topic Re: SCSI IO error in Operating System - HP-UX

SCSI IO error

Bruce Baillie — Wed, 03 May 2006 14:48:32 GMT

I am getting a SCSI IO error on my backup tape drive. It is a C3000 with HP-UX 11.00. The tape drives are C6364A DDS 3. The SCSI bus is SE. I had 2 drives on it SCSI address 4 and 5. Nothing else on the bus. Yes there is a terminator. I haven't changed anything in years and now the drives will not do the backups. Here is a list of what I have done so far.
Replaced the drive with a new one from HP
Tried different drives
Changed addresses
Many reboots
Changed cables
Changed the terminator
Deleted the device files and created new ones with SAM
Could the problem be the SCSI bus itself?
Attached is the error file.

Re: SCSI IO error

Steven E. Protter — Wed, 03 May 2006 14:51:42 GMT

Shalom,

You ask:
Could the problem be the SCSI bus itself?
I answer:
Yes

Or a bad SCSI card if oneis involved.

Question: Does the drive work on another system? If yes, suspect this system.

Do check if the drive needs a terminator. Many modern tape drives are self terminating.

IS the drive rated for LVD or SE, that could also be the issue.

SEP

Re: SCSI IO error

Bruce Baillie — Wed, 03 May 2006 15:04:03 GMT

I tested the drives on another system and they check OK. I have 6 of them and only 3 are in use for daily backups. The SCSI bus is the builtin SE bus.

Re: SCSI IO error

A. Clay Stephenson — Wed, 03 May 2006 15:29:53 GMT

I would suspect the controller itself at thi point and since it is integral to the systemboard your viable repair options are few -- unless you are willing to replace the systemboard itself. One thing that you should be able to do is to use the LVD bus.

Re: SCSI IO error

Andrew Rutter — Wed, 03 May 2006 15:30:02 GMT

hi,

It could be the scsi bus on the actual machine, but first i would try a simple manual backup. fbackup, tar whatever if you havent already and do a read/write test with STM.

Also what is the firmware level of the drives? are these different? this could be part of the problem. Latest version is L111

The C6364A drive is a DDS3 drive with a C1537 mech inside. These mechs are prone to come out of calibration with use and may need recalibrating.

download library and tape tools from Hp's site and test with this. You can upgrade the firmware with this aswell, and recalibrate the drive as HP have added the recal script. You can also do a full drive analysis and this will report any problems with the drive or media.

If the drives still work ok and nothing has been done to the system to change it then, looks like an ew system board maybe required for the workstation or a scsi card is added.

Andy

Re: SCSI IO error

Bruce Baillie — Wed, 03 May 2006 16:25:38 GMT

Well, Thanks for the help, but it sure looks like a mainboard problem. Good thing we have an HP service agreement. Time to make the phone call. If it were something easier, I could take care of it and I tried everything I could think of and other things with your help.