Booting Standalone Backup tape from TZ88

[Dan Mellem]

Hi,

I'm working on a VAX 4000-600 with a TZ88 tape drive. I have a standalone backup kit installed on a drive, but I wanted to update the standalone backup tape since we upgraded from 8mm to a TZ88 just in case things really go bad. I created the standalone kit on the tape (@SYS$UPDATE:STABACKIT) onto a new tape, which it labeled as SYSTEM. I mounted the tape and verified the files were written.

I can't seem to boot the tape. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to specify a system or what, but no luck so far. I've tried:

B/0 MKA500:

B/E0000000 MKA500:

B/100 MKA500: (with Bootfile = VMB.EXE)

B/100 MKA500: (with Bootfile = SYSTEM [just a desperate attempt])

Plus dismounting/mounting tape to make sure it's rewound.

What am I missing? Can the VAX boot off a TZ88?

Thanks,

-Dan

[Steven Schweda]

> I'm working on a VAX 4000-600 with a TZ88 tape drive. [...]

   Connected how?

> I can't seem to boot the tape.

   With my weak psychic powers, I can't guess what happens
when you try.

   My newest VAX is an older and simpler 4000 model 200, and
it's possible that I've always used a CD-ROM drive for such
tasks, so I know nothing, but I'd expect a simple "boot
mka500" command to work (assuming that that's the right
device name).  Of course, a CD-ROM should be (much?) faster
than tape.

[Steven Schweda]

> [...]
> it's possible that I've always used a CD-ROM drive for such
> tasks, [...]

   Or a hard disk.  My VAXes tend to have multiple disks, and I've
probably installed SAB on at least almost all of them.  Faster than a
CD-ROM, too.

   Around here, with a DLT7000 connected to a KZQSA, it all seems to
work as expected:

>>>show devi
DSSI Bus 0 Node 0 (GIMP00)
-DIA0 (RF72)

DSSI Bus 0 Node 7 (*)

SCSI Adapter 0 (761300), SCSI ID 7
-MKA400 (QUANTUM DLT7000)

UQSSP Disk Controller 0 (772150)
-DUA0 (RA81)
-DUA1 (RA81)
-DUA2 (RA90)

Ethernet Adapter
-EZA0 (08-00-2B-1C-FD-04)

[...]

GIMP $ tcpip show vers

  Compaq TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS VAX Version V5.3 - ECO 4
  on a VAX 4000-200 running OpenVMS V7.3    

GIMP $ show devi /full mka400:

Magtape GIMP$MKA400:, device type QUANTUM DLT7000, is online, file-oriented
    device, error logging is enabled, controller supports compaction (compaction
     disabled), device supports fastskip.


    Error count                    0    Operations completed               8342
    Owner process                 ""    Owner UIC                      [SYSTEM]
    Owner process ID        00000000    Dev Prot            S:RWPL,O:RWPL,G:R,W
    Reference count                0    Default buffer size                 512
    Density                  unknown    Format                        Normal-11

  Volume status:  no-unload on dismount, beginning-of-tape, odd parity.


GIMP $ @sys$update:stabackit.com
%STABACKIT-I-SYMDEL, all global symbols deleted

Enter the name of the device on which to build the kit: mka400:
SYSGEN parameters for standalone VMS have been placed in file
                SYS$SYSROOT:<SYSUPD>VAXVMSSYS.PAR-TEMP-20400225;1
[...]
PSEUDOLOA.EXE created in directory SYS$SYSROOT:<SYSEXE>

Please place the scratch tape cartridge in drive _GIMP$MKA400:.
This volume will receive the volume label SYSTEM.

Enter "YES" when ready: y

%MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, SYSTEM mounted on _GIMP$MKA400:
%COPY-S-COPIED, SYS$COMMON:<SYSEXE>VMB.EXE;3 copied to _GIMP$MKA400:<>VMB.EXE;3
(87 records)
[...]
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, SYS$SYSROOT:<SYSUPD>VAXVMSSYS.PAR-TEMP-20400225;1 deleted (17
blocks)
%DELETE-I-TOTAL, 2 files deleted (34 blocks)

Ending time   1-MAR-2017 23:33:04.89
Starting time 1-MAR-2017 23:01:49.23

The kit is complete.

[...]

>>>boot mka400
(BOOT/R5:0 MKA400)

  2..
-MKA400
  1..0..


   OpenVMS (TM) VAX Version V7.3     Major version id = 1 Minor version id = 0
%WBM-I-WBMINFO Write Bitmap has successfully completed initialization.
Please enter date and time (DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM): 1-MAR-2017 23:47

Configuring devices . . .
Now configuring HSC, RF, and MSCP-served devices . . .

Please check the names of the devices which have been configured,
to make sure that ALL remote devices which you intend to use have
been configured.

If any device does not show up, please take action now to make it
available.


Available device  DUA0:                            device type RA81
Available device  DUA1:                            device type RA81
Available device  DUA2:                            device type RA90
Available device  MKA400:                          device type QUANTUM DLT7000
Available device  $3$DIA0: (GIMP00)                device type RF72

Enter "YES" when all needed devices are available: y
%BACKUP-I-IDENT, Stand-alone BACKUP T7.2; the date is  1-MAR-2017 23:56:08.17
$


   So, nothing special needed anywhere for anything.

[Volker Halle]

Dan,

what exactly is the error message, when you try to boot the standalone backup tape ?

Volker.

[Dan Mellem]

Steven Schweda:

Thank you for your reply.

> Connected how?
I thought the "MKA500:" was clear enough, but it's connected via SCSI, ID 5, from the SCSI card in the VAX. The tape drive works fine and is used for nightly backups. Standalone backups to/from it work fine, too.

> With my weak psychic powers, I can't guess what happens when you try.
It's unable to bootstrap. I.e.:

?56 DRVERR, MKA500
?06 HLT INST

> Or a hard disk.  My VAXes tend to have multiple disks, and I've probably installed SAB on at least almost all of them.  Faster than a CD-ROM, too.
Most of our disks are in volume sets, which are, of course, not bootable. The system disk and a scratch disk are not in a volume set and they both have the kit as I mentioned. However, we don't have a CD-ROM drive; the system was originally installed from 9-track and upgraded with a now long-dead DLT drive (don't remember the model). Anyhow, I want to have another option to bring the system up should we lose both disks at once, which is why I'm also trying to put the kit on tape and verify it works.

> Magtape GIMP$MKA400:, device type QUANTUM DLT7000
> >>>boot mka400
> (BOOT/R5:0 MKA400)
The 8mm tape booted the same way your DLT-7000 did (B/0), but I haven't been able to boot from the TZ88, and that's what my question is. Is there something special I need to do (e.g., different driver on the tape, using a different density, turning off compression) to get it to boot from a TZ88?

I've read there are some quirks with the TZ87-TZ89, including that they may not be bootable, but I haven't found anything definitive either way.

Thanks,
-Dan

[Dan Mellem]

Volker Halle:

Thank you for your reply.

Unfortunately I don't have the printout right now so I can't transcribe the entire message, but it responded with "?56 DRVERR MKA500" and a bootstrap failure. I can take a photo of it or transcribe the messages tomorrow morning (I'm at GMT-8).

[Bob Blunt]

Dan,

There shouldn't be anything special required to write your S/A Backup to and boot from a TZ88.  The errors you're getting, though, imply that (IMHO) you've got a tape that isn't really readable/bootable or there's something wrong with the drive.  For starters a >>> SHOW DEVICE would be helpful as well as the output from when you power cycle the system and the output from POST is displayed on your terminal.

The process to build a standalone kit isn't especially sensitive, the utilities used "under the sheets" are standard OpenVMS DCL commands and verbs.  The tape drives and SCSI bus are quite sensitive and have very limited (i.e. NONE) abilities to correct errors without any differentiation between a failed tape drive or a tape cartridge issue.  Part of the DLT specs discusses the lifetime of tape cartridges and those are generally referred to as a certain number of "passes" before the tape starts to lose integrity.  A DLT tape writes in a pattern that causes many more "passes" across the read/write head so those tapes can get worn faster than you might expect.  IF you have a new tape I'd rewrite the S/A Backup kit on that AT THE LOWEST, NATIVE DENSITY without compression after cleaning the drive with the cleaning tape.  That won't guarantee that your kit will work but it'll give you a better shot.  I'd also be very cautious about watching for any errors when using that tape drive for any other work (regular BACKUP, COPY, etc) including checking ERRLOG to see if ANY problems on that SCSI bus are occurring and being reported.  The output from the console SHOW DEVICE will also give us a better idea what you've got on the SCSI bus and how the system sees those devices.  It would also be helpful to know what SCSI "card" you're using (the info from the sticker on the bulkhead panel for the SCSI board should be good enough...unless the SCSI bus is routed through the SCSI cabling internal to the system).

bob

[Steven Schweda]

> ?56 DRVERR, MKA500

   Bad hardware (drive, medium), firmware, software?

> I thought the "MKA500:" was clear enough, but it's connected via SCSI,
> ID 5, from the SCSI card in the VAX.

   I got the SCSI ID, but even "the SCSI card in the VAX" is less
informative than one might hope.  One might, for example, wonder how
much other stuff is on that bus, and whether it's terminated properly.

>  The tape drive works fine and is
> used for nightly backups. Standalone backups to/from it work fine, too.

   Assuming that you've tried multiple and/or known-good tapes, it would
seem that the drive firmware might not cooperate with the VAX boot
firmware.  Clearly, my old junk works as expected.  Perhaps you should
shop around for some better junk.  I can imagine bad cable/termination
causing more trouble in the boot environment than in the the full VMS
environment, but my own cables are sub-ideal (long?), and, as we've
seen, my junk works.

> [...] we don't have a CD-ROM drive; [...]

   Get one?  I haven't tried to buy one lately, but they were cheap at
one time.

> [...] Is there something special I need to do (e.g., different driver
> on the tape, using a different density, turning off compression) to get
> it to boot from a TZ88?

   I would expect the drive itself to deal with density and compression
without outside help.  I don't know where you'd find any different
driver.  Should I believe that "TZ88" is the whole drive model
identifier?

> I've read there are some quirks with the TZ87-TZ89, including that
> they may not be bootable, but I haven't found anything definitive either
> way.

   Again, weak psychic powers prevent me from seeing what you've seen.
My dim recollection was that some later DLT drives had better or worse
capability to deal with older, less-dense formats (say, TK50 or TK70).
I don't remember anything about better or worse boot capability, but
that proves little.


> I can take a photo of it or transcribe the messages [...]

      Generally, that new copy+paste technology is more convenient for
plain text than a picture of plain text.

[Dan Mellem]

Hi, everyone.

The tapes are brand-new Fuji DLT IV. I've performed a BACKUP/IMAGE/VERIFY to them just to make sure they are good prior to doing any of the backups or creating the standalone kit. I've left it in the default 20GB mode with no compression. The tape drive has been cleaned. The tape drive is on its own connection and terminated.

I've connected a laptop to the VT510 terminal in place of the printer to capture more of the logs.

Volker Halle:

> what exactly is the error message, when you try to boot the standalone backup tape ?

>>>b mka500:
(BOOT/R5:0 MKA500:)

  2..
-MKA500
?56 DRVERR, MKA500
?06 HLT INST
        PC = 00000D75
Bootstrap failure.


Bob Blunt:

Thanks for your comments.

> It would also be helpful to know what SCSI "card" you're using

KZQSA (M5976-SA)

> I'd also be very cautious about watching for any errors when using that tape drive for any other work (regular BACKUP, COPY, etc) including checking ERRLOG to see if ANY problems on that SCSI bus are occurring and being reported.

I haven't seen any errors on that drive, either in SH DEV or **bleep**/ERROR. Please see below.

> For starters a >>> SHOW DEVICE would be helpful as well as the output from when you power cycle the system and the output from POST is displayed on your terminal.

Here's the POST, show device, start of boot, creating a new standalone backup tape, **bleep**/ERROR, and tape boot attempt:

KA690-A V4.6, VMB 2.12
 1) Dansk
 2) Deutsch (Deutschland/Osterreich)
 3) Deutsch (Schweiz)
 4) English (United Kingdom)
 5) English (United States/Canada)
 6) Espanol
 7) Francais (Canada)
 8) Francais (France/Belgique)
 9) Francais (Suisse)
10) Italiano
11) Nederlands
12) Norsk
13) Portugues
14) Suomi
15) Svenska
 (1..15): 5
Performing normal system tests.
66..65..64..63..62..61..60..59..58..57..56..55..54..53..52..51..
50..49..48..47..46..45..44..43..42..41..40..39..38..37..36..35..
34..33..32..31..30..29..28..27..26..25..24..23..22..21..20..19..
18..17..16..15..14..13..12..11..10..09..08..07..06..05..04..03..
Tests completed.
>>>sh dev
DSSI Bus 0 Node 0 (SYSTEM)
-DIA0 (RF36)

DSSI Bus 0 Node 1 (DISK6)
-DIA6 (RF35)

DSSI Bus 0 Node 2 (DISK8)
-DIA8 (RF35)

DSSI Bus 0 Node 3 (DISK9)
-DIA9 (RF35)

DSSI Bus 0 Node 4 (DISK10)
-DIA10 (RF73)

DSSI Bus 0 Node 5 (*)

DSSI Bus 1 Node 0 (DISK3)
-DIB3 (RF35)

DSSI Bus 1 Node 1 (DISK2)
-DIB2 (RF35)

DSSI Bus 1 Node 2 (DISK5)
-DIB5 (RF35)

DSSI Bus 1 Node 3 (DISK4)
-DIB4 (RF35)

DSSI Bus 1 Node 4 (HSD10)
-DIB100 (HSX0)
-DIB200 (HSX0)
-DIB300 (HSX0)
-DIB400 (HSX0)

DSSI Bus 1 Node 7 (*)

SCSI Adapter 0 (761300), SCSI ID 7
-MKA500 (DEC TZ88)
-MKA600 (EXABYTE EXB-8505NCQDNXB0)

Ethernet Adapter
-EZA0 (08-00-2B-2B-67-C9)
>>>b
(BOOT/R5:0 DIA0)

  2..
-SYSTEM$DIA0
  1..0..


   OpenVMS (TM) VAX Version V6.2     Major version id = 1 Minor version id = 0

%SYSINIT, waiting to form or join a VAXcluster system
%VAXcluster-I-LOADSECDB, loading the cluster security database
%MSCPLOAD-I-LOADMSCP, loading the MSCP disk server
%CNXMAN,  proposing formation of a VAXcluster
%CNXMAN,  now a VAXcluster member -- system VAX1
%CNXMAN,  completing VAXcluster state transition
$!  Copyright (c) 1995 Digital Equipment Corporation.  All rights reserved.

%STDRV-I-STARTUP, OpenVMS startup begun at  2-MAR-2017 09:26:56.54
%MSCPLOAD-I-CONFIGSCAN, enabled automatic disk serving
%MSCPLOAD-I-CONFIGSCAN, enabled automatic disk serving
%DCL-S-SPAWNED, process SYSTEM_1 spawned
%SET-I-NEWAUDSRV, identification of new audit server process is 2020020D
%%%%%%%%%%%  OPCOM   2-MAR-2017 09:27:12.02  %%%%%%%%%%%
Operator _VAX1$OPA0: has been enabled, username SYSTEM

[...]

VAX1> sh dev mka500

Device                  Device           Error    Volume         Free  Trans Mnt
 Name                   Status           Count     Label        Blocks Count Cnt
VAX1$MKA500:            Online               0

[...]

VAX1> @sys$update:stabackit
%STABACKIT-I-SYMDEL, all global symbols deleted

Enter the name of the device on which to build the kit: mka500:
SYSGEN parameters for standalone VMS have been placed in file
                SYS$SYSROOT:<SYSUPD>VAXVMSSYS.PAR-TEMP-20200232;1
%DCL-I-ALLOC, _$1$PDA0: allocated
%MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, PSEUDO mounted on _$1$PDA0: (VAX1)
Copy special SYSINIT and application to PDA0:
%COPY-S-COPIED, SYS$COMMON:<SYS$LDR>DUDRIVER.EXE;2 copied to PDA0:<SYS0.SYS$LDR>DUDRIVER.EXE;2 (49 blocks)
%COPY-S-COPIED, SYS$COMMON:<SYS$LDR>DVDRIVER.EXE;1 copied to PDA0:<SYS0.SYS$LDR>DVDRIVER.EXE;1 (37 blocks)
[...]
%COPY-S-COPIED, SYS$SPECIFIC:<SYSUPD.STABACKIT-TEMP-20200232>STANDALON.EXE;1 copied to PDA0:<SYS0.SYSEXE>STANDALON.EXE;1 (516 blocks)
PSEUDOLOA.EXE created in directory SYS$SYSROOT:<SYSEXE>

Please place the scratch tape cartridge in drive _VAX1$MKA500:.
This volume will receive the volume label SYSTEM.

Enter "YES" when ready: yes

%MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, SYSTEM mounted on _VAX1$MKA500:
%COPY-S-COPIED, SYS$COMMON:<SYSEXE>VMB.EXE;1 copied to _VAX1$MKA500:<>VMB.EXE;1 (87 records)
%COPY-S-COPIED, SYS$COMMON:<SYSEXE>SYSBOOT.EXE;3 copied to _VAX1$MKA500:<>SYSBOOT.EXE;3 (140 records)
%COPY-S-COPIED, SYS$SPECIFIC:<SYSUPD.STABACKIT-TEMP-20200232>OPEN_INDEX.DAT;1 copied to _VAX1$MKA500:<>OPEN_INDEX.DAT;1 (5 records)
[...]
%COPY-S-COPIED, SYS$SYSROOT:<SYSEXE>PSEUDOLOA.EXE;5 copied to _VAX1$MKA500:<>PSEUDOLOA.EXE;5 (2188 records)
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, SYS$SYSROOT:<SYSUPD>VAXVMSSYS.PAR-TEMP-20200232;2 deleted (15 blocks)
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, SYS$SYSROOT:<SYSUPD>VAXVMSSYS.PAR-TEMP-20200232;1 deleted (15 blocks)
%DELETE-I-TOTAL, 2 files deleted (30 blocks)

Ending time   2-MAR-2017 09:38:27.82
Starting time 2-MAR-2017 09:34:23.00

The kit is complete.

VAX1> sh dev mka500

Device                  Device           Error    Volume         Free  Trans Mnt
 Name                   Status           Count     Label        Blocks Count Cnt
VAX1$MKA500:            Online               0
VAX1> **bleep**/error/include=tapes/since=today
Error Log Report Generator                                      Version V6.1
 ******************************* ENTRY    9264. *******************************
 ERROR SEQUENCE 101.                             LOGGED ON:        SID 13000202
 DATE/TIME  2-MAR-2017 09:35:17.82                            SYS_TYPE 01460701
 SYSTEM UPTIME: 0 DAYS 00:11:40
 SCS NODE: VAX1                                                VAX/VMS V6.2

 MOUNT VOLUME  KA690-AA  CPU Microcode Rev # 2.  CONSOLE FW REV# 4.6
                      Standard Microcode Patch    Patch Rev # 1.

       UNIT _VAX1$MKA500:, VOLUME LABEL "SYSTEM"

       53. QIO OPERATIONS THIS UNIT, 0. ERRORS THIS UNIT
 ******************************* ENTRY    9266. *******************************
 ERROR SEQUENCE 103.                             LOGGED ON:        SID 13000202
 DATE/TIME  2-MAR-2017 09:38:26.59                            SYS_TYPE 01460701
 SYSTEM UPTIME: 0 DAYS 00:14:48
 SCS NODE: VAX1                                                VAX/VMS V6.2

 DISMOUNT VOLUME  KA690-AA  CPU Microcode Rev # 2.  CONSOLE FW REV# 4.6
                      Standard Microcode Patch    Patch Rev # 1.

       UNIT _VAX1$MKA500:, VOLUME LABEL "SYSTEM"

       7735. QIO OPERATIONS THIS UNIT, 0. ERRORS THIS UNIT
       7682. QIO OPERATIONS THIS VOLUME, 0. ERRORS THIS VOLUME
VAX1> @sys$system:shutdown


        SHUTDOWN -- Perform an Orderly System Shutdown
                    on node VAX1

[...]

%%%%%%%%%%%  OPCOM   2-MAR-2017 09:42:21.67  %%%%%%%%%%%
Operator _VAX1$OPA0: has been disabled, username SYSTEM

        SYSTEM SHUTDOWN COMPLETE - use console to halt system

?02 EXT HLT
        PC = 8DB0AD17
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>b mka500:
(BOOT/R5:0 MKA500:)

  2..
-MKA500
?56 DRVERR, MKA500
?06 HLT INST
        PC = 00000D75
Bootstrap failure.
>>>! Ejected and re-inserted DLT tape IV
>>>b mka500:
(BOOT/R5:0 MKA500:)

  2..
-MKA500
?56 DRVERR, MKA500
?06 HLT INST
        PC = 00000D75
Bootstrap failure.

Thanks,
-Dan

[Steven Schweda]

> The tapes are brand-new Fuji DLT IV. [...]

   My test used a crappy old one from the too-error-prone-for-normal-use
pile.  (Another Ebay "bargain".)

> SCSI Adapter 0 (761300), SCSI ID 7
> -MKA500 (DEC TZ88)
> -MKA600 (EXABYTE EXB-8505NCQDNXB0)

   Looks harmless enough.  I'd probably try it without the 8mm drive
connected, but I wouldn't expect much improvement.  Swap the terminator?

> [...]  Should I believe that "TZ88" is the whole drive model
> identifier?

   Still wondering.
   

> KA690-A V4.6, VMB 2.12
>  1) Dansk

   Your battery's dead, too, I see.  My model 200 says:

KA660-A V3.7, VMB 2.12
 1) Dansk


>    OpenVMS (TM) VAX Version V6.2 [...]

   Hmmm.  I have that (fossil) on a disk, too.  I needed to do some
editing to persuade its (tired, old) STABACKIT.COM that my QUANTUM
DLT7000 drive ("DEV_TYPE .EQ. 28") was, in fact, a tape drive, but after
that (and learning to avoid the all-too-easy-to-get "%DCL-W-COMPLX,
expression too complex - simplify" errors), the result was about the
same as it had been with the V7.3 attempt:

>>>b mka400
(BOOT/R5:0 MKA400)

  2..
-MKA400
  1..0..


   OpenVMS (TM) VAX Version V6.2     Major version id = 1 Minor version id = 0

Please enter date and time (DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM): 2-MAR-2017 15:50

Configuring devices . . .
Now configuring HSC, RF, and MSCP-served devices . . .

Please check the names of the devices which have been configured,
to make sure that ALL remote devices which you intend to use have
been configured.

If any device does not show up, please take action now to make it
available.


Available device  DUA0:                            device type RA81
Available device  DUA1:                            device type RA81
Available device  DUA2:                            device type RA90
Available device  MKA400:                          device type QUANTUM DLT7000
Available device  $3$DIA0: (GIMP00)                device type RF72

Enter "YES" when all needed devices are available: y
%BACKUP-I-IDENT, Stand-alone BACKUP V6.2; the date is  2-MAR-2017 15:51:50.42
$

   Apparently, someone hates something about your tape drive.  Time to
buy more (experimental) junk?