topic Re: How to initialize /dev/rmt/0 without rebooting the server in Operating System - HP-UX

How to initialize /dev/rmt/0 without rebooting the server

Dennis Bembenuto — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 23:33:05 GMT

Hi, i'm new to HP. how can you initialize /dev/rmt/0 without rebooting the server. or how do you reconnect/reinitialize the tape drive without rebooting the server.

thanks.

Re: How to initialize /dev/rmt/0 without rebooting the server

Raj D. — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:08:22 GMT

Dennis,
You need to shutdown the server to perform this activity. There is no hot-swappable tape drive available. After replacing the drive , check with ioscan that it sees the drive, and check with mt command and check with a test backup with tar.

Cheers,
Raj.

Re: How to initialize /dev/rmt/0 without rebooting the server

Luk Vandenbussche — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 02:31:36 GMT

It is not officialy supported but you can do this if the stape drivers is in the kernel

1) Connect the tape drive and turn it on
2) ioscan -fnC tape
3) insf -e
4) ioscan -funC tape (to check the device file)

Re: How to initialize /dev/rmt/0 without rebooting the server

MarkSyder — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 08:59:24 GMT

Admittedly I'm not talking about HP-UX, but in my last job looking after unix servers we had several engineers who attached SCSI tape drives to running servers. Almost without exception, they caused a hard disc crash. Power the server down first!

Mark Syder (like the drink but spelt different)

Re: How to initialize /dev/rmt/0 without rebooting the server

A. Clay Stephenson — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 10:33:34 GMT

I routinely install tape drives without rebooting a server. Breaking a SCSI bus does indeed trigger a bus reset but that is considered a normal (more or less) SCSI event. There is a low (but not zero) probability of equipment damage from adding not hot-plug hardware to a hot bus but I have done this many times over many years and never damaged equipment. Of course, I am very careful not to damage pins and pay attention to not using incompatible equipment (such as HVD in an LVD bus). I also never mix tape and disk drives on the same bus so changes to a tape bus are much less likely to impact a running system.

In any event, you should be able to do this "on the fly" by:

1) Make sure that your SCSI bus will be properly terminated both before and after your tape drive install.

2) Install the tape drive with the drive powered off.

3) Power on the tape drive.

4) ioscan -fn

5) insf

Re: How to initialize /dev/rmt/0 without rebooting the server

Dennis Bembenuto — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:09:24 GMT

Thank you very much.... that help, when i did the steps on ioscan...

thanks for all who replied.

:)

Re: How to initialize /dev/rmt/0 without rebooting the server

Dennis Bembenuto — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:12:24 GMT

And it happened because there was a power trip off and the ops forgot to power on the tape drive.. again thanks all.

Re: How to initialize /dev/rmt/0 without rebooting the server

dattu_1 — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 01:42:35 GMT

hi dennis,
Its good thT UR PROBLEM HAS BEEN RESOLVED BUT why dont u follow the norms of this forum...
Plzz grant points to all of those who helped u and especially to Mr Stephenson.