topic Re: MISSING DEVICE FILES FOR TAPE DRIVES in Operating System - Linux

MISSING DEVICE FILES FOR TAPE DRIVES

frederick hannah — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:36:40 GMT

A RedHat 5.5 server is seeing devices files for 27 of 30 tape drives when it should see all 30. The missing tape drives have no associated device files. The tape drives are scsi-attached directly to a tape drive silo, but all the drives among other server via fiber and a SAN. How do I create device files for the missing tape drives? The tape drives are on a different controller so there is no common trouble-area.

Re: MISSING DEVICE FILES FOR TAPE DRIVES

Matti_Kurkela — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 06:59:31 GMT

The udev sub-system should automatically create the device files for all the SCSI devices the system sees.

If the device files are not there, it's a strong indication the system is not seeing the tape drives. If that's the case, creating the device files manually is not going to fix the problem: even if the device file exists, the kernel won't know where to send the data you push into the device files of the missing drives.

Please run "lsscsi". If that isn't installed, install it, e.g. "yum install lsscsi".

Double-check all the FC settings at the silo and the FC switches (if you have them): among other things, this could be caused by incorrect FC switch zoning, or incorrect FC masking at the silo.

MK

Re: MISSING DEVICE FILES FOR TAPE DRIVES

Viktor Balogh — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:17:59 GMT

Hi,

What is the o/p of lsdev -v ?

btw, the iNTERNATIONAL cAPS lOCK dAY is over by 22th october, you can spare those capital letters for next year ;)

Re: MISSING DEVICE FILES FOR TAPE DRIVES

frederick hannah — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:00:45 GMT

Thanks for the quick response. I am going to work the "silo/tape drive/controller may have issues" angles for a resolution.

Re: MISSING DEVICE FILES FOR TAPE DRIVES

frederick hannah — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:05:14 GMT

I have not found a solution yet, but thanks for the guidance.