SCSI tape driver hangs
Mike Yudaken
to access the tape again (kill -9, tape reset, removing the tape don't
do anything). I've tried: changing the scsi cable, putting the tape
drive on the same scsi channel as the discs, installing the latest
OS & drivers, playing with the scsi bios parameters, even powering
the tape drive off and on - nothing helps.
Does anyone know how to fix this or else of a utility like
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&th=6929837d009322&rnum=1
that will reset the tape driver and allow access again without rebooting?
Software:
SCO OpenServer Enterprise System 3.2v5.0.6
RS506A Release Supplement
Adaptec 78xx SCSI driver rel 3.03/d1.14
Hardware:
Intel L440GX motherboard
Adaptec Dual Channel Ultra2 SCSI (AIC-7896)
Seagate STT80000 N-RCVT TR-4 SCSI Tape drive (the only device on
the 2nd scsi channel)
Mike
Tony Lawrence
> My scsi tape driver hangs every week or so and needs a reboot
> to access the tape again (kill -9, tape reset, removing the tape don't
> do anything). I've tried: changing the scsi cable, putting the tape
> drive on the same scsi channel as the discs, installing the latest
> OS & drivers, playing with the scsi bios parameters, even powering
> the tape drive off and on - nothing helps.
If you are using tape dip switches for termination have you tried using
an active terminator?
--
Tony Lawrence
SCO/Linux Support Tips, How-To's, Tests and more: http://pcunix.com
Mike Yudaken
> If you are using tape dip switches for termination have you tried using
> an active terminator?
>
No I haven't. What is an active terminator? The tape drive has "enable
termination power" and "enable termination" jumpers installed. I have
tried the tape drive on the other scsi channel where the terminator is on
a hard disc.
Mike
Bill Vermillion
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> the 2nd scsi channel)
Am I correct in assuming this is an STT28000N-RCVT and that is a
typo above.
Search the past archives and you'll find that the Travan tape
drivers are quite often problematic. It's also pretty slow running
about 1/2 the speed of a DDS-3 DAT.
Others may have good results but I've avoided them since the first
day Travan came out. My feeling is a cheap backup solution may be
the most expensive one you buy - if it won't restore when you need
it. Being an old-recording engineer I AM biased.
--
Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com
Tony Lawrence
Not only that, but they really aren't cheap- the media is very expensive
and doesn't last long.
Lately I've been doing a LOT of dvdram (
http://pcunix.com/Reviews/dvdram.html )- it's far cheaper in the long
run and not really much more expensive to start with.
Mike Brown
I do not recommend the travan tapes generally, but on some servers that
do not change much or have data on them ( almost a embedded controller )
customers have used them. They have one tape and backup edge.
Monthly a backup was done, and yes it failed, and a power down reboot
would fix it.
I ran a test the next time around, and unplugged the power from
the travan only, then plugged it back in. Ran tape reset ...
and the backup worked.
I made the joke that obviously it was a product designed for the
windoze market, and was never tested after running six monthes
without a reboot.
If possible, try the same test and post back the results.
PS: never do this if you have hard drives on the same controller.
Mike
--
Michael Brown
The Kingsway Group
Balanone
time on one system or another. Used to do resets to recover the tape drive,
but recently we've found a simpler method -- remove tape, insert a
*different* tape. Don't know why, but *changing* the tape often causes the
tape drive to reset itself (may take a minute or two for the drive to
recover ... watch the light and track the vibrations). We then find that if
we change the tape back, we often have to wait 5 minutes or more for the
original tape to rewind, and then everything is operational.
But every so often we find that the original tape has simply gone bad. Drive
resets and works OK with 2nd (or very rarely, 3rd) tape in it, but first
tape always causes tape to act as if hung. Toss tape (or send it back to
manufacturer for replacement).
"Mike Yudaken" <mi...@icon.co.za> wrote in message
news:3c85c...@news1.mweb.co.za...
Balanone
time on one system or another. Used to do resets to recover the tape drive,
but recently we've found a simpler method -- remove tape, insert a
*different* tape. Don't know why, but *changing* the tape often causes the
tape drive to reset itself (may take a minute or two for the drive to
recover ... watch the light and track the vibrations). We then find that if
we change the tape back, we often have to wait 5 minutes or more for the
original tape to rewind, and then everything is operational.
But every so often we find that the original tape has simply gone bad. Drive
resets and works OK with 2nd (or very rarely, 3rd) tape in it, but first
tape always causes tape to act as if hung. Toss tape (or send it back to
manufacturer for replacement).
"Mike Yudaken" <mi...@icon.co.za> wrote in message
news:3c85c...@news1.mweb.co.za...
Mike Yudaken
"Balanone" <Bala...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:u8dts1e...@corp.supernews.com...
> Mike, Have a number of systems, with similar symptoms happening from time
to
> time on one system or another. Used to do resets to recover the tape
drive,
> but recently we've found a simpler method -- remove tape, insert a
> *different* tape. Don't know why, but *changing* the tape often causes the
> tape drive to reset itself (may take a minute or two for the drive to
> recover ... watch the light and track the vibrations). We then find that
if
> we change the tape back, we often have to wait 5 minutes or more for the
> original tape to rewind, and then everything is operational.
>
> But every so often we find that the original tape has simply gone bad.
Drive
> resets and works OK with 2nd (or very rarely, 3rd) tape in it, but first
> tape always causes tape to act as if hung. Toss tape (or send it back to
> manufacturer for replacement).
I'll try as soon as it happens again - shouldn't be too long.
Mike
Mike Yudaken
> typo above.
Yes, its a STT28000N-RCVT .
>
> Search the past archives and you'll find that the Travan tape
> drivers are quite often problematic. It's also pretty slow running
> about 1/2 the speed of a DDS-3 DAT.
I get about 500Kb/sec.
>
> Others may have good results but I've avoided them since the first
> day Travan came out. My feeling is a cheap backup solution may be
> the most expensive one you buy - if it won't restore when you need
> it. Being an old-recording engineer I AM biased.
We've used them for years without a problem. When you add up the
cost of the tapes, Travan is more expensive than DAT.
Mike
Mike Yudaken
"Mike Brown" <mi...@tkg.ca> wrote in message news:3C86A9F8...@tkg.ca...
I've tried unplugging the power from the Traven only - no luck.
Mike
Mike Brown
I would assume that a power cycle on the tape drive would completely
reset it. Check to see if a process is still hung on the device, like
fuser /dev/rStp0
The last possibility is that the drive didn't like the media.
Mike Yudaken
reset"
unstuck the driver after a while.
Thanks for your help.
Mike
"Mike Yudaken" <mi...@icon.co.za> wrote in message
news:3c871...@news1.mweb.co.za...