hp 1x8 g2 autoloader problem - tapes randomly become unrecognizeable

[SimonTyler]

Today I had some tapes brought in from offsite storage and I loaded them into the autoloader. One of the tapes was recognized, and the other showed in the Autoloader website and in the bacula (backup software) as Empty or not recognized.

I mounted the unrecognized tape, stopped bacula,  and did this:

mt -f /dev/nst0 rewind
mt -f /dev/nst0 weof
mt -f /dev/nst0 rewind

This rewinds the tape and marks end of file at the beginning, "deleting" the tape.

Then I started bacula and checked the status again.

This time, the tape in slot 8 was unrecognized, and the tape in slot 7 was recognized. This exact scenario has happened enough times that I'm confident I made no error; it's happening too often to be failed tapes. In the past, simply loading or mounting a tape from one slot, is enough to have a tape in another slot show as unrecognized.

I started hp_ltt with the intent of doing some diagnostics, the output of this software makes no sense to me. I made sure there were empty slots in both magazines and still have errors. I don't understand why it's telling me to unload tapes to do a quick test, but I'm going to try that next.

Is my tape drive failing, how do I diagnose the cause? Do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone else?

Main > Identity > Test > Viewer >
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Test 'Library Exerciser' started on device 'HP 1x8 G2 AUTOLDR' at address '0.0.1[0-/dev/sg1]'
  - Analysis Results
    - Executing Library Exerciser Test...
    - Initializing...
    - Testing full elements in this library requires a move to an empty element. If an empty element cannot be found, the full element will be skipped.
    - Test loop 1...
    - Testing full drive elements
    - drive 1 (address 0001, barcode TPMBU032)
    - Testing empty drive elements
    - Testing full import/export elements
    - Testing empty import/export elements
    - Testing full storage elements
    - Skipping storage 1 (address 03E9, barcode TPMBU003). Unable to find a compatible empty import/export or storage element in the test range.
    - Skipping storage 2 (address 03EA, barcode TPMBU020). Unable to find a compatible empty import/export or storage element in the test range.
    - Skipping storage 3 (address 03EB, barcode TPMBU005). Unable to find a compatible empty import/export or storage element in the test range.
    - Skipping storage 4 (address 03EC, barcode TPMBU007). Unable to find a compatible empty import/export or storage element in the test range.
    - Skipping storage 5 (address 03ED, barcode TPMBU030). Unable to find a compatible empty import/export or storage element in the test range.
    - storage 6 (address 03EE, barcode TPMBU001)
    - storage 7 (address 03EF, barcode TPMBU029)
    - Testing empty storage elements
    - Test cartridge in use: address 03EE, barcode TPMBU001
    - storage 8 (address 03F0)
    - complete
  - Operations Log
    - Initializing...
    - Test loop 1...
    - drive 1 (address 0001, barcode TPMBU032)
    - storage 6 (address 03EE, barcode TPMBU001)
    - storage 7 (address 03EF, barcode TPMBU029)
    - storage 8 (address 03F0)
    - complete
    - Test Passed.

Main > Identity > Test > Viewer >
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Test 'Library Quick Check' started on device 'HP 1x8 G2 AUTOLDR' at address '0.0.1[0-/dev/sg1]'
  - Operations Log
    - Library Quick Check Options
    - Allow overwrite : True
    - Starting slot for locating test tapes : 1
    - Additional moves : 0
    - Additional seconds writing : 0
    - Ignore barcode labels when selecting test tapes : False
    - executing test...
    - Test failed
  - Analysis Results
    - Test module version V18.01.2010
    - Test run: Mon Nov 26 16:41:48 2012
    - The source slot information isn't available for full drives.
    - The library may have been rebooted or power-cycled since loading the tapes.
    - Please unload the tapes using Frontpanel, then re-run the test.


Tried the first test over again after removing some tapes to free up slots for move tests
- Test 'Library Exerciser' started on device 'HP 1x8 G2 AUTOLDR' at address '0.0.1[0-/dev/sg1]'
  - Operations Log
    - Library Exerciser Test Options
    - Perform inventory at start of test : True
    - Test loop count (all operations except inventory) : 1
    - Test drive range ('all', 'x-y', or 'none') : all
    - Test Import/Export range ('all', 'x-y', or 'none') : all
    - Test slot range ('all', 'x-y', or 'none') : all
    - Ignore barcode labels and media type when selecting tapes : False
    - Initializing...
    - Test loop 1...
    - drive 1 (address 0001, barcode TPMBU032)
    - storage 7 (address 03EF, barcode TPMBU029)
    - storage 3 (address 03EB)
    - storage 6 (address 03EE)
    - storage 8 (address 03F0)
    - complete
    - Test Passed.
  - Analysis Results
    - Executing Library Exerciser Test...
    - Initializing...
    - Testing full elements in this library requires a move to an empty element. If an empty element cannot be found, the full element will be skipped.
    - Test loop 1...
    - Testing full drive elements
    - drive 1 (address 0001, barcode TPMBU032)
    - Testing empty drive elements
    - Testing full import/export elements
    - Testing empty import/export elements
    - Testing full storage elements
    - Skipping storage 1 (address 03E9, barcode TPMBU003). Unable to find a compatible empty import/export or storage element in the test range.
    - Skipping storage 2 (address 03EA, barcode TPMBU020). Unable to find a compatible empty import/export or storage element in the test range.
    - Skipping storage 4 (address 03EC, barcode TPMBU007). Unable to find a compatible empty import/export or storage element in the test range.
    - Skipping storage 5 (address 03ED, barcode TPMBU030). Unable to find a compatible empty import/export or storage element in the test range.
    - storage 7 (address 03EF, barcode TPMBU029)
    - Testing empty storage elements
    - Test cartridge in use: address 03EF, barcode TPMBU029
    - storage 3 (address 03EB)
    - storage 6 (address 03EE)
    - storage 8 (address 03F0)
    - complete