DLT backup problem

[M.sureshkumar]

Hi Guys,
I am using quantum DLT4000 series tape drive.
Daily i am taking backup through cron job at midnight time,actually the problem is after loaded tape, "tape in use" LED is glowing i.e (tape correctly loaded )and cron job time the tape goes to "operation handle" i.e "operation handle" LED is ON.So daily backup failed,that time i am taking manual backup.I don't know whether it is tape drive problem or any other problem.
Please give me some solutions.

Thanks,
Suresh.

[Naveej.K.A]

Hi Suresh,

First to do things when your tape drive start giving troubles.

** Clean your tape drive with a cleaning catridge.
** Try using a new Catridge. Old / worn out catridges could also give trouble.

With best wishes
Naveej

[Michael Tully]

Did this problem just start? or is this is a new script implementation? It seems to me is that the drive is off-line ...

[M.sureshkumar]

Hi Naveej,

In manual backup time,there is no starting problem.Only problem in automat backup.

Actually i used new tape only.

Thanks,
Suresh

[Naveej.K.A]

Hi suresh,

As michael mentioned, does the backup used to work automatically before??

how do you take manual backup? run the script what is run by the cron??

regds
Naveej

[Bharat Katkar]

Suresh,
I think in your script you must use following command to make it online before going in for backup.

#mt -f online

Hope this helps.

[M.sureshkumar]

Hi Naveej/Bharat,

I am using simple script i.e

Script:
#/!/bin/sh
cd /tes/tes1
tar -cvf /dev/rmt/1m .


In manual backup time, i used the above script.

[Michael Tully]

Are you sure no other backup job uses the tape drive before your job runs?

Have you checked to see what is the contents of the tape regardless of the failure?

[Bharat Katkar]

Suresh,
Try doing this

Script:
#/!/bin/sh
cd /tes/tes1
mt -f online
tar -cvf /dev/rmt/1m
mt -f offline

Remember you execute this script as ROOT.
After backup is over try ejecting the TApe manually.
This should work.

[M.sureshkumar]

Hi,

I entered both offline and on line mt -f command,the below error showing,

Error:
# mt -f /dev/rmt/0m online
mt: unknown command "-f"
# mt -f /dev/rmt/0m offline
mt: unknown command "-f"

[Bharat Katkar]

Try this:
#/!/bin/sh
cd /tes/tes1
/usr/bin/mt -f /dev/rmt/1m online
tar -cvf /dev/rmt/1m
/usr/bin/mt -f /dev/rmt/1m offline

This should work. If not check PATH and see /usr/bin directory for "mt" command if it exists there.

Regards

[Naveej.K.A]

hi suresh,

what does mt -f /dev/rmt/1m status give before the tar command????

with best wishes
Naveej

[M.sureshkumar]

Hi Naveej,

In before tar command,the same error.

[M.sureshkumar]

Hi Bharat,

mt -f option is not working but mt -t option is working fine.In mt -t option offline command is working fine but online command is not working ,i am giving online error,

Error:

# /usr/bin/mt -t /dev/rmt/0m online
mt: unknown command "online"
This error for both mt -t and mt -f option.

thanks,

[Naveej.K.A]

Hi suresh,

Think you are using 11.0 or 10.2 or an older version than that.
what error exactly is mt status giving?? Are you still able to take backup manually?? Or only in the scheduled window??

If yes, there could be some issues with the drive itself. Try swapping with a working drive and check.

with best wishes
Naveej

[M.sureshkumar]

hi Naveej,

Yes i am using hp-10.20 o.s,Actually in mt -t option online command is not working but offline command is working fine.

Error:

# /usr/bin/mt -t /dev/rmt/0m online
mt: unknown command "online"
#

This error for both mt -t and mt -f options.

[Naveej.K.A]

hi suresh,

have a look at the man page for mt and you will find that you don't have any option for making it online....

regds
Naveej

[M.sureshkumar]

hi Naveej,

yes i already saw the man for mt.

Anyother command is available for online to tape.

thanks,

[Bharat Katkar]

Suresh,
Sorry, actually there is no Online Option with mt command. You are right. But the thing is when you insert the tape in drive it automatically becomes ONLINE. Now after you finish your backup, then to eject the DLT you need to make it offline.
# mt -t offl

Then if you want to see the current status of the tape then you can give:
# mt -t status

But overall i doubt whether your drive has gone bad. Do you see any LED indications on the drive?
Regards

[Alex Tsekhansky]

I also have seen simila weird behavior if the DLT-4 tape was used for a backup on the device that has 35/70Gb or 40/80Gb capacity, and then you try to put it into a 20/40Gb drive.
In some 20/40 DLT device models that causes a cleaning light to go "on". In others I did not see any indication that anything is wrong until you try to do a real backup.
The solution for me in such case was to run a tape through a diagnostic (anything that would "force" a write to the tape (on some drives simply doing "tar" of a small file two times in a row to the tape is sufficient). Then the tape becomes "reformatted" to the 20/40 capacity (it does not really format the tape - just writes new headers on it).