New LTO3 Tapes bad quality - what to do?

[Curtis_Ballard]

I'm still asking around to see if some of the tape experts can comment.  There is some supposition that the drive head may be worn a bit and the old tapes match the wear on the head so they perform well but the new tapes don't quite align and aren't performing well.  If that is the case continued use should see improvements and some of the results you have posted seem to show improvement in performance, especially right at the start of the tape which is the space that will have been used the most.

Were these tapes purchased from reputable vendors?  There have been a few instances of counterfeit tapes being sold as new but I don't get the impression that is the case here.

You can pull a full drive log following a successful test with an old tape and another log following a successful test of a new tape and post the text decodes of those logs here and we may be able to figure out more.

[AK8]

The first 5 tapes were purchased from the dealer from whom we have purchased all tapes so far. The packaging and tapes look the same as always, with white labels.
The other 5 (the slightly better ones) we bought from a different dealer, here it was a slightly different product, tapes with a barcode label, the tapes were in an already opened box. The single tapes were not wrapped in plastic, but only provided with a HP Secutiy Seal, which only stuck properly on one side and the tape could be taken out of the box without destroying the seal.

I will do the tests and post the logs here.

[Curtis_Ballard]

I was able to talk to one of the media experts that could decode serial numbers and understood packaging.  That media expert said that the tapes probably are genuine HP or HPE media.  He tells me that the two forms of packaging you describe are both correct for genuine HP or HPE tapes.  The security sticker is usually used for pre-labeled tapes and shrink wrap for unlabled tapes.

Based off of the serial numbers for the tapes these likely are HP branded tapes (rather than HPE branded) that have been on the shelf for a while and one of the security stickers may have just come loose.  That seems consistent with your comment that the security sticker was an "HP" security sticker.

I also talked with a tape head expert who said that there is a realistic scenario where a worn tape drive head would result in the capacity loss and rewrite numbers that are shown in your media assessment tests while the drive would still work well with the older media.  Without full logs though it isn't possible to say if that is what you are seeing.  If it is the worn head condition that he is thinking of then the performance may improve as the new tapes are used and there can be slight differences in tape media where several new tapes that are all within manfucturing specifications perform differently due to very subtle differences in the head/media alignment and how that matches the head wear.

I hate to say it but it sounds like the most likely problem is a worn head that aligns well with your older media but is not aligning well with the new media. 

[AK8]

The "LTO Media Assessment Full Tape Test" failed on 3 tapes, but it revealed interessting infos about the tapes

Old tape, bought 2011, used like 100 times: Manufactured: Jan 15 2011

Spoiler

Analysis Results
|__ LTO Media Assessment Test, version V20.08.2012
|__ Test run: Thu Feb 6 15:48:33 2020
|__ Drive SN: HU11024EBU Firmware Revision: Q519
|__ 'Allow suspect drive' test option: FALSE
|__ Drive Assessment Test result: Recently passed with excellent margin
|__ Drive margin reported was 100.0% margin with 0.0% channel variation margin.
|__ Minimum requirements are >95.0% margin with >95.0% channel variation margin.
|__ MEDIA IDENTITY/CONFIGURATION:
|__ Vendor: HP
|__ Format: LTO-3
|__ Capacity: 436 GB (native) 873 GB (assuming 2:1 compression)
|__ Last drive that wrote this tape: Not Available
|__ Serial Number: P110115317
|__ Barcode: Unknown
|__ Manufactured: Jan 15 2011
|__ ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION (from drive logs)
|__ [Please check the Support Ticket for full details.]
|__ Media Health
|__ Data on tape: Not enough data
|__ Drive measurements: Great margin
|__ Write/read life: Good 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
|__ [Please note: the operations performed by this overwrite test will NOT be
|__ reflected in the Support Ticket usage/health information.]
|__ 'Amount of data required' test option : Entire Tape
|__ Iteration number: 1 of 1
|__ Write margin (wrap 0): Warning (5.9 GB written)
|__ The drive could not write data to the data cartridge with sufficient margin.
|__ It is not advisable to use this data cartridge for backup.
|__ Note: The drive is working well, as it has recently passed the LTO Drive Assessment Test with excellent margin.
|__ Overall Margin: Warning (5.9 GB written)
|__ Wrap 0 Margin: Warning
|__ Testing has completed and some problems were found.
|__ Test time: 6:36

"New" tape (with a barcodelabel), bought Jan 2020: Manufactured: June 13 2008

Spoiler

Analysis Results
|__ LTO Media Assessment Test, version V20.08.2012
|__ Test run: Thu Feb 6 16:34:37 2020
|__ Drive SN: HU11024EBU Firmware Revision: Q519
|__ 'Allow suspect drive' test option: FALSE
|__ Drive Assessment Test result: Recently passed with excellent margin
|__ Drive margin reported was 100.0% margin with 0.0% channel variation margin.
|__ Minimum requirements are >95.0% margin with >95.0% channel variation margin.
|__ MEDIA IDENTITY/CONFIGURATION:
|__ Vendor: HP
|__ Format: LTO-3
|__ Capacity: 400 GB (native) 800 GB (assuming 2:1 compression)
|__ Last drive that wrote this tape: Not Available
|__ Serial Number: 2210298150
|__ Barcode: Unknown
|__ Manufactured: June 13 2008
|__ ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION (from drive logs)
|__ [Please check the Support Ticket for full details.]
|__ Media Health
|__ Data on tape (average): Warning
|__ Drive measurements: Warning
|__ 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
|__ [Please note: the operations performed by this overwrite test will NOT be
|__ reflected in the Support Ticket usage/health information.]
|__ 'Amount of data required' test option : Entire Tape
|__ Iteration number: 1 of 1
|__ Write margin (wrap 0): Warning (17.4 MB written)
|__ The drive could not write data to the data cartridge with sufficient margin.
|__ It is not advisable to use this data cartridge for backup.
|__ Note: The drive is working well, as it has recently passed the LTO Drive Assessment Test with excellent margin.
|__ Overall Margin: Warning (17.4 MB written)
|__ Wrap 0 Margin: Warning
|__ Testing has completed and some problems were found.
|__ Test time: 6:37

"New" tape, bought Jan 2020: Manufactured: March 19 2008 

Spoiler

Analysis Results
|__ LTO Media Assessment Test, version V20.08.2012
|__ Test run: Thu Feb 6 16:05:38 2020
|__ Drive SN: HU11024EBU Firmware Revision: Q519
|__ 'Allow suspect drive' test option: FALSE
|__ Drive Assessment Test result: Recently passed with excellent margin
|__ Drive margin reported was 100.0% margin with 0.0% channel variation margin.
|__ Minimum requirements are >95.0% margin with >95.0% channel variation margin.
|__ MEDIA IDENTITY/CONFIGURATION:
|__ Vendor: HP
|__ Format: LTO-3
|__ Capacity: 400 GB (native) 800 GB (assuming 2:1 compression)
|__ Last drive that wrote this tape: Not Available
|__ Serial Number: 2190491212
|__ Barcode: Unknown
|__ Manufactured: March 19 2008
|__ ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION (from drive logs)
|__ [Please check the Support Ticket for full details.]
|__ Media Health
|__ Data on tape (average): Warning
|__ Drive measurements: Great margin
|__ Write/read life: Great margin
|__ Load/unload life: Great margin
|__ Media Environment
|__ Maximum temperature limit has previously been exceeded.
|__ RESULTS OF TESTS ON THIS MEDIA
|__ [Please note: the operations performed by this overwrite test will NOT be
|__ reflected in the Support Ticket usage/health information.]
|__ 'Amount of data required' test option : Entire Tape
|__ Iteration number: 1 of 1
|__ Write margin (wrap 0): Warning (3.2 GB written)
|__ The drive could not write data to the data cartridge with sufficient margin.
|__ It is not advisable to use this data cartridge for backup.
|__ Note: The drive is working well, as it has recently passed the LTO Drive Assessment Test with excellent margin.
|__ Overall Margin: Warning (3.2 GB written)
|__ Wrap 0 Margin: Warning
|__ Testing has completed and some problems were found.
|__ Test time: 6:37
Failed

I started a "Read/Write Test" on the old tape.
Testresult:

Spoiler

Test 'Read/Write Test' started on device 'TANDBERG LTO-3 HH' at address '5/0.0.0'
|__ Operations Log
| |__ Read Write Test Options
| |__ Allow Overwrite : True
| |__ Read and compare after the write operation : True
| |__ Retry on read failure : off
| |__ Data Limit Type : size
| |__ Amount of data written/read in each phase (GB). : whole tape
| |__ Time allowed for each data test phase (mins). : 5
| |__ Block size for read/write (KB). : 64
| |__ Max data transfer limit per command (KB). : 64
| |__ Block Transfer Type : fixed
| |__ Compression Ratio : 2 to 1
| |__ Write filemarks after every : No Filemarks
| |__ Checking for presence of cartridge
| |__ Performing 1st write phase of read/write test
| |__ Rewinding
| |__ Writing to end of tape in phase Write_1
| |__ Writing 10 GB
| |__ Writing 20 GB
| |__ Writing 30 GB
| |__ Writing 40 GB
| |__ Writing 50 GB
| |__ Writing 60 GB
| |__ Writing 70 GB
| |__ Writing 80 GB
| |__ Writing 90 GB
| |__ Writing 100 GB
| |__ Writing 110 GB
| |__ Writing 120 GB
| |__ Writing 130 GB
| |__ Writing 140 GB
| |__ Writing 150 GB
| |__ Writing 160 GB
| |__ Writing 170 GB
| |__ Writing 180 GB
| |__ Writing 190 GB
| |__ Writing 200 GB
| |__ Writing 210 GB
| |__ Writing 220 GB
| |__ Writing 230 GB
| |__ Writing 240 GB
| |__ Writing 250 GB
| |__ Writing 260 GB
| |__ Writing 270 GB
| |__ Writing 280 GB
| |__ Writing 290 GB
| |__ Writing 300 GB
| |__ Writing 310 GB
| |__ Writing 320 GB
| |__ Writing 330 GB
| |__ Total amount of data written : 338 GB
| |__ Rewinding
| |__ Checked CCQ write and re-write values (Written: 0x203D741, ReWritten: 0x493312)
| |__ Capacity Loss is 14
| |__ Performing 1st read phase of read/write test
| |__ Reading 10 GB
| |__ Reading 20 GB
| |__ Reading 30 GB
| |__ Reading 40 GB
| |__ Reading 50 GB
| |__ Reading 60 GB
| |__ Reading 70 GB
| |__ Reading 80 GB
| |__ Reading 90 GB
| |__ Reading 100 GB
| |__ Reading 110 GB
| |__ Reading 120 GB
| |__ Reading 130 GB
| |__ Reading 140 GB
| |__ Reading 150 GB
| |__ Reading 160 GB
| |__ Reading 170 GB
| |__ Reading 180 GB
| |__ Reading 190 GB
| |__ Reading 200 GB
| |__ Reading 210 GB
| |__ Reading 220 GB
| |__ Reading 230 GB
| |__ Reading 240 GB
| |__ Reading 250 GB
| |__ Reading 260 GB
| |__ Reading 270 GB
| |__ Reading 280 GB
| |__ Reading 290 GB
| |__ Reading 300 GB
| |__ Reading 310 GB
| |__ Reading 320 GB
| |__ Reading 330 GB
| |__ Total amount of data read : 338 GB
| |__ Rewinding
| |__ Test Passed.
|__ Analysis Results
| |__ Read/Write Test version: V18.10.2018
|__ Passed

So, you're right, the tapes have been gathering dust on a shelf.

Below is the link to the Support Text, it was to big for here, and even to big for pastebin so i deleted some duplicate lines with only zeros.

https://pastebin.com/juaeS3Wa