Web Console v11.40.42
    HPE Ultrium LTO-6 standalone tape drive

This tape drive was previously used in another backup solution. Before using it with Commvault, I:

    Stamped the tape media.
    Used the Delete and Reuse option to erase the existing contents.
    Set the tape as Primary media.
    Started a backup job.

The first backup completes successfully and writes about 1.16 TB of data. However, after the backup finishes, the tape media is usually marked as Unavailable, and sometimes it is marked as Full.

From my understanding, an LTO-6 tape should have a native capacity of around 2.5 TB, so I'm not sure why Commvault considers the tape full after only about 1.16 TB of backup data.

When I start another backup job, Commvault prompts me to insert a new tape instead of continuing to write to the current tape.

I also noticed the following:

    If I power cycle the tape drive, the tape appears as Active again in the Media tab.
    However, the backup still cannot continue because Commvault displays an "Insert New Media" alert.
    I searched for the Start New Media option mentioned in some documentation, but I cannot find it in the Web Console.

My main questions are:

    Why is the tape media being marked as Unavailable most of the time after the first backup?
    Why is Commvault treating the tape as Full after only about 1.16 TB when an LTO-6 tape should be able to store much more?
    Why is Commvault requesting a new tape when the current tape appears to have remaining capacity?
    Is there a media or storage policy setting that determines when Commvault switches to a new tape?


Has anyone experienced this issue before?

Could this be related to:

    Media policy or storage policy configuration?
    Scratch pool or tape media settings?
    Tape stamping or formatting?
    LTO-6 drive firmware?
    A limitation or difference in the Web Console (v11.40.42)?

Any suggestions on what I should check or how to troubleshoot this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

3 replies

Paul G
Explorer
Forum|alt.badge.img+2
  • Paul GExplorer
  • Explorer
  • July 6, 2026

Hi ​@Thet Paing,

Commvault has the option to mark the media as full after a backup or auxilliary copy has completed succesfully, even when there is stil storage left on the tape. You should check your job settings to see if it does so. A tape that is marked as full cannot be written to, even if there is still storage available on media. All data on the tape needs to be aged before you can reuse it.

Another reason why you cannot write to the same tape could be that they use diferent storage policies/plans. Commvault does not allow you to write differen storage policies/plans to the same tape unless you use a global tape copy as the basis for the tape copy.

 If these comments do not answer your question, please supply additional information to better identify your issue.

  • Is this a backup directly to tape?
  • Is the tape library used by multiple storage policies/plans?

Kind regards,

Paul G

T
Novice
Forum|alt.badge.img
  • Thet PaingNovice
  • Author
  • Novice
  • July 8, 2026

Hi ​@Paul G 

Thank you for your suggestions.

I couldn't find the option to mark the media as full in the Web UI of the Commvault version I'm using.

Regarding the storage policies/plans, this tape is currently used as the primary media for the tape backup plan that I created. Previously, the same tape drive was used by other backup plans for testing with test files. However, those test data have been deleted, and the tapes were marked as Reuse in the tape media.

I also tried deleting the tape data that was showing 1.16 TB and ran the backup again. However, after the job completed, the tape was marked as Full again at 1.16 TB.

So yes, the backup is performed directly to tape. The tape was previously used by other storage policies/plans, but it is now assigned to only one backup plan.

Could this previous usage still be preventing the tape from being written to, or is there another setting that could be causing the tape to be marked as full at 1.16 TB?

Paul G
Explorer
Forum|alt.badge.img+2
  • Paul GExplorer
  • Explorer
  • July 8, 2026

Hi ​@Thet Paing,

I would still think that this is caused by a setting that marks the tapes as full in the schedule policies or storage policies but I agree that the Command Center interface does not show any of these options. Plans also do not have these options.

If you do not use any storage policies or schedule policies than I would suggest contacting support. If you do use these, I would advice using the CommCell console (java-based UI) to verify your settings.

Kind regards,

Paul G

 

Readiverse Academy Certifications

description of image
Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement