fbackup -using DLT drive (no same type of error from "search")

[Thi Vu]

Hello everyone,

Again I need your help with fbackup using DLT tape. I have an external DLT tape drive that have 2 DLT tapes (DLT8000). When I did fbackup on one of the DLT tape (ie: /dev/rmt/c1t6d0BEST) it works with no problem; however, when I test my fbackup with the other DLT tape /dev/rmt/c0t6d0BEST I got the error message: "Output file /dev/rmt/c0t6d0BEST is not a valid device file for bp". An ioscan -funC show:

Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 3 8/4.6.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE QUANTUM DLT8000
/dev/rmt/3m /dev/rmt/c0t6d0BEST

tape 5 8/8.6.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE QUANTUM DLT8000
/dev/rmt/5m /dev/rmt/c1t6d0BEST

I'd read some of the fbackup problem with DLT tape from the archive and I found that if I use this command: fbackup -f - >/dev/rmt/c0t6d0BEST ... then it is fine, but the consequence of this is lost of advanced recovery and fast search capability. I would appreciate any help. Thank you.
Thi

[Queenie · Accepted solution]

I think your problem might be that this is the first time that this particular tape has been used by fbackup, or that the very last time it was used was to backup using a different backup method (cpio, dd, omniback).
fbackup, checks for a volume header on the tape before backing up, and if it fails to find one, then it writes one. I think this is the message that you are receiving.

Regards

[Philip Chan_1]

Thi Vu,

/dev/rmt/3m and /dev/rmt/c0t6d0BEST are different device files pointing to the same tape drive. For verifying if your tape drive is good try,

fbackup -v -i /tmp -f /dev/rmt/3m

Let us know how the above command goes. If it works then you may want to try re-creating the device files via SAM.

[Thi Vu]

It's strange but I did both command for the device; ie: /dev/rmt/3m and /dev/rmt/c0t6d0BEST today and it's OK - no complain about the not able to read the device file.

Thanks for your response