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Re: DLT tape drive nightmare! Please help.

 
Jane_13
Occasional Advisor

DLT tape drive nightmare! Please help.

We have a Compaq 35/70 DLT internal tape drive in a Compaq Proliant ML530 server running Windows NT4. We use Seagate Backup Exec to run backups on all servers every night.

In the last month we have had serious problems with this tape drive, having it replaced 5 or 6 times under a carepaq warranty.

When we put a tape in, whether new or old, we have the dreaded buzzing noise and then the cleaning light comes on. The same happens with the cleaning tape. Eventually we can get the drive to accept the tape and try to run the backup. It fails at the beginning, middle and verify of the backup on almost every occasion. The errors reported are that it cannot read the data, write the data and hardware fault.

We have tried to illiminate software problems by trying the NT Backup but that also fails with a hardware fault.

It is driving us mad as we can only get about 1 deccent backup a week on our most important file server.

Has anyone any idea how we can get round this?
15 REPLIES 15
Donald Kok
Respected Contributor

Re: DLT tape drive nightmare! Please help.

Hi, maybe some trouble with dust, humidity, or temperature?

(btw this question is better posted under some proliant or tapedrive forum, since this is the hpux forum)

Goodluck
Donald
My systems are 100% Murphy Compliant. Guaranteed!!!
Eugeny Brychkov
Honored Contributor

Re: DLT tape drive nightmare! Please help.

Buzzing sound is head calibration, should occur normally only at drive powerup. I agree with Donald: check temperature inside server: should be not more than 35C (check all fans are rotating, try getting drive out a server to well cooling place, connect to another SCSI channel using another cable etc)
Eugeny
Leif Halvarsson_2
Honored Contributor

Re: DLT tape drive nightmare! Please help.

Hi,
I don't think this is a drive problem, if you have replaced the drive several times and still have the same problem. Is it possible for you to test the drive on another computer ?
Vincent Farrugia
Honored Contributor

Re: DLT tape drive nightmare! Please help.

Hello,

The buzzing sound is normal when the tape drive is just switched on.

Maybe you have bad cartidges. I once had a similar problem and was solved by replacing the cartidges with new ones.

HTH,
Vince
Tape Drives RULE!!!
Jane_13
Occasional Advisor

Re: DLT tape drive nightmare! Please help.

Compaq have had the latest drive on test for a week. It ran 1 backup and it has failed already.

We have put new tapes in.

The temp is 31 degrees c.

I have attatched a file with the various error messages.
Eugeny Brychkov
Honored Contributor

Re: DLT tape drive nightmare! Please help.

Jane, where did you measure temperature - inside the server? Please know that temp in drive can be much more than around the drive. For HP devices there's a great utility called HP Library and Tape Tools availble at http://www.hp.com/cposupport/information_storage/support_doc/lpg50128.html . You may try to install it and generate support ticket to see which temperature is REPORTED BY internal DRIVE'S SENSOR.
I saw these problems you have when temp around the drive was 28C but drive had reported 43C inside and it caused write/read/crc errors. I recommend you to get this drive out of the server to well cooling place with ~24C around and try operate it in these conditions
Eugeny
Jane_13
Occasional Advisor

Re: DLT tape drive nightmare! Please help.

Hi Eugeny,

I have installed teh tools software but could you tell me where to find teh temperatures.

Thanks
Eugeny Brychkov
Honored Contributor

Re: DLT tape drive nightmare! Please help.

If you installed LTT please generate support ticket (.ltt file) and attach it to your next reply
Eugeny
Jane_13
Occasional Advisor

Re: DLT tape drive nightmare! Please help.

I have attached the file.