DL380 doesn't see external SCSI tapedrive

[Hans van Zijst]

Some time my department purchased 4 Proliant DL380 machines (G1, http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/10495_div/10495_div.html). Problem is that it doesn't find my DLT tape drive. While booting I get a notice that this device was found, but within Linux (SuSE Professional 9.0 and 9.1) I can't find it anywhere.

I've used this same DLT drive on a Proliant 6000 with Red Hat 9 for months now and that works like a charm, so I can't imagine that I need some special driver.

Can anyone please give me some hints on how I can tell Linux where to find this device?

Kind regards,

Hans

[Hoefnix]

Hans,

I think some of the hints are opendoors, but I don't know what you already tried:

lsscsi (check man lsscsi, but should give you a list of al scsi devices)

dmesg (check the output after a boot to see what hardware the kernel found during boot)

Or use Yast -> Hardware -> Hardware information.
Under Storage Media your tape should be included.

HTH,
Peter Geluk

[Hoefnix]

Hi again,

Also in Yast you have a SCSI tab in the hardware information:
Or use Yast -> Hardware -> Hardware information -> Open the SCSI tree and check for the tapedrive.

HTH,
Peter

[Hans van Zijst]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the reply. I tried lsscsi and YaST and even some other tool I can't remember at the moment (I should have been a little more elaborate in my post, sorry).

YaST on SLES 9 doesn't see it either. I tried SLES 9 because I had hoped it would include just that extra bit of hardware detection I needed for this configuration, but to no avail.

It's as if Linux can't find a suitable driver. But since Red Hat works with it just fine, I can't imagine it's that.

[Chris Saunderson]

Can you post the dmesg or syslog/messages output where the device is probed during boot up? That may help.

Do the appropriate SCSI modules get loaded? Is st.o running, or can you insmod it and get additional troubleshooting info?

[Hans van Zijst]

Hi Chris,There's not much about SCSI in dmesg. The st module is loaded. Any idea?Kind regards,Hans

[Michael Williams_6]

Hi Hans,

I notice you've got a SMART adapter in there for your Disks. I remember I tried to install a tape once on a SMART adapter and it didn't work, when I logged a call with Compaq (as it was then) I was told tape adapters are not supported on SMART Controllers.

Make sure you've connected the tape to the internal SCSI Adapter or buy yourself a 64-Bit/133-MHz Dual Channel Ultra320 SCSI Adapter (P/N: 268351-B21) which is supported with Tape drives.

Once I'd plugged it into a supported adapter, it appeared as the default /dev/st0 device and worked a treat!

Let us know how it goes!

Mike

[Hans van Zijst]

Hi Michael,

I tried that when I just got the DL380, it didn't work although I can't really recall what the problem was.

I can hardly believe tape drives aren't supported on SMART controllers, because I use this same drive on a SMART controller on another Proliant. It's a different model, ok, but still a SMART. According to the Linux kernel documentation, I need the cciss module with tape support compiled in to get a tape drive working on a SMART controller. But even with cciss with tape support, I can't find it.

I'll see what happens if I connect it to the internal adapter on monday. If it doesn't work, I'll have my boss spend some more money on a new controller :) I'll keep you posted.

Thanks,

Hans

[Hans van Zijst]

Hi.Well, connecting the tape device to the internal adapter didn't have any effect... So I gues my next option is to try an extra SCSI controller.I'll rob one of our other servers of its Adaptec 2940 later today. If that works, we can finally retire the old Proliant 6000.Thanks,Hans

[Volker Borowski]

Idea...

High Voltage Differential SCSI Interface on Tape and 2944 in LH Box ?

BTW, there are several Raid controllers that detect and do work with Tapes but are not supported this way. Dell's PERC version (which is a modified Adaptec as well) is an example, so I am not suprised with that for SMARTARRAY.

Although I consider they (vendors) like to avoid someone plugging/unplugging cables from external tapes (to move them) which may severely disturb raid containers.

Volker