output file /dev/rmt/0m is not a valid device file for backup

[Tracey]

I have 3 tape drives hooked to my N4000 11.0 system. All three tapes drives say not a valid device. I've tried many tapes in all three drives. All hardware is CLAIMED, all cables are firmly in place. Attached are some outputs of commands that I found requested in my search of the forums for this type of problem:

Output: ioscan -fnC tape:
tape 0 0/0/1/0.5.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE HP C1537A
/dev/rmt/0m /dev/rmt/0mnb /dev/rmt/c0t5d0BESTn /dev/rmt/c0t5d0DDSb
/dev/rmt/0mb /dev/rmt/c0t5d0BEST /dev/rmt/c0t5d0BESTnb /dev/rmt/c0t5d0DDSn
/dev/rmt/0mn /dev/rmt/c0t5d0BESTb /dev/rmt/c0t5d0DDS /dev/rmt/c0t5d0DDSnb
tape 1 1/4/0/0.3.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE QUANTUM DLT8000
/dev/rmt/1m /dev/rmt/1mn /dev/rmt/c8t3d0BEST /dev/rmt/c8t3d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/1mb /dev/rmt/1mnb /dev/rmt/c8t3d0BESTb /dev/rmt/c8t3d0BESTnb
tape 2 1/12/0/0.4.0 stape CLAIMED DEVICE QUANTUM DLT8000
/dev/rmt/2m /dev/rmt/2mn /dev/rmt/c9t4d0BEST /dev/rmt/c9t4d0BESTn
/dev/rmt/2mb /dev/rmt/2mnb /dev/rmt/c9t4d0BESTb /dev/rmt/c9t4d0BESTnb

ls -l /dev/rmt/0m:

crw-rw-rw- 2 bin bin 205 0x005000 Jun 14 2001 /dev/rmt/0m

Output of mt -t /dev/rmt/0m rew:

/dev/rmt/0m: No such device or address

[Uday_S_Ankolekar]

What is the result mt -t /dev/rmt/1mn stat ( The tape should be present in tape drive to get results from this command)

I don't see /dev/rmt/0mn in your output.
-USA..

[Steven E. Protter]

Sounds like the device driver got messed up.

LEts try a few checks.

ioscan -fnC tape

insf -e

Try again.

Check the cabling power and such.

SEP

[Pete Randall]

Out of curiosity, have you tried /dev/rmt/c0t5d0BEST, rather than /dev/rmt/0m?


Pete

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Under the WARNINGS section of the mt man page you are cautioned to only use the Berkeley style, no-rewind devices and you ain't.

Also the -t option is consided obsolescent and should be replaced with -f.

Try this:
mt -f /dev/rmt/0mnb status
or
mt -f /dev/rmt/0mnb rew

[Bernhard Mueller]

Hi,

I wonder about the device file, thought if it was SCSI target 5 it should be 0x050000 not 0x005000.

try
rmsf /dev/rmt/0m
rmsf /dev/rmt/0mn
insf -e -H 0/0/1/0.5

Regards
Bernhard

[Tracey]

/dev/rmt/0mn is on the 4th line of the output above. I tried the insf -e and tried again, still nada. Cable powering and such appear to be AOK. The three tape drives in question 1 and 2 are in an external overland autochanger, tape drive 0 is the internal.

I tried /dev/rmt/c0t5d0BEST, I get the same error message.

When I try: mt -f /dev/rmt/0mnb status
I receive:

Drive: HP C1537A
Format:
Status: [0]
File: 0
Block: 0

[Tracey]

Bernhard,

I have just tried your suggestion, it is still giving me the same messages.

Thanks, Tracey

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Your mt status result looks normal for a DDS3 drive without a medium inserted. You will also get "No such device or address" errors with the mt command if no medium is in the drive.

[Tracey]

Ahh the crux of the matter is that there IS a tape in there. I've tried 2 tapes that have been used before and 1 brand new just-out-of-the-package tape.

[Steven E. Protter]

Is it possible the device is broken and doesn't recognize there is a tape in there?

SEP

[Tracey]

That is altogether possible, but seems unlikely that all 3 drives have stopped working at the same date. I have noticed that when I recereated the device files, they did not have today's date, they all have various date in 2001.

[Pete Randall]

Tracey,

Have you tried the /dev/rmt/c0t5d0BEST device file? When you recreated the device files, did you rmsf them first?

I would suggest using rmsf -H to remove the device files for one of the drives, then check that they're gone, use insf -e to recreate them, then check that they are there.


Pete

[Tracey]

Pete,

Yep, I've tried that device. I also checked to make sure the files were actually removed before recreating them. I've just been on the phone with HP support and the tech seemed concerned that my /dev/rmt/stape_config is dated Jun 14 2001 (same date as most of the recreated device files have)

I will be installing patch PHKL_29247 tonight per his request.

[Pete Randall]

Tracey,

Interesting!

It sounds like these were previously working and suddenly stopped. Any changes to the system that might account for such a thing? Patches? Configuration changes? A rare reboot?


Pete

[Tracey]

Yep, all three tape drives have been up and running (successfully) for quite some time. I would (should) be the only one patching or making configuration changes to this system. Also the system was rebooted a month or so before this problem started occuring and has been rebooted since the problem started. I had thought the original reboot solved the issue, but I was told this morning by the tech that the backups have still not been successfull for the last 8 days. (another story!) So the tape drives were working for about 3 weeks after the reboot of a month ago.

[Pete Randall]

Tracey,

I'll check back tomorrow and see how you made out with the patch.

Good luck!


Pete

[Pete Randall]

Tracey,

Any news?


Pete