deleting device file from /dev/rmt

[Danny Pogi]

hi guys,

i have replaced a defective tape drive...prior to replacement the device file associated with the old tape drive are /dev/rmt/0m etc....upon installation of the new tape drive "ioscan" reflects a device file to be "/dev/rmt/1m ...etc.."

i examined /dev/rmt and found out that the old device files are still there.

Is this normal? and is it advisable to manually remove this old device files?

thanks,

danny

[Michael Tully]

Hi Danny,

This can happen in a couple of ways.

If the drive is replaced into the same hardware address and has a different SCSI ID.
The drive is placed into a different hardware address, it will pick the next available device name.

There is no problem removing the old device name. These can be re-created quite easily.

HTH
Michael

[Bill Hassell · Accepted solution]

Device files are created automatically based on the address of the drive. If the new tape drive is the same model, then set the SCSI address to the same value and the old /dev/rmt/0m files will work fine. This means that backup programs won't have to be changed to use the new device files.

Now you can remove the device files but rm is not the correct command. Use rmsf and use the -H option to specify the exact hardware path.

[Jean-Louis Phelix]

hi,

For your information, the number after the mt is by default rather the instance number. Check it using :

ioscan -kfnCtape

or see man insf (mt section). For example :

Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=======================================================================
tape 6 8/16/5.4.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP C1537A
/dev/rmt/6m /dev/rmt/c2t4d0BEST
/dev/rmt/6mb /dev/rmt/c2t4d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/6mn /dev/rmt/c2t4d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/6mnb /dev/rmt/c2t4d0BESTnb
/dev/rmt/6nc /dev/rmt/c2t4d0DDS1
tape 2 8/20/5/1.2.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP HP35480A
/dev/rmt/2m /dev/rmt/c5t2d0BEST
/dev/rmt/2mb /dev/rmt/c5t2d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/2mn /dev/rmt/c5t2d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/2mnb /dev/rmt/c5t2d0BESTnb
/dev/rmt/2msav
tape 3 8/20/5/1.3.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP HP35480A
/dev/rmt/3bsav /dev/rmt/c5t3d0BEST
/dev/rmt/3m /dev/rmt/c5t3d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/3mb /dev/rmt/c5t3d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/3mn /dev/rmt/c5t3d0BESTnb

Regards.