Installing new tape drive

[Mark Parsons]

Hi - I have an RP4410 running HP11.23.

I am trying to install a standalone dat drive (actually coming from a tape array 5300) but (after reboot) it is not appearing after scanning it in. This is the first time this server has had a tape drive. It doesn't seem to appear in an ioscan at all and I have already run:

# kcmodule stape=static

and rebooted the server.

Do I need to do anything with interface cards / ports. For example, how do I check whether there is a viable interface card? All I've done is taken the plastic tags off of the two ports and connected a scsi cable to one of the ports and the other end to the tape drive.

Kind Regards - Mark P.

[Torsten.]

If you can see it as "UNKNOWN" in ioscan, then you need to enable the stape driver by running

# kcmodule stape=static

[Kris_Knigga]

If ioscan isn't seeing it at all, I'd start with "layer 1" stuff.

First thing I'd check is SCSI termination.  Does the drive do its own termination or do you need to plug in a terminator on the other SCSI port on the drive?

[Torsten.]

Did you asked this question already some weeks ago?

Please send an

# ioscan -fn

and tell where the tape is connected.

Is the terminator installed?

[Dennis Handly]

>Did you asked this question already some weeks ago?

Yes:

http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/System-Administration/Installing-new-tape-drive/m-p/5398635

[Torsten.]

Send the information, please.

[Mark Parsons]

Yes - I did ask this question a few days ago but having set stape up into the kernel and rebooted the server the tape drive can't be seen.

Please find attached:

1) ioscan

2) terminator - shows the cable from the tape array (the one on the right is for a DLT80 from another server). Does it matter what the number is that is shown on the scsi button?

3) array - showing the dat drive (the DLT80 for another server is on the left)

4) port - showing the cable going into the server itself.

Many thanks.

[Mark Parsons]

Sorry - looks like ioscan one was missed out.

[Mark Parsons · Accepted solution]

I've been swapping cables and tape drives around and it seems I have an issue with the tape array 5300 itself. Looks like its fan problem as there is a red light flashing on the front panel - silly me never spotted it!

[Torsten.]

DAT drives are always LVD SCSI, but the terminator looks like an old HVD SCSI model.

In this case it cannot work, this terminator may even destroy the tape drive or the HBA.

I'm sure if you test with the other "smaller" terminator, it will work.

There is also something special with the core I/O SCSI HBA. It can be configured in "simplex" (both internal disks on the same bus) or "duplex" mode (each disk on its own bus. Only in simplex mode you can connect external devices, but your server is in simplex mode.

Just for testing, use the other terminator (of the DLT) and it will work.

Get another terminator of this kind - watch out for bent pins!