topic fbkup write errors / drive cleaning prob in Operating System - HP-UX

fbkup write errors / drive cleaning prob

Debbie Fleith — Fri, 08 Feb 2002 21:21:42 GMT

For the last two nights, our backups on our HP 10.20 server are failing. Yesterday the tape drive clean light was on, and although we clean it frequently, I cleaned it again and then ran the backup on a new tape.

Fbackup failed again and the tape drive clean light came on again.

The errors are as follows:
==============

fbackup(3045): WRITE ERROR while writing data record, at media record 84
fbackup(3102): attempting to make this volume salvagable
fbackup(3123): could not read the previous checkpoint record
fbackup(3105): writing 2 EOFs and rewinding the tape
fbackup(3106): please mount a good tape
==========
Is this possibly a hardware problem and my tape drive is failing?

If not, what else can I do besides clean the drive and try a new tape?

Re: fbkup write errors / drive cleaning prob

A. Clay Stephenson — Fri, 08 Feb 2002 21:25:27 GMT

Hi Debbie:

It's not uncommon for brand new tapes to do this. I would clean the tape drive once more and use your (formerly) brand new tape again. If that fails then it's time for a tape drive.

Re: fbkup write errors / drive cleaning prob

James R. Ferguson — Fri, 08 Feb 2002 21:26:15 GMT

Hi Debbie:

Try cleaning the drive two or three times and *then* try your 'fbackup' or a simple 'tar' again. If you are still experiencing problems (particularly with a new tape), the drive probably needs replacing. The downside is, if this is an internal tape drive, as on a K-box, you will have to schedule a downtime and power the server off.

Regards!

...JRF...

Re: fbkup write errors / drive cleaning prob

Patrick Wallek — Fri, 08 Feb 2002 21:26:48 GMT

It could be that your tape drive is going bad.

I would try a brand new cleaning tape and run it through 2 or 3 times. I would then try a brand new blank tape and see what happens.

Re: fbkup write errors / drive cleaning prob

Michael Tully — Fri, 08 Feb 2002 21:28:27 GMT

Hi,

Second and subsequent cleaning of drives with continued failures certainly indicates that is is certainly time to replace the drive.

-Michael

Re: fbkup write errors / drive cleaning prob

James George_1 — Fri, 08 Feb 2002 21:33:08 GMT

I had encountered the same problem and ended up in replacing the drive..

Hope this helps
James

Re: fbkup write errors / drive cleaning prob

Kenny Chau — Sat, 09 Feb 2002 03:32:06 GMT

Hi Debbie,

I had experienced this before and had nothing to do except replace the tape drive. It is abnormal that the cleaning light is always on. I suggest you to replace the tape drive as soon as possible, otherwise, it may ruin your tape.

Hope this helps.
Kenny.

Re: fbkup write errors / drive cleaning prob

steven Burgess_2 — Sat, 09 Feb 2002 03:52:51 GMT

If all else fails after that check your sys log
for errors.

We have had a couple of instances recently of scsi timeouts happening at the time the system was writing data to the tape

PHKL l23259 SCSI subsystem cumelative patch

Solved our problem in the end

Steve