ioinit: Instance number 0 already exists for class tape

[Fedon Kadifeli]

Hi,

A new machine came preinstalled from HP (HP-UX 11.31). However the only DAT tape (D7438A) has device name like /dev/rmt/2m (this is because its instance number is 2 in ioscan).

I wanted to change the instance number to 0 (the default tape drive for most commands is /dev/rmt/0m).

The
ioscan -kf | grep -e INTERFACE -e DEVICE | grep -v target | awk '{printf "%s %s %s\n",$3,$1,$2}'
command output is as follows:

0/0/1/0 OO 0
0/0/1/1 OO 1
0/0/1/2 OO 2
0/0/2/0 sideba 0
0/0/2/0.0 ext_bus 0
0/0/2/0.0.0.0 disk 2
0/0/2/0.1 ext_bus 1
0/1/1/0 ext_bus 2
0/1/1/0.0.0 disk 1
0/1/1/0.1.0 disk 0
0/1/1/1 ext_bus 3
0/1/1/1.3.0 tape 2
0/1/2/0 lan 0
0/4/1/0 fc 0
0/7/1/0 tty 0
0/7/1/1 tty 1
16 ipmi 0

I changed the 2 at the end of line containing "tape" to 0 and did:

# mv /etc/ioconfig /etc/ioconfig.save
# mv /stand/ioconfig /stand/ioconfig.save
# shutdown -ry 0

Booted in single user mode and did:

# /sbin/ioinit -c
... and CTRL-D to continue boot process.
# init s
# ioinit -f /infile -r

At this point ioinit says that the instance number 0 already exists for class tape. However, this tape drive is the only and single tape drive in the system.

How can I make the change I want? Am I missing something? I did this type of thing several times on other 11.x systems; but this is my first 11.31 system.

Thank you.

[Pete Randall]

Have a look at the attached doc composed after I struggled with a similar situation several years ago.


Pete

[Fedon Kadifeli]

Thank you Pete for the suggestions. Unfortunately I wasn't able to create the necessary device file with the same minor number.

#/sbin/mksf -d stape -I 2 -a -b BEST rmt/0m

#ll /dev/rmt
total 0
crw-rw-rw- 1 bin bin 205 0x033020 Sep 13 15:23 0m
crw-rw-rw- 2 bin bin 205 0x033000 Jul 23 23:08 2m
crw-rw-rw- 2 bin bin 205 0x033080 Jul 23 22:55 2mb
crw-rw-rw- 2 bin bin 205 0x033040 Jul 23 23:32 2mn
crw-rw-rw- 2 bin bin 205 0x0330c0 Jul 23 22:55 2mnb
crw-rw-rw- 2 bin bin 205 0x033000 Jul 23 23:08 c3t3d0BEST
crw-rw-rw- 2 bin bin 205 0x033080 Jul 23 22:55 c3t3d0BESTb
crw-rw-rw- 2 bin bin 205 0x033040 Jul 23 23:32 c3t3d0BESTn
crw-rw-rw- 2 bin bin 205 0x0330c0 Jul 23 22:55 c3t3d0BESTnb

#ioscan -fnkC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 2 0/1/1/1.3.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP C7438A
/dev/rmt/0m /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BEST
/dev/rmt/2m /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/2mb /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/2mn /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTnb
/dev/rmt/2mnb


But, I would prefer the instance number change method.

Anyway; the original device (2m) also does not work:

#tar -cf /dev/rmt/2m /tmp
tar: cannot open /dev/rmt/2m

[Tim Nelson]

What if you remove the tape device, rmsf any tape related device files, reboot the server to clean things up and then reconnect the tape and do an ioscan ?

Just a shot in the dark.

[Fedon Kadifeli]

Tim,

I did what you suggested. Removed power from the tape drive; rmsf'ed all devices:

# rmsf /dev/rmt/2m* /dev/rmt/c3*

Rebooted the system and checked that no tape device is show in ioscan.

After that, I powered on the tape drive and did ioscan and insf; but the SAME device names reappeared.

Can this be related to the "agile view" thing which is new in HP-UX 11.31?

The current state is as follows:

# ioscan -fnC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
=====================================================================
tape 2 0/1/1/1.3.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP C7438A
/dev/rmt/2m /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BEST
/dev/rmt/2mb /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTb
/dev/rmt/2mn /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/2mnb /dev/rmt/c3t3d0BESTnb


# ioscan -fNnC tape
Class I H/W Path Driver S/W State H/W Type Description
===================================================================
tape 3 64000/0xfa00/0x7 estape CLAIMED DEVICE HP C7438A
/dev/rtape/tape3_BEST /dev/rtape/tape3_BESTn
/dev/rtape/tape3_BESTb /dev/rtape/tape3_BESTnb


I want the tape device to be the default /dev/rmt/0m.

[Fedon Kadifeli]

A correction to my previous to previous post. The device /dev/rmt/2m DOES work.

In the meantime, I opened a case to HP (requesting the instance number change 2 -> 0).