DLTVS and SDLT

[Lisa Jones_1]

We have a remote office that performs backups using NTBackup to a DLTVS80 drive. According to all the documentation I have found, these tapes are readable in a SDLT drive. At our location we have a Compaq 110/220GB SDLT drive (192106-B21) but it does not recognize the tape format. I have upgraded the firmware to v75, but still no luck. I found a document that states that it is supported by the SDLT with the part number 192106-B25, but it does not include the B21. The only difference is the color of the drive as far as I can tell. Has anyone run into this problem before or know of any solutions?

[Tad Nall]

What i have seen is the 110/220 drives will only work with DLTIV and up tapes. Hope this helps

[Scott McIntosh_2]

http://www.quantum.com/am/service_support/compatibility/dlttape_media_compatibility_matrix.htm

SDLT220 and SDLT320 drives are suppose to be able to read DLTtape IV carts written in by a DLT VS80 drive.

It's possible NT Backup is not enabling a mode which allows this format reading via SDLT?

I know we have problems sometimes reading DLTtape IV carts written by DLTx000 drives in SDLT drives. We have to tell the software to "think DLT", not "think SDLT", when issuing commands to the drive. Possible that SDLT drives can't gear down correctly? Don't know. Various ideas, but outside my realm.

Thanks,
Scott
HP Support

[Lisa Jones_1]

I'm guessing it is a problem is related to the products being from different vendors. The DLTVS80 is IBM, the SDLT is Compaq. My second guess is that the media is somehow different and that the SDLT doesn't know how to read an IBM formatted tape. Any other suggestions?

[Steven Clementi]

Is the DLT tape a DTL IV? or earlier?

Steven

[Lisa Jones_1]

It is a DLT IV tape. I have tried other DLT IV tapes that have been written by NTBackup and they work fine. The difference is that all of our DLT drives are Compaq/HP and none are DLTVS drives. This is our first attempt at being able to read a DLTVS written tape.

[Vincent Farrugia]

Hello,

Although, as correctly stated, SDLT can read any format written in a DLTIV tape (black), including vs80 format, from experience I found that sometimes it is not the case.

Is the tape loaded in the drive correctly? I mean, does it eventually stops loading and normal state appears on the drive? That should be the first important step. If this does not happen, you will not manage to read your vs80 tapes at any stage.

HTH,
Vince

[Lisa Jones_1]

The tapes do load correctly. I am trying to get the firmware revision of the DLT VS80 drive at our other location. I suspect that there is a firmware conflict between the IBM DLT VS80 and the Compaq SDLT 110/220. Can anyone explain the firmware "personality" and how that affects the drive performance? I notice that HP has only released V075, while Quantum (who actually makes the drive) is at V082.

[Marino Meloni_1]

Lisa, could you load the cartridge in the SDLT, try to cataloghe the tape, and after the error without ejecting it, collect a Sticket from L&TT, posting it?
I would like to see how the tape is recognized from the unit

marino

[Lisa Jones_1]

Attached is the support ticket. There never is an error message, the tapes simply are reported as unrecognized.

[Marino Meloni_1]

information reported during the read error are that:

Media type 0x0007 ==>> do not appear in the list I have for media type (0x0014-DLTtapeIII; 0x0028 DLTtape IIIxt; ox0050-DLTtapeIV; 0x0064-SuperDLT1)
Tape Format 0x0240 ==>> DLT7000

The SDLT would never be able to mange it

So I think that thit tape is formatted with a format that do not follow HP DLT rules, I would post this question to IBM

Marino

[Lisa Jones_1]

Thanks for the quick response. I have posted to IBM as well with no response. Where did you get the listing of media types? That could be useful in troubleshooting as well!

[Marino Meloni_1]

Event # 23 - Packet # 27 - Event: A500 {Read Error} [V75-0 16-Sep-2003] 007:00:06.754 POH/PC= 24321/94
Temp= 31 (33,48,39) Motion (Hr:Min) = 197:20
2237F9D7 00003FD7 0001FDB8 00000000 00000000 00001980 0000199A 00000000
00000000 00000000 00000000 001E014C 00070240 063E0000 03000000 00C50019
00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000


007 0240 on the 13 byte id tape type and tape format

this come form a development document not accessible in internet.

I have just a doubt, this info has been recorded around the 17 of june

Do you try the cartridge on that day? two month ago?

other errors recorded are from two days ago, but in this case the Drive report as unknow error, so in that case I cannot decode

[Lisa Jones_1]

There is a good possibility that I was working on this issue on June 17th as well.