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How to get HP LTO3 Ultrium tapes test/replaced?

 
Woody Gulledge
Advisor

How to get HP LTO3 Ultrium tapes test/replaced?

Who do I contact to for Ultrium tape testing and replacement? These are HP branded C7973A tapes; only in use light use for 3 months.

I had problems with HP branded SDLT tapes before, is this a problem with all HP branded tapes: Anybody have a recommendation for tapes that live up to their life expentancy claims?

I am using a 1/8 Autoloader g2--3 months old.
8 REPLIES 8
D Wong
Regular Advisor

Re: How to get HP LTO3 Ultrium tapes test/replaced?

Hi Woody:

I would first test the tape SDLT tape cartridges with the HP Library and Tape Tool software. There is a Media Test for SDLT tape cartridges in the software package. Then you will know at least if the then media is bad or good from the testing of the tape media.

You should contact HP Support for tape or tape storage products 1-800-HPInvent.

Dave W.
Curtis Ballard
Honored Contributor

Re: How to get HP LTO3 Ultrium tapes test/replaced?

What makes you think that the tapes need replaced? Is there an error message being reported somewhere?
Woody Gulledge
Advisor

Re: How to get HP LTO3 Ultrium tapes test/replaced?

Good questions:
1) I am using DP 6.0 fully patched and after 3 months of use, the backups at the head of the cartridge all went to 0 bytes. I then "verified" in DP and it reported 47 errors. I cleaned the drive and it still reported 47 errors in DP.

2) I ran the HPLTT and it indicated there was a newer version of firmware for the library, but the drive firmware was up to date. So I updated the firmware of the library.

3) Then I did the drive analysis with a new blank tape to verify the drive was fine, and it passed 100%.

4) Then I did a media analysis with a blank new tape, and that tape indicated it was ok.

5) Then, I did a media analysis on the questionable tape, but I did not use overwrite data--because the tape may still have recoverable data--and it indicated there may be some errors, but since I did not use overwrite, it could not fully qualify whether the media was bad.

Hence the dilemna, I have to destroy possibly valid data to test the media, but losing data at the head of the tape seems unlikely unless there was a problem with the media.

I had similar problems with SDLTS, they would start reporting errors, but if I erased them in HPLTT, they would be fine again--for a little while. That was one of the reasons I moved over to the ultriums.
D Wong
Regular Advisor

Re: How to get HP LTO3 Ultrium tapes test/replaced?

Hi Woody:

I agree with you. My opinion only that SDLT tape drives and media have more problems. Ultrium tape drives and media seem to have less problems.

Dave W.
Rob Leadbeater
Honored Contributor

Re: How to get HP LTO3 Ultrium tapes test/replaced?

Hi,

Although I've no real evidence to prove it, I would suspect Data Protector.

When I've used it in the past, we had no end of problems with it flagging tapes as poor, even when they'd only been in use for short periods. OK I am talking SDLT rather than LTO again, but I suspect whatever mechanism DP uses to determine that a tape is bad, will be used for all tape types...

If I were you, I'd bite the bullet and use LTT to do the media test on one of your suspect tapes.

Cheers,

Rob
Curtis Ballard
Honored Contributor

Re: How to get HP LTO3 Ultrium tapes test/replaced?

Could you post the test results that you got with the no-overwrite media analysis test? We may be able to tell more about the issue from that data.

Posting an L&TT support ticket taken after the a tape is marked poor would also be useful as that will have performance information for the previous load that can help determine if DP is using the correct indicators.
Woody Gulledge
Advisor

Re: How to get HP LTO3 Ultrium tapes test/replaced?

Here is a fresh HPLTT media analysis (I do not recognize anything helpful):
-------------------
Test 'LTO Media Assessment test' started on device 'HP Ultrium 3-SCSI' at address '3/0.5.0'
Analysis Results
LTO Media Assessment Test, version V14.01.2008
Test run: Fri Mar 6 15:22:29 2009
TEST TYPE: Read Only (Backup Assessment).
To perform the full Media Assessment Test, please set the ├в Allow overwrite├в
test option to TRUE and re-start the test.
The ├в Allow overwrite├в test option was set to FALSE.
Therefore the test can only assess the quality of the data already backed up on
the data cartridge, and not the quality of the media.
Warning! Running the test with the ├в Allow overwrite├в test option set will erase any
data already on your data cartridge.
├в Allow suspect drive├в test option: FALSE
Drive Assessment Test last run: 6:01:24:27 Power on (Days:hours:mins:secs) ago
Drive Assessment Test result (from last run): Passed
Test options (from last Assessment Test run): Default options were used
Drive margin (from last Assessment Test run): 100%
MEDIA IDENTITY/CONFIGURATION:
Vendor: HP
Format: LTO-3
Capacity: 400 GB (native) 800 GB (assuming 2:1 compression)
Serial Number: E84JIRf209
Barcode: SLOT0003
Manufactured: May 19 2008
ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION (from drive logs)
[Please check the Support Ticket for full details.]
Media Health
Data on tape: Great margin
Drive measurements: Great margin
Write/read life: Great margin
Load/unload life: Great margin
Media Environment
Maximum temperature has not been exceeded in the last 3 drives.
RESULTS OF TESTS ON THIS MEDIA
Amount of data required├в test option : Entire Tape
Iteration number: 1 of 1
The test was unable to read the requested amount of data, as end of data (EOD)
was encountered while reading.
This should not be considered an error, unless you believe more data
should have been available.
Data requested (native): 400 GB Data read (native): 36.7 GB
Read Margin: Great (0 retries)
The default test options were not used for the test, so the results cannot be guaranteed.
Testing has completed and some warnings were reported.
Operations Log
executing LTO Media Assessment Test...
checking tape load ...
rewinding ...
verifying data (0% complete)
verifying data (1% complete)
verifying data (2% complete)
verifying data (3% complete)
verifying data (4% complete)
verifying data (5% complete)
verifying data (6% complete)
verifying data (7% complete)
verifying data (8% complete)
verifying data (9% complete)
LTO Media Assessment Test Finished...
Test passed with warnings
-----------------
I will post the DP verify results Monday.
Curtis Ballard
Honored Contributor

Re: How to get HP LTO3 Ultrium tapes test/replaced?

The L&TT test believes that all of the data on the tape is fine but there is only 36.7 GB of data on the tape.

The warning in the L&TT test was just because allow overwrite wasn't selected and L&TT isn't allowed to do an exhaustive test when allow overwrite isn't selected.