Automated backup fails on Ultrium

[Sanjiv Sharma_1]

Hi,
I have an L3000 Server/HP-UX 11.11 with a H/A Tape Array 5500. Part Number C1354R having 4* HPSurestore Ultrium 230 Drive.

I have scheduled an Automated Filesystem Backup of about 60 GB to run at 1:00 am every morning through sam.

But it has been observed that out of 7 days the backup fails about 5 days with the following message:

Full backup failed on tiger : Thu Jun 27 01:47:12 SST 2002 .
For more information, see the log file /var/sam/log/br_log.

Output from fbackup:

br_backup: Invoking fbackup. See /var/sam/log/br_log for details.
fbackup(1004): session begins on Thu Jun 27 01:00:08 2002
fbackup(3203): volume 1 has been used 2 time(s)
fbackup(3024): writing volume 1 to the output file /dev/rmt/2m
fbackup(3013): WRITE ERROR while writing data record, at media record 659201
fbackup(3102): attempting to make this volume salvagable
fbackup(3103): rewrite this volume from the beginning?
fbackup(3004): writer aborting
fbackup(1002): Backup did not complete : Reader or Writer process exit

I am using C7971A "200GB" Media. And I have tried with 5 new media but still same result.

Yes sometime the backup is successful but one or twice a week.

When I run the automated backup manually through sam on the same media to which the backup has failed, it succeeds w/o any problem.

What could be the problem? Pls. help.

Thanks,
Raje.

[Stefan Farrelly]

Normally a media write error indicates the physical tape is damaged and should be replaced, but your'e saying youve tried 5 new tapes and still the same problem, so it must be the drive itself. Have you tried running cleaning tapes through a few times ?

If you have and still get these write errors then the tape drive (writer) is bad - get HP to replace it. Once you explain to HP youve tried all new tapes and cleaned it a few times and still get media write errors they will agree with you to replace the drive.

[Michael Tully]

Try using a cleaning cartridge on the drive. If this does not work I would suggest looking at getting your tape drives replaced. It is unlikely you have a bad batch of tapes new tapes.

[Sanjiv Sharma_1]

Hi Stefan,

Thanks for your reply.

I have 4 nos. Ultrium Drive and I have tried with all 4 of them but still have the above problem.

[Sanjiv Sharma_1]

Hi Stefan,

Thanks for your reply.

I have 4 nos. Ultrium Drive and I have tried with all 4 of them but still have the above problem.

I don't think all the 4 drives will be defective and give the same symptom/result.

[Sanjiv Sharma_1]

Hi Micheal,

I also have another setup with Ultrium Tape Library 2/60 and the same medias are working there w/o any difficulty.

I don't think the problem lies with the Drive nor with the medias.

Also all the 4 nos. drives are access from the L3000 Server through 4 different SCSI cards and hence it doesn't look like any H/W problem.

I suspect it has something to do with fbackup and Ultrium Tape Drive 230.

[Sanjiv Sharma_1]

Also I have found that there is a patch:
PHCO_23914 s700_800 11.11 fbackup(1M)/frecover(1M) Ultrium support

But this patch is already installed.