how to use streamer

[Torsten. · Accepted solution]

The ioscan you posted previously doesn't show the tape at all.


So you either have a problem with the drive itself (bad?) or the cables/terminators (bent pin?).

Check the hardware.

[rustam_2]

Hi Torsten,
You are right. Problem was with cable. Now ioscan -f shows me my tape
# ioscan -f | grep "Ultrium"
tape 0 0/2/1/0.0.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP Ultrium 3-SCSI

So, is there book\manual how to use it? direct link to hp doc i mean.
I wanted to know how can i determine device file fr my tape? i check /dev and saw rmt and rtape, which one is mine?

I just rewind and check streamer and tape. I have card Ultrium 800 GB* data cartridges and found compatibility for them.
Tape drive model: Ultrium 920
read/write
(C7973A)
nl
write once/read
many (C7973W

Does it mean that i can write once to my cartridge? so i cant write some test files?

Regards,
Rustam

[Torsten.]

Try

# ioscan -fnCtape

I don't think the media is a WORM, so you can write many times.


Consider to use tar, pax, cpio or something to backup your data (depends on what you want to backup).

[rustam_2]

Thanks Torsten, from both servers i got these results:

# ioscan -fnCtape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 0 0/2/1/0.0.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP Ultrium 3-SCSI
/dev/rmt/0m /dev/rmt/c0t0d0BEST
/dev/rmt/0mb /dev/rmt/c0t0d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/0mn /dev/rmt/c0t0d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/0mnb /dev/rmt/c0t0d0BESTnb


there are 4 types 'devise file' such as 0m, 0mb, 0mn, 0mnb. Honestly i dont know differ between them. On manual is rmt/0mnb
2. Back up /stand/vmunix to tape:
% tar cvf /dev/rmt/0m ./stand/vmunix


>>I don't think the media is a WORM, so you >>can write many times.

how can i determine does mine WORM or doesnt? i have 10 Data cartridge - 'HP LTO3 Ultrium RW' * Assuming 2:1 Compression.
Does RW mean i can write and read many times?


>>Consider to use tar, pax, cpio or >>something to backup your data (depends on >>what you want to backup).

On my servers run Oracle Database and backups are created with Datapump Utility, not with RMAN. So i have dump files of my database, size app 30Gb (each file). During a day i have to write these dump files (3 dump files from 3 instance) to cartridge and all archive logs from one instance. So which way is secure, faster and easier to these tasks?
By the way, i have never worked with tapes\data cartridges, can i create several directories with data (automatically) or manually?

I also have HP LTO Ultrium Universal Cleaning Cartridge, havent known yet for what i can use it.


Regards,
Rustam

[Torsten.]

Refer to your oracle documentation on how to backup date.


>> Does RW mean i can write and read many times?

Yes.


Regarding cleaning: Insert the cleaning tape if the "clean" LED is on.

[rustam_2]

Hi Torsten,

>>Refer to your oracle documentation on how >>to backup date.

I found out that tar and cpio will be ok for my data pumps.

>>Regarding cleaning: Insert the cleaning >>tape if the "clean" LED is on.

Ok, i got it. Thanks.


Look, i follow official documents and make some test backup and extract to/from cartridge.

1. i copy to /tmp test file and then write it to my data cartridge.

# tar cvf /dev/rmt/0mn /tmp/p8202632_10205_WINNT.zip
a /tmp/p8202632_10205_WINNT.zip 2119612 blocks

# mt status
Drive: HP Ultrium 3-SCSI
Format:
Status: [81114400] EOF online compression immediate-report-mode
File: 1
Block: -1
# cd /tmp
2. delete my test file p8202632_10205_WINNT.zip from /tmp. Then would copy from data cartridge to /tmp. But got error, why?
# tar xvf /dev/rmt/0mn
Tar: blocksize = 0; broken pipe?

what was wrong? How can i write and read from data cartridge then? Only way to write big file (which has 10-20-30Gb) to cartridge is to spread big file to multipal files?

Regards,
Rustam

[Torsten.]

You used the norewind special file (0mn), so you need to rewind the tape or eject and load it again.
IMHO it should work then.

[Dennis Handly]

># mt status
>Status: [81114400] EOF online compression
>Then would copy from data cartridge to /tmp. ...
>what was wrong?

As mentioned by "mt status", you are at EOF and you need to rewind the tape so you see "BOT":
mt rew

>Only way to write big file (which has 10-20-30Gb) to cartridge is to spread big file to multiple files?

No, you can use pax(1) instead of tar.

[rustam_2]

Torsten,
Thank you a lot. Finally i could write and then read my test file to\from cartridge.


But I still dont know, what differ between these files: /dev/rmt/0m /dev/rmt/0mb /dev/rmt/0mn /dev/rmt/0mnb. Couldnt find in official doc. I guess each of them have specific feature during write\read. So i dont know which is to good to use.

Thanks Dennis,
This evening i will read and then try to practice with pax utility.

Regards,
Rustam

[Torsten.]

many related threads are there, for example:

http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/System-Administration/0m-vs-0mb/m-p/3098949#M146522