topic Re: Error on backup in Operating System - OpenVMS

Error on backup

Peter Clarke — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 03:40:04 GMT

Hi,

I recently had a problem with the tape drive on my Alpha ES40.The drive was swapped out by the engineer on friday but will still not backup (see attached log file).
HELP!!

Thanks

Peter

Re: Error on backup

labadie_1 — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 03:49:54 GMT

Call the technician back. And while he is still here, do a backup with verify :-)

Re: Error on backup

Kris Clippeleyr — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 03:58:20 GMT

Peter,

To complement Gerard's advice, also use a cleaning tape before the backup, and use a brand new tape cartridge (not a re-used one) the first time.
See if that helps.

Kris

Re: Error on backup

Ian Miller. — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 04:27:03 GMT

error positioning could mean the head needs cleaning or that the drive is faulty. Either way get the field engineer back and don't let him go until a successfully backup with verify has been performed.

(BTW - reconsider the use of /IGNORE=INTERLOCK - its a Bad Thing - see the wise words of the Wizard http://h71000.www7.hp.com/wizard/wiz_2467.html)

Re: Error on backup

Jan van den Ende — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 04:35:22 GMT

Yes, Peter.

I tend to fully agree with Gerard & Kris.

But first...

You MAY try using a new tape first:

%BACKUP-F-POSITERR, error positioning MKA400:[000000]DKA2.SAV;

That means that the tape unit can not determine the correct position to start writing.

That ao. occurs when your tape is faulty.

But, the default for BACKUP on writing to tape is /NOrewind. Now I am speculating that this is NOT the first saveset on the tape, and, if the previous backup to this tape did NOT do a nice, complete final processing,
(is it the same tape that caused the problem the first time, making you to get the engeneer in?) then the tape does not HAVE a position where the next write can begin, and so NO unit will EVER find that position!.
If that should be the case, then this tape can be READ, up to the point where the previous write failed, but it can only be written again after a (maybe implicit) INIT.

So, IF you can use the unit on a new tape, and IF you are prepared to loose the data currently on the tape, THEN the tape can probably be used again after INIT (or BACKUP/REWIND).

If you are still prepared to trust this tape again, only you can decide...

And be sure to follow Kris's advice: USE the cleaning tape (often enough!).
Cheers.

Have one on me.

Jan

Re: Error on backup

Mohamed K Ahmed — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 07:42:06 GMT

clean up the tape drive

Re: Error on backup

John Gillings — Fri, 08 Oct 2004 00:00:21 GMT

Peter,

VMS732_FIBRE_SCSI-V0400 is due out in the next week or so. It has an MKDRIVER fix for a spurious POSITERR. Although it doesn't looks like an exact match, it might be worth trying.