SSL2020 Tape Library not responding to arcserve backup software nor linux mt commands

[Nichelle_1]

Hi,

I have a Compaq Storage Works SSL2020 tape library that's connected to a linux server running Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1.

I have been using this tape library for at least 6mths.and it was working fine with Arcserve, however, after the last visit from our service technician to fix another harware issue on the server the tape library mysteriously stopped working and responding to the arcserve backup software.

On initialisation of the tape library via arcserve the tape is loaded into one of the drives and gets stuck there so the software attempts to connect to the library but eventually drops the connection.

I have also tried the following mt commands, however, the library does not respond to the commands:

[root@Sugarfin root]# modprobe sg



[root@Sugarfin root]# lsmod | grep sg

sg 35076 0

scsi_mod 127356 4 [sg st cciss aic7xxx sd_mod]

[root@Sugarfin root]#





[root@Sugarfin root]# mt -f /dev/st0 status

SCSI 2 tape drive:

File number=-1, block number=-1, partition=0.

Tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x0 (default).

Soft error count since last status=0

General status bits on (10000):

IM_REP_EN



[root@Sugarfin root]# mt -f /dev/st1 status

SCSI 2 tape drive:

File number=-1, block number=-1, partition=0.

Tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x0 (default).

Soft error count since last status=0

General status bits on (10000):

IM_REP_EN

[root@Sugarfin root]#

[root@Sugarfin etc]# mt -f /dev/st0 load

/dev/st0: Input/output error

[root@Sugarfin etc]# mt -f /dev/st0 rewind

/dev/st0: Input/output error

mt: The device is offline (not powered on, no tape ?).

[root@Sugarfin etc]# tar cvf /dev/st0 /etc

tar: Removing leading `/' from member names

etc/

etc/sysconfig/

etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/

etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifup-aliases

tar: /dev/st0: Wrote only 0 of 10240 bytes

tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now

[root@Sugarfin etc]# tar tvf /dev/st0

tar: /dev/st0: Cannot read: Input/output error

tar: At beginning of tape, quitting now

tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now


Please advise on a possible solution to my tape library woes.

Regards,
Nichelle