Thomas - We have 3592 drives as well, but have not experienced the kind of read/write problems you are experiencing. We find the 3592 to be a superb, reliable tape technology.
Absent from your posting is mention of tape drive cleaning, so that may be a cause. The 3592 is an extension of 3590 technology, and both utilize cleaning cartridges to keep the drives performing reliably. In AIX, there is thorough device error logging (unfortunately absent in Linux), such that in AIX we can run the basic command 'errpt -R 3592' to look for instances where the drives said they needed cleaning. This drive declaration is then satisfied by the 3494 Library Manager, where the 3592 drive is in such a library. You also say that there are no TSM messages about 3592 errors. This brings into question whether you have TapeAlert turned on, which would help compensate for the Linux error recording deficiency. All the usual environmental considerations apply to minimize tape errors: clean air around the library and drives, clean transport and careful handling of tapes entering and leaving the library (e.g., offsite storage), etc. Richard Sims
