Intermitent fbackup problem with C1533A tape drive

[Debbie Fleith]

My automated fbackup scripts have been failing lately with the errors listed below. I have since cleaned the drive (several times) and have tried new 120 meter, 8GB DAT tapes. The strange thing is, I can backup sucessfully every time I run the backup script manually. It's only the automated cron job backup which fails. Is that a co-incidence, or do I have a failing tape drive?
============================================
fbackup(1004): session begins on Thu Feb 15 02:10:13 2001
fbackup(3205): unable to read a volume header
fbackup(3047): could not open output file /dev/rmt/dds2
fbackup(3019): would you like to enter a new output file?
fbackup(3004): writer aborting
fbackup(1002): Backup did not complete : Reader or Writer process exit
frecover(5403): Unable to open or identify device at /dev/rmt/dds2
frecover(5432): Media rewind failed
frecover(5402): failed close on device /dev/rmt/dds2
frecover(5404): Press return when the next volume is ready on /dev/rmt/dds2:
frecover(5403): Unable to open or identify device at /dev/rmt/dds2
==============================================

[Dan Hetzel]

Hi Debbie,

Let's start with the obvious:

What is the USERID of your cron job ?
Is is the same as the one you use when starting your script manually ?

What are the permissions of your /dev/rmt/dds2 device file? Is it well a device file ?

Best regards,

Dan

[Jason VanDerMark]

Hmmm, run ioscan -funC tape and see if the tape drive shows up as NO/HW when the script attempts to run. You said that when the script is run line for line from the command line it works fine though right? Could you post the script for viewing? Curiouser and curiouser.

Regards,
Jason V.

[James R. Ferguson]

Debbie:

Unless you have made provisions in your cron backup to provide "yes" responses to fbackup's requests for operator input, as you report, then the backup is destined to fail. There is a 'chgvol' mechanism with 'fbackup'. Take a look at the man pages and document #KBRC00001392.

...JRF...

[Debbie Fleith]

The cron job is a root cron job. I am logged in with root when I run the exact same script manually.

The dds2 device is one I linked from the /dev/rmt/c1t0d0DDS2C device (ls -il output below for both). It has been working fine for about a year.
=============================================
1472 crw-rw-rw- 1 bin bin 205 0x010004 Feb 16 08:18 c1t0d0DDS2
1474 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root sys 11 Mar 1 2000 dds2 -> c1t0d0DDS2C
=============================================

[Debbie Fleith]

Here's the fbackup part of the script. The other commands in the script shut down our database servers, etc.
===================================
/etc/fbackup -0 -g /usr/adm/fbackupfiles/graph.user -I /usr/adm/fbackupfiles/ind
ex -u -f /dev/rmt/dds2 -v
/etc/frecover -V /tmp/tapeheader -f /dev/rmt/dds2
===================================

[Ray Evans]

JAmes,

I can't find the document (document #KBRC00001392) you referenced. Searched the ITRC with no luck.

Got a link?

[Jimmy Rogers]

OK, when you say you tried a new tape, is it rated DDS3 or higher? An old drive cannot use a tape with a higher DDS rating.

I don't know if you changed the SCSI connections recently, but I had problems when I confused an F/W SCSI terminator when I should have been using a SCSI Ultra Wide Single Ended terminator. They look identical, can only tell the difference by the product number.

Good Luck!
J.R.