Library and Tape Tools

[clay bowman]

I'm trying to run a read\write test at some remote sites and during the process I'm getting prompted to insert a cleaning tape. Is there a way to do the test and not have to insert the cleaning tape. I'm getting CRC errors at most of my remote sites and I'm trying to determine the cause.

Thanks

[David Ruska]

The prompt for cleaning is due to the tape drive requesting cleaning. It may be the reason (or one of the reasons) the drive is having CRC errors.

Is this with DLT drives or DDS drives?

The automatic handling of cleaning is currently not configurable in the read/write test.

[clay bowman]

It's with SDLT 110/220 drives, I ran the test in Philly yesterday and had one of the users put in a cleaning tape, I then tried to run the read\write on a second tape and it again requested a cleaning tape. So you're telling me if the drive needs cleaning it will request the tape otherwise it shouldn't. There's no way to just run the read\write and not have to insert a cleaning tape

[Angus Crome]

If the cleaning request is recurring, then either the tape media are getting bad, the drive is beginning to fail or you need to update the firmware on the tape unit. It could also mean patches to the software, although very unlikely.

By the way, what software are you running this test with and what form of media?

[clay bowman]

I'm using the Library and Tape Tools, media is Compaq SDLT tapes 110/220

[Munir_1]

When the test encounters an issue during the test I will ask for cleaning tape to try and resolve it, if that did not help, it will ask for another tape.
If there are no issues at all the test will complete with out asking for cleaning tape.

After it ask for cleaning tape, and you but it cleaning tape and continue with test does it pass the test???

Munir!

[David Ruska]

The SDLT drive has a TapeAlert flag called 'clean now'. It typically sets this flag when it encounters a hard write or read error and suspects that the head could be dirty (it doesn't really know), or if the drive has difficulties calibrating the tape. The LTT read/write test then prompts for a cleaning cartridge when this flag is set.

To get a better picture of what is going on, collect an LTT support ticket after the failure (either the backup failure, or after running the read/write test that has problems) and we can look at the drive error logs. If you collect the logs while the tape is still loaded, it will show the write/read error rates.

[clay bowman]

That makes sense, what the address to send the support ticket to?

[David Ruska]

You can just post the .ltt file here (it's not very big for an SDLT drive).