LTO tapes all be identified as Cleaning media

[James Robertson Broad]

Since a power out about two weeks ago one of our drives in our tape library identifies all media as cleaning media. We are running a MSL5030 with two drives, a N1200 NS router, backing up 10 servers.
Any tape selected for this drive is identified as cleaning media, returned to its slot and then the backup software (Backup Exec 10) waits for further media. Tapes selected for the other drive work normally. Tapes that have been identified as cleaning but reset within Backup Exec by me also work in the other drive.

This is sending me batty! We don't have a big enough time window to back up on one drive so this is a real problem.

[David Ruska]

I would suggest you install HP Library & Tape Tools (www.hp.com/support/tapetools) and run the drive assessment test on the suspect drive (and the good drive too, if you have the time). The test only takes about 20 minutes, and will verify all the functionality of the drive (including read/write error rates).

[James Robertson Broad]

Thanks David I will try that. I will have to put the 8 outstanding backups on hold while I do it or I would have run the test before.
I'll post the results when it's done.

[Kurt Beyers.]

James,

The tapes don't have a barcode label that starts with CLNxxxx?

In Data Protector any tape with a barcode label that starts with CLN is considered to be a cleaning tape.

best regards,
Kurt

[James Robertson Broad]

Thanks for that suggestion; the tapes are labelled correctly right down to the L1 at the end of each code to indicate the right generation. Besides, the tapes are working in the one drive and not in the other.
I'm running the drive test now and hope it shows something up.

[James Robertson Broad]

Well, the drive test failed. The test starts, asks for writable media, hangs for 5 mins then fails.
I've attached the test log file if that's any help, but I think it's just showing that the tape won't load.
I ran the other drive tests as well but they all reported similarly.
Running the same test on the other drive runs ok with no errors.

[David Ruska]

James,

I did not see the results attached.

Does the drive pass the connectivity test?

The hang could be a drive issue, or it may also be is with cabling or the router.

Do you have the router connected to the network, and can you collect the report page for the router? It would capture any errors from the drive or within the router.

Can you generate a support ticket from LTT for the drive, or does that hang?

[James Robertson Broad]

Strange, it was attached (.ltt file). The contents won't copy direct but looking at the text of the file this is the only bit that refers to the failure:

10:4:4:40:3:3:42:1:1:PlainText:Device Analysis has checked the historical information and no problems were found.:1252:0
10:1:4:208:161:6:0x10000113:1132749404:1132749404:0:1:8:0:0
10:2:4:40:1:3:120:50:0:0
10:3:4:40:2:3:41:1:1:s_system:3.5.2.0:enu
10:4:4:40:3:3:42:1:1:PlainText:Please load a test cartridge into the drive using the library/autoloader front panel (CAUTION\: any data on the cartridge will be lost). You should unload the tape after the test completes. Continue with the test?:1252:0
10:1:3:209:208:6:0x10000120:1132749420:1132749420:0:1:8:1:0
10:2:3:40:1:2:0:0:0:0
10:3:3:40:2:2:45::0
10:1:4:210:161:6:0x28004010:1132749420:1132749420:0:1:8:0:0
10:2:4:40:1:3:120:50:0:0
10:3:4:40:2:3:41:1:1:s_system:3.5.2.0:enu
10:4:4:40:3:3:42:1:1:PlainText:loading tape...:1252:0
10:1:4:211:161:6:0x88040001:1132749722:1132749722:0:1:8:0:0
10:2:4:40:1:3:120:50:0:0
10:3:4:40:2:3:41:1:1:s_system:3.5.2.0:enu
10:4:4:40:3:3:42:1:1:PlainText:There was a problem loading the tape.:1252:0
10:1:4:212:211:6:0x28040001:1132749722:1132749722:0:1:8:0:0
10:2:4:40:1:3:120:50:0:0
10:3:4:40:2:3:41:1:1:s_system:3.5.2.0:enu
10:4:4:40:3:3:42:1:1:PlainText:Byte2 0x2 SenseCode 0x4 SenseQual 0x2:1252:0
10:1:4:213:161:6:0x88040001:1132749722:1132749722:0:1:8:0:0
10:2:4:40:1:3:120:50:0:0
10:3:4:40:2:3:41:1:1:s_system:3.5.2.0:enu
10:4:4:40:3:3:42:1:1:PlainText:Please call the hp call centre for further assistance.:1252:0
10:1:4:214:161:6:0x88040001:1132749723:1132749723:0:1:8:0:0
10:2:4:40:1:3:120:50:0:0
10:3:4:40:2:3:41:1:1:s_system:3.5.2.0:enu
10:4:4:40:3:3:42:1:1:PlainText:There was a problem with the tape not being loaded properly.:1252:0
10:1:4:215:161:6:0x10000110:1132749733:1132749733:0:1:8:0:0
10:2:4:40:1:3:120:50:0:0
10:3:4:40:2:3:41:1:1:s_system:3.5.2.0:enu
10:4:4:40:3:3:42:1:1:PlainText:The acceptance test failed. Please refer to the Test Results for further information.:1252:0
10:1:3:216:215:6:0x10000120:1132749736:1132749736:0:1:8:0:0
10:2:3:40:1:2:0:0:0:0
10:3:3:40:2:2:45::0
10:1:4:217:161:6:0x88040001:1132749736:1132749736:0:1:8:0:0
10:2:4:40:1:3:120:50:0:0
10:3:4:40:2:3:41:1:1:s_system:3.5.2.0:enu
10:4:4:40:3:3:42:1:1:PlainText:Testing has completed and some problems were found.:1252:0
10:1:4:218:161:6:0x28004020:1132749736:1132749736:0:1:8:0:0
10:2:4:40:1:3:120:50:0:0
10:3:4:40:2:3:41:1:1:s_system:3.5.2.0:enu
10:4:4:40:3:3:42:1:1:PlainText:Testing has completed and some problems were found.:1252:0

I tried running a Support ticket but got another error but didn't keep it (I'll run it again once my Exchange backup has finished).

[David Ruska]

The .ltt file was meant to be viewed by the LTT viewer, so looking at it directly is a bit tricky, but there is some plain text you can extact.

In particular, it says the load failed, and has this info:
> Byte2 0x2 SenseCode 0x4 SenseQual 0x2

This is a "Not Ready", condition. The sense code/qualify decode as:
> 04 02h LUN not ready, Initializing command required
> A tape is present in the drive but is not logically loaded. A Load command is required.

This looks less like a hardware error, and more like some type of configuration/connectivity issue.

Are other services shut down when LTT is running? Is backup service and Windows RSM disabled and stopped?

Try the drive connectivity test once you verify other app/services are stopped.

What versions of firmware are you running in the MSL library, NSR, and drives?

[James Robertson Broad]

Yes I realised that the file was designed to be read by the LTT reader but it seems to be built specifically so that you can't copy/paste and as my attachment didn't show up last time I thought that this was the best way.

The testing was run with all backup services stopped and Removable storage disabled (I've been caught out by that little beastie before!)

The firmware on both drives is the same (E38W/OEM20) and LTT reports that here are no updates.

The firmware on the library is 0430 and while there is an update available (0513) it will not load. It attempts to load for 10mins and times out. We hadn't attempted the upgrade until after this problem started (so it didn't cause the problem).

I'll need to get the serial cable out for the router as we access it so rarely that I can't find the IP. I'll do that when it's quiet.

The big BUT is though, one drive is working absolutely fine while the other isn't. They are two elements of the same library and the same NSR and come to that the same backup software and server.

[David Ruska]

James,

Thanks for all the additional info.

The library firmware is not the latest, but not too old either, and I'm not aware of any issues with 4.30 that would cause your problem. Regarding the firmware update issue, if you could send a quick email to ltt_team@hp.com, and mention this thread, we can look into that separately.

I don't see any obvious conflicts in application services. One last question on that front - do you have Insight Management Agents running?

Looking at the router logs is the only thing else I can suggest, once you have that connected up.

Also, try the drive connectivity in LTT when you have time.

[James Robertson Broad]

At last I have the NSR log. I'm not sure that it will show anything useful. I disabled the faulty drive on 23rd November 2005 in order to stop backups failing so anything after that will not reflect the online position.