How to create a firmware update tape for a DLT drive?

[Kris Spander]

Hello,

I purchased a replacement DLT7000 tape drive for my HP 6/100 library on eBay. The drive works fine but the firmware is version 102 and the firmware version of my other two drives is 107. I have downloaded the firmware file to my HP-UX server but I don't know how to create a firmware tape. Does anyone know how this is done?

TIA,
Kris

[A. Clay Stephenson · Accepted solution]

If this were me, I would leave well enough alone because if you mess this up you are going to turn your drive into a paperweight but ...

Use a DLT IV media cartridge; insert the medium into the drive (any DLT-7000) AND MANUALLY select 35.0GB UNCOMPRESSED density. It absolutely, positively must be uncompressed.

Next, you need to dd the firmware onto the tape using 8k blocking.

dd if=/tmp/myfirmware bs=8k of=/dev/rmt/4m

substituting your firmware file and proper tape device node.

Make absolutely certain that the firmware file you found was downloaded in binary and IS THE CORRECT VERSION FOR A DLT-7000 otherwise think paperweight.

Again, unless you really need to do this, don't.

[Kris Spander]

Thanks Clay.

I made the tape. Is there a way to verify it before I put it in the drive to be updated?

Thanks,
Kris

[A. Clay Stephenson]

dd if=/dev/rmt/4m bs=4k of=/tmp/myfirmwaretape

cksum /tmp/myfirmware /tmp/myfirmwaretape

These cksum's should be identical; if not think paperweight; in fact, even if they are identical think potential paperweight. Are you beginning to get the idea that I think this is a dumb idea? If so, that would be a valid conclusion.

[Kris Spander]

Thanks.

I did the cksum command and they are identical. I'm really not worried about this drive because it was so cheap. I'm going to put the firmware tape in the new drive and I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks,
Kris

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Ooops, I'm an idiot. I just noticed that when I asked you to read the tape back, I gave you an incorrect blocksize although you may have already spotted this and used the same and correct (8k) blocksize used when you created the tape image.


dd if=/dev/rmt/4m bs=4k of=/tmp/myfirmwaretape

should be:

dd if=/dev/rmt/4m bs=8k of=/tmp/myfirmwaretape

8k is the correct size to use for DLT IV at 35GB uncompressed density.