tape driver probelm

[BAUKnight]

helloz,
i connected external tape driver to my rp3410 server, and when i went to SAM to install it, SAM recommended to install the drivers for SCSI and other types of tapes, so i installed all recommended, then i restarted the server after building the new kernel, and then i can see my tape in the (SAM--> Prephirals --> tape drives ) also when i want to create an interactive backup i can see the tape.
when i issue the command
tar -cvf /dev/rmt/0m file_list
i get an error saying
could not open /dev/rmt/0m
i found the following device files for the tape
/dev/rmt/0m /dev/rmt/0mb /dev/rmt/0mnb /dev/rmt/0mn
i tried them all but sam error appears...
i tried to do backup iusing fbackup from the sam backup area, but i get the error
/dev/rmt/0m is not a valid backup device

the only command that runs correctly was
tar -cvf /dev/rmt/0mt files_list
tar -tvf /dev/rmt/0mt
please note that when i c the device file list for my tape i can not c /dev/rmt/0mt..
any one has an idea about this issue.

thx

[Victor BERRIDGE · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Should I understand you have no internal tape drive?
try for 0mn,1mn etc..
mt -t /dev/rmt/0mn status

And see which one is responding...
just in case do an insf -e


All the best
Victor

[Peter Godron]

Hi,
check whether the tape is visable:
ioscan -fnC tape
It will show the associated device files.
If you then ensure a tape is loaded and, using SAM, generate a backup, selecting one of the device files offered by SAM.

Please update with the results of ioscan and SAM backup.

[Pupil_1]

what was the change you made to the Kernel? Was the 'stape' driver added to the /stand/system?

If the drive is detected, you should be seeing the h/w in the ioscan o/p.

try, insf -e to install the drivers as well if needed

[Prasanth B]

Hi,

If you cannot see /dev/rmt/0mt in your device list, when you issue the command tar -cvf /dev/rmt/0mt files_list, it is actually writting to /dev/rmt directory rather than tape. So instead of creating a tape archive you may be filling up / directory. Do an ls -l /dev/rmt/0m* and you may see a large file 0mt in there.

Please follow the steps below, if you hvae connected a new tape device.

1. ioscan -fn (rescan the hardware)
2. insf -e (create device files for new devices picked up above)
3. ioscan -kfnC tape
from the listing find out the actual device name.
4. mt -t /dev/rmt/XXX rew where XXX is from the output of ioscan
If the above complains that/dev/rmt/XXX does not exist, please check that a tape is inserted properly. you might want to replace the tape and try again.

Otherwise, check the hardware connectivity including the termination

Hope this helps
Prasanth

[Sp4admin]

Hi,

Run ioscan -fnC tape and see if the device shows up. Then run "insf -e" to install specail files. if that still doesn't work. yuo created a link.

#ioscan -fmC tape
#insf -e
# ln /dev/rmt/0mn /dev/rmt/0m

sp,

[uadm26]

BAUKnight,
Prasanth B it's right, the you writing to a file and not to a tape when you use
tar -cvf /dev/rmt/0mt files_list

The command mt it's use to check too if the recognise a tape in the drive and the drive.
Use ioscan to list the tape device

ioscan -fnC tape

Good Luck,
Joel

[BAUKnight]

dear all,
thx for all your replies, now my tape is running correctly, i issued the command
insf -e
and
mt -t /dev/rmt/0m

then my tar runs Ok to /dev/rmt/0m

thx again, point assigned