About tape device

[Shrikant Lavhate]

Hi HP gurus,

I have little query.
I completed data backup on a tape and I want to sure that backed up tape has been removed from system. Some outputs to help you:

#ioscan -funC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================

tape 1 0/8/0/0.6.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE QUANTUM DLT8000
/dev/rmt/1m /dev/rmt/1mn /dev/rmt/c3t6d0BEST /dev/rmt/c3t6d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/1mb /dev/rmt/1mnb /dev/rmt/c3t6d0BESTb /dev/rmt/c3t6d0BESTnb


#diskinfo /dev/rmt/1m
diskinfo: can't open /dev/rmt/1m: No such device or address


So in ioscan i can see tape and in diskinfo its throwing error.... :o What does that mean??

Is tape is present in the drive or not???

[Rita C Workman]

diskinfo is what it says - information on disk - not tape.

If you knew the address of your robotic arm (since a DLT8000 usually has one..) you could run:

/opt/omni/lbin/uma -ioctl /dev/rac/c-t-d-
Then run:
stat d

But "uma" is a bit on the older side, so if you want to see if there is a tape in there you could just run:

tar tvf /dev/rmt/1m

This will display everything on the tape - if there is one there.

And there are the "mt" commands - so try:

mt -f /dev/rmt/1m rew

If there's a tape it will rewind, if not the command will fail.

Hope this helps,
Rgrds,
Rita

[Torsten.]

Is it a standalone drive?

Try

# mt status /dev/rmt/0m
Drive: HP C1533A
Format:
Status: [0]
File: 0
Block: 0

(this is for my empty drive).


Remember, even if you "unload" the tape by any command or push button, you need to pull the handle for that DLT to really remove it.

[Torsten.]

Where does a drive have a robotic arm?

;-)

[Shrikant Lavhate]

Torsten,

#mt status /dev/rmt/1m
Drive: HP C1537A
Format: DDS-3 format
Status: [41112500] BOT online compression immediate-report-mode
File: 0
Block: 0

In your case for empty tape Status was diffenert as in your reply. And look at my output. Does that mean it is filled tape?? I confuse becuase of "41112500" number. Although its showing file n block as zero :D

[Torsten.]

Are you on the same system?

It was a DLT and now it is a DDS?

[Shrikant Lavhate]

ohhhhhhhh.... something weired is happening...

I have 2 tapes on system DDS and DLT. And mt command showing ouput of DDS tp both. i.e.

#mt status /dev/rmt/1m
Drive: HP C1537A
Format: DDS-3 format
Status: [41112500] BOT online compression immediate-report-mode
File: 0
Block: 0


#mt status /dev/rmt/0m
Drive: HP C1537A
Format: DDS-3 format
Status: [41112500] BOT online compression immediate-report-mode
File: 0
Block: 0

In ioscan both tapes are showing claimed with exact H/W type i.e. DDS and DLT..

Comment, Torsten ????

[Mike Shilladay · Accepted solution]

Hi,

You need to use the -f switch for device. e.g.

mt -f /dev/rmt/1m status

shows status for the drive at /dev/rmt/1m

Substitute /dev/rmt/1m for other tape device on your system.

Mike

[Shrikant Lavhate]

Thanks Mike, It works good. I am too lazy @ reading man pages :D

mt -f /dev/rmt/1m status
Drive: QUANTUM DLT8000
Format:
Status: [0]
File: 0
Block: 0

Means I have fresh tape in drive. Problem solved got answer....

[Shrikant Lavhate]

Thanks Torsten n Mike.....