DLT- tape drive

[Shaamil]

Hi all
I have a dlt tape drive conected to me NT SERVER, but when I try & do a backup to the drive from any tape, it says the tape is write protected. I can read from the tape drive, no problem there. Reads pretty fast too.

I am running Omniback Data Protector 5 on a Unix server.

The NT server, where the drive is attached is a client. I have installed the media agent.
Also whe I setup the config of the drive under Omniback, the tape drive has a name there.
The ADDRESS is Tape0:0:5:0.
The NAME is BNCHMARK:DLT1 &
The DESCRIPTION for the drive is CALIMED:dlt : benchmark DLT1 drive.
Thanks in advance

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi,
The first you could try with is to unload the tape driver, OmniBack don't need it. After unloading the adress should be:
scsi0:0:5:0

[Shaamil]

Hi
I unloaded the driver but the adress is still
Tape0:0:5:0
Also My format still says write protected for any tape I try to use.

[Eugeny Brychkov · Accepted solution]

Shaamil,
as I remember if DLT1 drive sees that DLT IV tape was previously used in DLT 4/7/8000 drives it can read tape, but claims it as write protected.
Thus please try new just bought and unpacked tape
Eugeny

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi,
After unloading the tape driver you must recreate the logical device in OmniBack.

Eugeny is correct about DLT medias. If the media has been used in a DLT4000/7000/8000 drive it must be degaussed before used in a DLT1/vs80. The drive head tecnology is different.

[Vincent Farrugia]

Hello,

If you have a DLT1 drive, and the tape cartridge was written by a DLT4000 drive, then THE DLT1 CAN READ, BUT NOT WRITE, onto the cartrdige. It is NOT COMPATIBLE with DLT7000 or DLT8000 format. If a tape was written by these latter drives, the tape should be degaussed before being used in a DLT1 drive. But, it is BACKWARD-READ-COMPATIBLE to the DLT4000!!!

HTH,
Vince

[Shaamil]

Hi
Thanks for the input..
What do U mean by degause the tape.

Is there something I can do, which will allow me to write to the tape, other than buying new tapes.

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi,
Degaussing or bulk erasing means that the tape is erased in one moment by applying a very strong magnetic field. This needs special equipment, I have never used it myself but I think it is rather expensive and unless you have a large number of used medias it is better to buy new medias.