hp storageworks dat 72 internal scsi drive - repeated errors

[Mary Torgerson]

Good Day
We have been experiencing repeated problems with one of our 3 hp tape drives, which we are running on a Novell server with Yosemite tape software 8.50 SP1. About once a week, we get error messages, which we have been unable to permanently resolve (ie we do something to fix it, and it runs, but the same thing keeps happening). The latest error message was that it detected a media error - the drive was also giving us a "clean me" message, which we did. Put in a different tape, and then got an error of "Tape Alert - warning Hard Error" - then we put in a new tape, restarted the job. The drive was replaced in 2008, and we still have the same problem. Also, the tape drive makes a lot of noise when the daily tape is put into it - more than the other 2 servers do.
It is working now, but our question is, why does this keep happening, and what can we do to prevent it? Do we need to run some diagnostics? Does the error "Tape Alert - Warning - Hard Error referring to the tape drive? Might replacing the controller help?
Any help would be most appreciated.

[thomasr]

Ah, if it were an *easy error*, you wouldn't need to be asking questions here!

Can you download and run HP's free Library and Tape Tools (see the link from
http://www.hp.com/go/tape ), there are versions for NetWare, and look in to running some of the diagnostics. They may well help you figure out what's going on; at least you can generate a support ticket, which will make it easier to tell the problems.

Since this is a somewhat consistent (if irregular) problem, I'd check to make sure that your tapes are not somehow coming in contact with magnetic fields (look out for those paperclip holders on your desk!), and also check the environment the drive is in -- office environments aren't necessarily great for tape drives; dust, paper dust, and other contaminants can get in to a drive and make it less reliable.

Is it only one of the three drives that is giving you the problem? Is it in an area apart from the others, that there might be some environmental factor?

[Mary Torgerson]

Thanks for your input.
The 3 servers are all on the same server rack. The 2 other servers do have occasional issues, but not anywhere near at the rate of this one. I will download the diagnostics and see what that yields.
I confess I am not familiar with HP's support since we've never had to use it, nor have I read any documentation about it. Do they usually support their h/w for the life of the product or is the support limited to a year or so, which is what I believe their support is for their printers. What can you tell me about that? Or where can I check on that?
ThX again!