cannot use externaltape device

[Ian Lochray]

I have an external DDS3 tape device on a server which was installed from an Ignite backup of a different server. If I try to use tar to access the device, I get
tar: cannot open /dev/rmt/1m
If I use mt, I get
/dev/rmt/1m: I/O error
lssf shows ..
tape2 card instance 0 SCSI target 2 SCSI LUN 0 at&t best density available at address 56/52.2.0 /dev/rmt/1m
I rebooted and powered the device off and on but no good. I have used rmsf and mksf to recreate the device files but no good either. If I try to use mksf -d stape it says ...
# mksf -d stape -H 56/52.2.0 -v /dev/rmt/1m
mksf: Couldn't find driver matching arguments
but stape is configured in my kernel.
Any ideas?

[Paula J Frazer-Campbell]

Ian

Does an ioscan show the dds at the correct address?

Paula

[Paula J Frazer-Campbell]

Ian

"Ignite backup of different server"


How different?


Paula

[Ian Lochray]

Paula,
ioscan shows the device as I would expect. Interestingly,I used this device to restore the Ignite backup.
The machine I backed up is a D360/2. The machine I restored onto is an E55.

[Paula J Frazer-Campbell]

Ian


If you are 100% sure that the mksf was pointed at the correct path then back to start.

As the tape worked prior to ignite then presume that the device is still OK and the server has got ist knickers in a twist (technical term).

1. Does ioscan -fnC tape show device claimed and the device files?

root@N-0/>ioscan -fnC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 0 1/2/0/0.3.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE QUANTUM DLT8000
/dev/rmt/0m /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BEST
/dev/rmt/0mb /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/0mn /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/0mnb /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTnb



2. Remove the driver from kernel and also rmsf the tape files.
3. Reboot.
4. Put stape driver back in kernel.
5. Reboot
6. I cannot remember if the tape files are created at this point so check. If not then confirm device path and mksf if required.

7. Test with fbackup as well as tar.

HTH

Paula

[Vincent Farrugia]

Hello,

Are you sure you are using the 1m type? Check whether the restore to the E55 got the drive as 0m instead of 1m.

HTH,
Vince

[Ian Lochray]

Hi Paula,
the device is claimed and the device files are present. I know the tape drive is OK because tested it by swapping it between machines.
One point to note is that the tape is using the tape2 driver and not the stape driver.
I am currently following the steps you detailed. I will let you know the results.

[Ian Lochray]

Vincent,
it definitely got 1m.

[Vincent Farrugia]

Hello,

I use tape2 as well and it works fine.

Just to be sure... are you putting a tape cartidge in the drive before attempting tar or mt?

Vince

[Ian Lochray]

Vincent,
I have got a tape in the drive. I have tried reading a tape with something on it and writing to a new tape, both without success.

[Ian Lochray]

Paula,
I followed the steps you described but I am afraid the results is still the same. fbackup reports an I/O error.

[K.Vijayaragavan.]

HI,

Have a look on this link,
http://www.docs.hp.com/cgi-bin/fsearch/framedisplay?top=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90053/B2355-90053_top.html&con=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90053/00/00/68-con.html&toc=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90053/00/00/68-toc.html&searchterms=E%7c55&queryid=20020227-072550
http://www.docs.hp.com/cgi-bin/fsearch/framedisplay?top=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90053/B2355-90053_top.html&con=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90053/00/00/68-con.html&toc=/hpux/onlinedocs/B2355-90053/00/00/68-toc.html&searchterms=E%7c55&queryid=20020227-072550

-Vijay

[K.Vijayaragavan.]

Hi,

Some questions i would like to ask?

1)Let me know whether it is the first time you are connecting the DDS3 to your E55 server or you have been using this along with E55 for quite a long time?

2)Are you able to see the LED(light) blinking on the drive when you try to do backup?

3)What is the status of the LED on the SCSI interface which shows the status of the SCSI Interface (green/orange)?
4)Have tried it in ISL prompt "sea" must show your tape drive as well along with the SCSI disks you have?

-Vijay

[Sanjay_6]

Hi,

Can you post your "ioscan -fn" output.

Regards

[Ian Lochray]

Vijay,
the DDS3 drive has been working on the E55 for a long time. It only stopped working when I re-installed the O/S.
I know that the drive is OK becauseI have just booted from it. SEA found the drive, I put a bootable tape in it and it booted OK.
When I try to back up to the device, I get the error message instantly. When I tried a different device (same model) on the E55 I got exactly the same problem.

[K.Vijayaragavan.]

Hi,

What is command coutput of "#lsdev -C tape" ?

have you tried ,
"mksf -C tape -H 56/52.2.0 -b BEST -a" ?

-K.Vijay

[Ian Lochray]

# lsdev -C tape
Character Block Driver Class
205 -1 stape tape
212 -1 tape0 tape

I tried the mksf command. It created the device file but I still cannot use it.

[Ian Lochray]

The answer was that I needed some O/S patches. I got a long list of them from HP and applied them all and the drive magically started to work. I do not know which one or which combination did the trick but it is working now so I am happy.
Thanks for all the input.