Multiple tape errors

[Ben Wicks]

I am experiencing multiple write errors with a HP StorageWorks 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloader LTO-3 Ultrium 920.

I have tried multiple tapes and have run a drive test using several tapes and it has failed each time. I have also used a cleaning tape several times.

I have attached a support ticket (hopefully it's the right one), do I need to replace the drive? Any ideas?

Thanks,

Ben

[TapeDrive Killer 1 2]

upgrade firmware run LTO drive assesment test you also have TUR
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/842411/en

Pablo Alvarado Siles

[Ben Wicks]

Thanks, I have now updated the firmware and run the test again and it still fails (ticket attached). I have checked the registry and TUR has already been disabled.

Have you got any other ideas?

Ben

[TapeDrive Killer 1 2]

attacht the resultlog.ltt

[Ben Wicks]

Ok here you go.

[TapeDrive Killer 1 2]

got
Please re-run the test using a different test tape.

try using another tape if the test fails then the drive is broken if it passes then the problem is TUR try calling tech support so we can solve the tur problem.

[Ben Wicks]

Thanks, I have run the test using another tape and it seems it has failed as before. I have attached the log.

Does this mean the drive has a problem?

[TapeDrive Killer 1 2]

The drive is no longer recommended for use.

Will need to replace it
Pablo Alvarado Siles

[Curtis Ballard]

The polling is going to LUN 1 which usually means that you have installed the HP media changer driver and you need to create a registry entry "AutoRun=0" under hpuln32 or hpuln64 just like you did in hplto to disable TUR polling to LUN 0.

[Ben Wicks]

Thanks Curtis, I have added AutoRun = 0 to hpuln32 and ran the drive assessment test again. Unfortunately I am getting the same error as above.

I assume that the drive is broken, or is there something else I can do to fix it? I have run a cleaning tape several times.

[Curtis Ballard]

Thanks for the data Ben. I should have mentioned in my posting that while getting the polling disabled is a best practice and there is a special step to disable library polling doing so won't help with the issue your drive is reporting.

Your drive is reporting a bad head channel. The only thing we can do in that case is clean the tape several times and if the problem doesn't go away replace the drive. I find it interesting that there was one tape that didn't show write problems but that tape had been a couple of loads back so it wasn't possible to determine if it would have needed to use the head channel that was having problems. If it did use that channel then it would mean that cleaning several times should correct the problem.

Note that while we discourage use of cleaning tapes unless the drive asks for cleaning any time you are getting errors it won't hurt to clean several times and cleaning is not as abrasive with LTO as with older technologies so as long as the cleaning isn't excessive there shouldn't be a problem. (weekly, every 10 or 20 loads, other similar frequent schedule would be excessive but cleaning every 6 months wouldn't be a problem)

[Ben Wicks]

Thanks Curtis, I will try another backup and see what happens. If cleaning it doesn't help I'll look for a replacement drive.

Thanks for the help guys.

Ben