Compaq SDT-9000

[Miguel Ángel Cruz]

Hello !!

I have a very extrange problem with SDT-9000 tape drive and Linux 2.4.[19|25].

I can't backup more than 4 Gbytes. It alwais fail with this dmesg:

st0: Error with sense data: Info fld=0x1, Current st09:00: sense key Medium Error
Additional sense indicates Cartridge fault
st0: Error with sense data: Info fld=0x1, Current st09:00: sense key Medium Error
Additional sense indicates Cartridge fault
st0: Error on write filemark.

I have change tapes, cable, terminator and SCSI host controller. The unit works fine on Windows NT 4.0.

I have done a lot of tests with different block sizes, compression and more, too :-(

My configuration:

/proc/scsi/aic7xxx/0
- - - - - - - - - - -
Adaptec AIC7xxx driver version: 6.2.36
Adaptec 2940A Ultra SCSI adapter
aic7860: Ultra Single Channel A, SCSI Id=7, 3/253 SCBs
Allocated SCBs: 5, SG List Length: 102

Serial EEPROM:
0x02d8 0x02d8 0x02d8 0x02d8 0x02d8 0x02d8 0x02d8 0x02d8
0x02f8 0x02f8 0x02f8 0x02f8 0x02f8 0x02f8 0x02f8 0x02f8
0x18a6 0x0057 0x2807 0x0008 0xffff 0xffff 0xffff 0xffff
0xffff 0xffff 0xffff 0xffff 0xffff 0xffff 0xffff 0x6f81

Target 0 Negotiation Settings
User: 20.000MB/s transfers (20.000MHz, offset 127)
Target 1 Negotiation Settings
User: 20.000MB/s transfers (20.000MHz, offset 127)
Target 2 Negotiation Settings
User: 20.000MB/s transfers (20.000MHz, offset 127)
Target 3 Negotiation Settings
User: 20.000MB/s transfers (20.000MHz, offset 127)
Target 4 Negotiation Settings
User: 20.000MB/s transfers (20.000MHz, offset 127)
Target 5 Negotiation Settings
User: 20.000MB/s transfers (20.000MHz, offset 127)
Target 6 Negotiation Settings
User: 20.000MB/s transfers (20.000MHz, offset 127)
Goal: 10.000MB/s transfers (10.000MHz, offset 15)
Curr: 10.000MB/s transfers (10.000MHz, offset 15)
Channel A Target 6 Lun 0 Settings
Commands Queued 11
Commands Active 0
Command Openings 1
Max Tagged Openings 0
Device Queue Frozen Count 0
Target 7 Negotiation Settings
User: 20.000MB/s transfers (20.000MHz, offset 127)


/proc/scsi/scsi
- - - - - - - -
Attached devices:
Host: scsi0 Channel: 00 Id: 06 Lun: 00
Vendor: COMPAQ Model: SDT-9000 Rev: 4.20
Type: Sequential-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 02


Please, could you help me?

Thank you very much.

Saludos,
Miguel.

[Martin P.J. Zinser]

Hello Miguel,

How do you write to the tape? An exact command would be nice. Also if tar is involved, please post the output of tar --version.

Greetings, Martin

[Steven E. Protter]

Use a stable Linux kernel.

Those end in even numbers.

up2date will help you pick for Red Hat.

This is a common issue with odd numberd kernels. Try the latest, highest stable 2.4.x you can.

SEP

[Stuart Browne]

Steven,

The tail end number of a kernel is not what indicates whether it's table or development. It's the center digit.

2.0, 2.4, 2.6 series are listed as 'stable', where as the 2.1, 2.3 and 2.5 series are 'development'.

The tail digit is just a build number.