HP-UX rp5470 tape connection

[Mark McCurdy]

I'm using "mt -f /dev/rmt/4mn rew" in attempt to rewind the DLT IV tape, but receive "/dev/rmt/4mn: No such device or address". This is odd, because this is used on our TRU 64 machines. And, this is almost exactly verbatim the man page example. I also do a cold backup of the machine using the fbackup command with /dev/rmt/4mn and it works without an issue. I even read the tape after the fbackup was complete. Ideas please?

[Pete Randall]

Mark,

I have to wonder: /dev/rmt/4mn is the "no rewind" device (indicated by the trailing "n") - try the "rewind" device /dev/rmt/4m.


Pete

[Jeff Schussele]

Hi Mark,

First thing I'd do is verify the device - do:

ioscan -fnC tape

and make sure that /dev/rmt/4m IS the device.

Rgds,
Jeff

[Pete Randall]

Actually, a review of the man page shows that "only raw, no-rewind Berkeley-type devices should be specified" (/dev/rmt/4mnb in this case), but I know I've used non-Berkely device files before. What does "ioscan -kfnCtape" tell you about the device files for this tape?


Pete

[Mark McCurdy]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I attempted all of the possible tape devices listed in the ioscan:
4m, 4mb, 4mn, 4mnb
All with the same result. However, I didn't try the corresponding c9t3d0BEST, c9t3d0BESTb, c9t3d0BESTn, c9t3d0BESTnb respectively.

[Bill Hassell]

Start by decoding the 4mn devicefile with the lssf command. It will tell you exactly what the driver knows about the device. Then run ioscan to look at the attached tape devices:

ioscan -fnC tape

If the tape does not show up, it is no longer responding to even simple queries. If it is there, it may be in some unique offline state. Look also at the associated device files. ioscan associates working hardware with the correct device files.

[Mark McCurdy]

I performed the "lssf" command and received the following "stape card instance 9 SCSI target 3 SCSI LUN 0 at&t no rewind best density available at address 0/5/0/1.3.0 /dev/rmt/4mn". I went through all of the possibilities (4m,4mb,4mnb, c9t3d0BEST, c9t3d0BESTb, c9t3d0BESTn, c9t3d0BESTnb) with expected results except for 4mb & 4mnb were for berkeley. These all showed in the ioscan as well. Any other ideas?

[Pete Randall]

What does the S/W State show as in your ioscan? Claimed? No H/W?


Pete

[Mark McCurdy]

Claimed

[Borislav Perkov]

Hi,

It looks like mechanical problem on the tape device. If you have many DLT tape devices replace this one with another which works properly, !!!(ofcourse switch off the power on the devices before the change and switch on after)!!!, and try to see where this command works. You not need to reboot the machine.
I have such problem two months ago.

Regards,
Borislav

[Mark McCurdy]

Thanks, I'll investigate the hardware.

[Sanjay_6]

Hi Mark,

I guess you have the media in the drive and the drive is set to online and not offline.

you can also try the obsolte option. mt -t.

Hope this helps.

Regds

[Bill Hassell]

To amplify Sanjay's answer a bit, use the mt command's status option as in:

mt -f /dev/rmt/4m status

If it fails, then the hardware is simply not responding to simple commands.

[Mark McCurdy]

I finally have it now working. Thanks for everyone's help.