cannot write to dds3 tape

[Danny Ramos_1]

hi guys,

I have an HP K250 running hp-ux, prior to this problem, i have been performing a succesful backup using a backup script, until i encountered an i/o error (error 5 to be exact).

here' the exact error:
"Please mount tape and press Return to continue
> ...Error writing to tape device, Error No. = 5"


I tried to use tar using the dds3 (sony) cartridge which ends up on making the tape drive dirty and issued the same error. I cleaned the tape drive and used an HP dds2 cartridge this time and "tar" worked! When i made use of the backup script that we've been using for a long time, using an HP dds1 and other tape cartridges another i/o error (error 28)was encountered!

What could possibly caused the error? would it be the tape? tape drive? or something went wrong from the backup script? or something else?

any help would be greatly appreciated.

regards,
danny

[Michael Tully · Accepted solution]

Hi,

If your using a DDS3 tape drive you should be using 125 meter tapes. If your attempting to use anything else less than a 120 metre tape problems could occur. Stick to either 120 or 125 meter tapes for this drive unit.

'tar' is not supported above 2Gb as well.

[Danny Ramos_1]

hi michael,

thank you. this could possibly true when i tried to use hp dds1 (90m) cartridge, but how come if im using a sony dds3 cartridge an error has been encountered. would that mean i have to stick on using hp dds2 (120 m) cartridge or an HP dds3 since using such cartridge a test backup using tar could work?

danny

[Hartmut Lang]

Danny,

make a test with a dds3 tape from a different vendor (HP, Fuji, ...). I had problems like you have, but only with tapes from a specific vendor.
Using other tapes the problem was gone.

Let me know if this helps in your case.

Hartmut

[Danny Ramos_1]

guys,

thanks...i guess that would probably be it...since using hp dds2 works..the problem could be on the SONY DDS3 cartridge....

cheers.

[Danny Ramos_1]

one last question guys,

how come i've been using sony dds3 cartridge working for a long time, but now all of a sudden its giving an error....would there be something wrong on my system?

thanks

[Bernhard Mueller]

Danny,

"tape cleaning required" often indicates a bad tape;

if you reused that same sony cartridge and the tape requires cleaning, though you had used a cleaning tape immediately before it is that cartridge that has a problem.

Did you try using a NEW sony cartridge?

Regards
Bernhard

[Danny Ramos_1]

yup, actually new sony cartridge resulted to the same error

[Pete Randall]

This could also be an indication of a hardware problem. Try HP support and see what they think.

Pete