fbackup - WRITE ERROR while writing data record

[mike_s_brentlinger]

So last night I changed a scsi cable on a tape drive to move it to a better position in our server room

I have a new rx4640, running HP-UX B.11.23 and a HP Ultrium 2-SCSI drive that have both been working fine.

Leving the system running, I powered off the tape drive, unplugged the cable, moved the drive, plugged in the new cable, and powerd the drive back up.

mt commands all seemed fine, i can use sam to interactively extract tape contents off old tapes with out troubles.

I did notice quite soon (minutes after the cable swap) i got some alerts via email. (follows) but wrote them off as no big deal after reading the "Probable Cause / Recommended Action:"

>------------ Event Monitoring Service Event Notification ------------<
Notification Time: Tue Mar 7 14:26:39 2006
hpux2 sent Event Monitor notification information:
/storage/events/disks/default/0_1_1_0.0.0 is >= 3.
Its current value is MAJORWARNING(3).
Event data from monitor:
Event Time..........: Tue Mar 7 14:26:39 2006
Severity............: MAJORWARNING
Monitor.............: disk_em
Event #.............: 100091
System..............: hpux2
Summary:
Disk at hardware path 0/1/1/0.0.0 : Software configuration error
Description of Error:
The device is in a condition where it requires action on the part of the
device driver or a human operator.
Probable Cause / Recommended Action:
The device has been reset by a Bus Device Reset message, a hard reset
condition, or a power-on reset.
If this is the case, no action is necessary.
Alternatively, a removable medium has been loaded or replaced.
If this is the case, no action is necessary.
Alternatively, the mode parameters, microcode, or inquiry data for the
device have been changed.
If this is the case, no action is necessary.
Alternatively, the installed version of the device driver does not match
that of the installed version of HP-UX. Install the correct version of the
driver.


so whats my problem? last nights and any susbsequent backups i try with fbackup fail.


root@hpux2:$cat /var/sam/log/br_log
Full backup started on hpux2 : Tue Mar 7 03:00:01 EST 2006 (Scheduled Backup)
{ fbackup -0 -u -g /var/sam/graphPCAa13673 -I /var/sam/log/br_index.full -c /etc/sam/br/fbackup_config -d /var/adm/fbackupfiles/dates -f /dev/rmt/0m } 2>&1
Full backup completed with warnings on hpux2 : Tue Mar 7 03:41:48 EST 2006 .
Exit code = 4

Full backup started on hpux2 : Wed Mar 8 03:00:01 EST 2006 (Scheduled Backup)
{ fbackup -0 -u -g /var/sam/graphPCAa13673 -I /var/sam/log/br_index.full -c /etc/sam/br/fbackup_config -d /var/adm/fbackupfiles/dates -f /dev/rmt/0m } 2>&1
Full backup failed on hpux2 : Wed Mar 8 03:00:38 EST 2006 .
Exit code = 2

i tried an interactive backup of /home and that failed too, even on another tape it failed
37: /home/oracle/exportdb.par 1
38: /home/oracle/exportdb.sh 1
39: /home/oracle/importdb.par 1
40: /home/oracle/importdb.sh 1
41: /home/oracle/importtbls.par 1
42: /home/oracle/importtbls.sh 1
fbackup(3013): WRITE ERROR while writing data record, at media record 8
fbackup(3102): attempting to make this volume salvagable
fbackup(3105): writing 2 EOFs and rewinding the tape
fbackup(3106): please mount a good tape
fbackup(3310): enter '^[yY]' when volume 1 is ready on /dev/rmt/0m,
or '^[nN]' to discontinue:
y
fbackup(3202): this is volume 1 OF THIS SESSION!
rejecting this volume
fbackup(3019): would you like to enter a new output file?
n
fbackup(3022): would you like to continue this session?
n
fbackup(3004): writer aborting
fbackup(1002): Backup did not complete : Reader or Writer process exit

Press to continue sam...

though it seems i can get a list of files from tape and that works fine

Im tempted to think my new longer cable is bad or too long, but i think its well within spec.

the new cable is 33 feet long, the old one was ~ 8 feet long and from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCSI it seems i could have gone up to 40 feet (12 meters) if i had wanted.

long story short is, im tempted to go back to my old cable since its all that changed, but im second guessing myself as to if i followed the right process for moving the drive and curious if perhaps something i did was to blame or if it really is indeed just the cable.

could someone advise if any of this makes sense?

heres my ioscan and mt output if that helps.

root@hpux2:$ ioscan -knfC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 0 0/1/1/1.3.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP Ultrium 2-SCSI
/dev/rmt/0m /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BEST
/dev/rmt/0mb /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/0mn /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/0mnb /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTnb

root@hpux2:$ mt -f /dev/rmt/0mn status
Drive: HP Ultrium 2-SCSI
Format:
Status: [41114200] BOT online compression immediate-report-mode
File: 0
Block: 0
root@hpux2:$

[Peter Godron · Accepted solution]

Mike,
I would say it is the cable, as this is the only thing you have changed.
But its worth a shot to clean the tapedrive and try with a new tape.
Try the old cable/location and if it starts working, you know for certain.

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

This may be a cable.

0/1/1/0.0.0

It may also be a SCSI device at position zero that is being mis-detected as a disk. if so, no action is required.

You may need to insf -f

or insf -C disk

Or perhaps ioinit and rebuild the i/o table of the system.

First, make sure the cable and scsi id of the ultrium drive is consistent.

SEP

[Kent Ostby]

Assuming that this is the same tape device and same bus that it was previously attached to then I'd check the cable.

If its a different bus, then I'd double check to make sure it didn't have the same address as another device on that bus.

If its a newer or different physical drive, then I'd recommend checking your "stape" patch level.

[mike_s_brentlinger]

Thanks all for your insights.

I powered off the drive, switched back to the old cable powered it back on and now I cant even access the drive.

here is ioscan with it powered off and with it on.. but as you can see even though its claimed when on, i cant mt -f /dev/rmt/0mn status it


root@hpux2:$ioscan -fnC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 0 0/1/1/1.3.0 stape NO_HW DEVICE HP Ultrium 2-SCSI
/dev/rmt/0m /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BEST
/dev/rmt/0mb /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/0mn /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/0mnb /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTnb
root@hpux2:$ioscan -fnC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 0 0/1/1/1.3.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP Ultrium 2-SCSI
/dev/rmt/0m /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BEST
/dev/rmt/0mb /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/0mn /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/0mnb /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTnb
root@hpux2:$mt -f /dev/rmt/0mn status
on tape open: No such device or address
root@hpux2:$


has my stape kernel module just lost its mind? everything else is the same, same drive, same device id, same scsi channel, etc, etc

[mike_s_brentlinger]

sorry for the delay in closing this out and assigning points... the solution: 2 words; "bent pin"

thanks for all those who replied and offered insights.