topic Re: Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error in Operating System - Linux

Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

abcxyz — Wed, 03 May 2006 04:20:29 GMT

I am getting the below error while backing up on my linux Machine

Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

The tape drive works fine when connected to Windows.

The kernel version is 2.4.4-64GB.

Am looking for info related to this error.Am able to take small backups.

Thanks in advance!!

Re: Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

abcxyz — Wed, 03 May 2006 04:43:27 GMT

Also,Both Windows and Linux are same model Proliant machines

Re: Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

Siljumon Sebastian — Wed, 03 May 2006 05:18:07 GMT

Hi,

Isolate the problem by connecting another tape drive to the linux system.

check the dmesg for any kind of errors

Regards
Siljumon S

Re: Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

abcxyz — Wed, 03 May 2006 05:24:02 GMT

Thanks for your Reply.

The issue remains same if connecting another Tape Drive on to the machine.Sometimes works fine for a couple or three backups.

I'll try to post the Dmesg logs.

Re: Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

Steven E. Protter — Wed, 03 May 2006 09:56:10 GMT

Shalom,

You seem to have eliminated hardware as an issue with your tests.

I then suggest you get new drivers for Linux from the tape maker and in general patch the OS with patchlink or up2date or whatever facilities your Linux vendor/distribution provides.

SEP

Re: Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

abcxyz — Thu, 04 May 2006 01:55:31 GMT

Thanks All for the replies.

Below is the output from dmesg...Cannot see any errors

scsi0 : Adaptec AIC7XXX EISA/VLB/PCI SCSI HBA DRIVER, Rev 6.1.13

aic7899: Ultra160 Wide Channel A, SCSI Id=7, 32/255 SCBs

scsi1 : Adaptec AIC7XXX EISA/VLB/PCI SCSI HBA DRIVER, Rev 6.1.13

aic7899: Ultra160 Wide Channel B, SCSI Id=7, 32/255 SCBs

Vendor: HP Model: C1537A Rev: L411
Type: Sequential-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02
(scsi1:A:0): 10.000MB/s transfers (10.000MHz, offset 32)

Also,have observed that small backups still happen

Re: Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

Alan_152 — Thu, 04 May 2006 09:26:14 GMT

1) What is the exact command line you are trying to use with tar?

2) Can you output the contents of /proc/scsi/scsi here? For some reason, I'm thinking that "st0" is incorrect syntax for a tape drive on a linux box...

3) Since you are on a linux box, fire up the "Amanda" tape backup application and see if the drive is detected and usable from there.

4)Finally, try this syntax and see if anything happens (old-school *nix, BTW):
dd if=/ of=/dev/st0

Re: Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

Stuart Browne — Thu, 04 May 2006 18:47:38 GMT

Using 'mt', find out what block size the tape drive is set to, then verify that the 'tar' command you are using uses the correct block values.

Re: Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

abcxyz — Fri, 05 May 2006 00:23:12 GMT

Thanks all,I'll check and revert.

please list the steps used to check the block size as do not have much info on Linux.

I had read somewhere that there's a limitation on the File sizes that can be backed up using tar in Linux.

Any ideas on it.Thanks

Re: Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

Stuart Browne — Fri, 05 May 2006 00:36:01 GMT

Recent versions of tar don't have the 2GB input-file-size limit, but as far as I'm aware, it's always worked fine for the output being a device.

You want something like:

mt -f /dev/nst0 status

And to set it, something like:

mt -f /dev/nst0 setblk 0

or

mt -f /dev/nst0 setblk 512

depending on where you're going. Using '0' should set the device to auto-block-size, but some times that can confuse things more.

Tar should be happy with 512-byte multiples.

Re: Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

abcxyz — Thu, 18 May 2006 06:49:36 GMT

Hi

The below command gives the following output..Is it normal

mt -f /dev/nst0 status
drive type = Generic SCSI-2 tape
drive status = 620756992
sense key error = 0
residue count = 0
file number = 0
block number = 0
Tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x25 (unknown).
Soft error count since last status=0
General status bits on (41010000):

Re: Tar:/dev/st0:cannot write:input/output error

abcxyz — Mon, 22 May 2006 02:52:15 GMT

I'm unable to make out on what below means:

Tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x25 (unknown).