DAT drive on e35 uses /dev/rmt/1m and give errors

[James Harrington]

I have added a DAT drive (C1503b/HP35470A) to an HP9000/E35 running HP-UX 10.2. The machine did not have a tape drive before I added this one (although it may have had one on the past).

I have two problems.

1. When I use sam to create the device files it insists on creating /dev/rmt/1m (i.e. no 0m). It is the only tape drive. When I do ioscan there are no other devices in the tape class. If I use ioinit ?f to change the instance to 0 I get the message
ioinit: Instance number 0 already exists for class tape.
Line 1. 56/52.0.0 tape 0
I have tried ioscan ?kf and ?uf but cannot see any other tape devices.

2. When I try to use the DAT drive I get error messages. When I try tar with one small file I get the message:

tar -cvf /dev/rmt/1m /etc/hosts
a /etc/hosts 3 blocks
tape hardware path 56/52.0.0.0: No close operations performed.

If I try a tar with a lot of large files I get the message:

Tar: end of tape
tape hardware path 56/52.0.0.0: WARNING - non terminated volume (verify ANSI compliance of media).
Tar: to continue, enter device/file name when ready or null string to quit.

Any ideas?

[Marcel Grave]

Probably the system has had a previous tape drive installed, so the instance number 0 is already used.
I did not understand if u you have now a device file or not.
Try insf -eH 56/52.x.y this should install a devive file.
Try a different/new tape, clean drive with clean cartridge.
If all this is ok, the problem is probably the drive itself.

[Bill McNAMARA_1]

run an ioscan -fnkCtape

The previous comment was true.
The 1 comes from the fact that a previous DDS was detected by the installed kernel at a different h/w address.

In most cases this isn't a problem.. A reinstallation will correct it next time, but you may want to rebuild kernel io maps.
One way is to edit the conf file created for the system from an ignite network configuration.
I can't recall the other way, but it'd have something to do with recompiling a new kernel after editing a /stand/build/ file

Later,
Bill

[James Harrington]

I have created the device files. I have tried different tapes. I have even tried a different DAT drive.

The scsi ribbon cable from the E35 has four connectors. The DAT drive is on the first, the CD on the second and the disc drives on the third and forth.

If I put the DAT drive on the second connector it works.

Could this be a jumper setting problem, a scsi terminator problem or even a damaged cable?

[Bill McNAMARA_1]

never saw anything like that before... perhaps there is some termination problem? Could be the ribbon cable too, but your guess is as good as mine..
I'd watch out for the device you put into the suspect cable adaptor just incase there is some kind of pin damage in the scsi cable connector....

Later,
Bill

[Curt Thompson]

Hello Mr. Harrington,

It sounds like a bad SCSI ribbon cable. I would inspect the connector and cable carefully. Those unprotected ribbon-type cables are prone to damage when sliding in/out the metal carrier that holds the peripherals.

Secondly, check SCSI termination, just to be sure. Those systems were easy to over-terminate due to the number of devices that could be installed and the various termination methods each one uses. To terminate correctly, the last connector on that SCSI cable should be connected to a device that IS providing termination; all other devices should NOT provide any termination. Also, an appropiate external terminator should be used on the back of the systems' SCSI port.

Good Luck,
Curt

[Victor BERRIDGE]

To me it looks like a jumper issue on/in the DAT itself (I had such a case ) what model is your DAT, has it any dipswitch anywhere?

Regards
Victor

[James Harrington]

I have changed the SCSI ribbon cable. Still the same.

The DAT drive is a C1503b/HP35470A. I cannot find the documentation/manual on HP's web-site, so I do not know what the 8 dip switches are for. The jumper settings appear to be correct.

[James Harrington]

I have changed the tape, the drive and the ribbon cable. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the drivers from the kernel. I have checked all the scsi terminators. The only way I can get this to work is by putting it on the second scsi connector - and then I cannot read the tapes on any other dat drive (I have tried 3, including a DDS 2 - they all read part of the tape and then fail).

I give up - it will be cheaper to buy a new HP9000!