Problem

STATUS CODE 177: could not deassign media due to Media Manager error when running bpexpdate -deassignempty

Error
could not deassign media due to Media Manager error

Solution
Some reasons why the bpexpdate -deassignempty command could fail with a Media Manager status code 177 (could not deassign media due to Media Manager error) include: 1. Media Manager Volume daemon/service (vmd) is not active on the master server and/or media server. 2. There is a volume pool mismatch catalog inconsistency within the media DB and volume DB for the tape in question. 3. There is an active image DB cleanup command sequence, (bpimage -cleanup) running at the same time as the bpexpdate -deassignempty command. 4. The tape is physically in use, (has an active MDS allocation in EMM), at the time of the bpexpdate -deassignempty process.

Problem
STATUS CODE 177: Expiration of NetBackup media failing with "could not deassign media due to Media Manager error" and status code 177 reported.

Error
could not deassign media due to Media Manager error

Solution

Overview: When attempting to expire tapes in NetBackup 6.x using the bpexpdate deassignempty command, the message could not deassign media due to Media Manager error is received when the specific tape media is in use. Log Files: The master server admin log details the attempt - and reports status code 177:
21:27:05.395 [6704.5312] <2> logparams: -deassignempty -force . 21:27:51.193 [6704.5312] <16> check_for_empty_media: Could not deassign media-id 3MO014, host <media_server_hostname>: could not deassign media due to Media Manager error (177) 21:27:51.193 [6704.5312] <4> check_for_empty_media: Deassigned 0 out of 219 media-ids found. 21:27:51.193 [6704.5312] <16> bpexpdate: could not deassign media due to Media Manager error 21:27:51.193 [6704.5312] <2> bpexpdate: EXIT status = 177

The media server ltid debug log shows that the media in question was mounted in a drive before the bpexpdate -deassignempty request:
20:54:29.354 [7620.6628] <4> TD3.001 path {2,0,11,0} 20:54:29.354 [7620.6628] <4> index 1. Override path with 20:54:29.354 [7620.6628] <4> IssueMount: mounting on drive IBM.ULTRIUMIssueMount: Found drive IBM.ULTRIUM-TD3.001 at {2,0,11,0}, IssueMount: Sending ROBOT_MOUNT request

The media server Windows Application Event log shows that the media in question was unmounted much later:
7/23/2007 11:57:19 PM NetBackup TLD Daemon Information None 7792 N/A A1BACKUP1 TLD(0) DismountTape 3MO014 from drive 2 7/23/2007 7:54:29 PM NetBackup TLD Control Daemon Information None 5779 N/A A1-BACKUP1 "TLD(0) Creating Process for MOUNT: ""C:\Program Files\VERITAS\Volmgr\bin\tldcd.exe"" -v -child -ro 1 -rn 0 -dn 2 -socket 556 -slot 6 -rht 0 -vsn 3MO014 -b S3MO014 " 7/23/2007 7:54:29 PM NetBackup TLD Control Daemon Information None 13865 N/A A1-BACKUP1 Processing MOUNT, TLD(0) drive 2, slot 6, barcode S3MO014, vsn 3MO014 7/23/2007 7:54:29 PM NetBackup TLD Daemon Information None 5779 N/A A1BACKUP1 "TLD(0) Creating Process for MOUNT: ""C:\Program Files\VERITAS\Volmgr\bin\tldd.exe"" -v -child -ro 1 -ltidev 1 -ltix 1 -rn 0 slot 6 -lf 0 -flgs 0 -rs 65536 -pd 180 -sd 15 -path {2,0,11,0} -vsn 3MO014 -b S3MO014" 7/23/2007 7:54:29 PM NetBackup TLD Daemon Information None 13970 N/A A1BACKUP1 TLD(0) MountTape 3MO014 on drive 2, from slot 6

Resolution: While the media is mounted it will create an active MDS allocation key in the EMM database for this request. No media can be expired while there is an active MDS allocation in the EMM database accounting for it.