Re: Busted Tape Drive
This all sounds great. Not to sound like an overworked developer, but could you all please update the FAQ entry accordingly? ;) http://wiki.zmanda.com/index.php/FAQ:Why_can_I_write_new_labels_to_my_tapes_but_can%27t_read_the_old_ones%3F Dustin -- Storage Software Engineer http://www.zmanda.com
Re: Busted Tape Drive
For example, in your rc.conf file you may have: /bin/mt -f /dev/nst0 defcompression 0 /bin/mt -f /dev/nst0 defblksize 0 I think this probably gets too specific. The error could just as easily occur because amanda is upgraded to new binaries which are not compiled for the proper blocksize at the same time that a new amanda configuration file is missing a blocksize option. We should probably just expand the blocksize section of the FAQ and point people with issues reading tape labels to it as a possible cause. I know the whole concept of fixed blocksize verse variable can get confusing. I know we put "options st buffer_kbs=256" in /etc/modprobe.conf here to force a 256K fixed blocksize rather than deal with variable size. -- DeployLinux Consulting, Inc Senior Infrastructure Consultant Tel: 805-857-9144 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo IM: deploylinuxconsulting
Re: Busted Tape Drive
Dustin J. Mitchell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Are there more details to add? The 'mt' invocations in rc.conf may be > helpful to others, for example. FAQ:Why can I write new labels to my tapes but can't read the old ones? Check your blocksize. This behavior occurs when the tape unit is set to have a particular block size (that may not match at read time what was used to write a tape). For example, in your rc.conf file you may have: /bin/mt -f /dev/nst0 defcompression 0 /bin/mt -f /dev/nst0 defblksize 0 and you should verify these commands are working correctly. Steve -- Steven J. BackusComputer Specialist University of Utah E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Genetic EpidemiologyAlternate: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 391 Chipeta Way -- Suite D Office: 801.587.9308 Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1266 http://www.math.utah.edu/~backus
Re: Busted Tape Drive
"Dustin J. Mitchell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > I haven't followed this too closely, but are there some takeaway > messages that could be worked into a FAQ here? > http://wiki.zmanda.com/index.php/FAQ FAQ:Why can I write new labels to my tapes but can't read the old ones? Check your blocksize. This behavior occurs when the tape unit is set to have a particular block size (that may not match at read time what was used to write a tape). Steve -- Steven J. BackusComputer Specialist University of Utah E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Genetic EpidemiologyAlternate: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 391 Chipeta Way -- Suite D Office: 801.587.9308 Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1266 http://www.math.utah.edu/~backus
Re: Busted Tape Drive
On Thu, Aug 7, 2008 at 5:25 PM, Steven Backus <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > FAQ:Why can I write new labels to my tapes but can't read the old ones? > > Check your blocksize. This behavior occurs when the tape unit is > set to have a particular block size (that may not match at read > time what was used to write a tape). Looks good: http://wiki.zmanda.com/index.php/FAQ:Why_can_I_write_new_labels_to_my_tapes_but_can%27t_read_the_old_ones%3F Are there more details to add? The 'mt' invocations in rc.conf may be helpful to others, for example. Dustin -- Storage Software Engineer http://www.zmanda.com
Re: Busted Tape Drive
On Thu, Aug 7, 2008 at 1:06 PM, Steven Backus <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Thanks to John Hein and everyone. I haven't followed this too closely, but are there some takeaway messages that could be worked into a FAQ here? http://wiki.zmanda.com/index.php/FAQ Dustin -- Storage Software Engineer http://www.zmanda.com
Re: Busted Tape Drive
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > I've seen problematic behavior when the tape unit is set to have a > particular block size (that may not match at read time what was used > to write a tape). That was the problem. In my rc.local file I have: /bin/mt defcompression 0 /bin/mt defblksize 0 But with the mt command broken (it now uses /dev/tape as the default instead of /dev/nst0) I should have had: /bin/mt -f /dev/nst0 defcompression 0 /bin/mt -f /dev/nst0 defblksize 0 Thanks to John Hein and everyone. Steve -- Steven J. BackusComputer Specialist University of Utah E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Genetic EpidemiologyAlternate: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 391 Chipeta Way -- Suite D Office: 801.587.9308 Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1266 http://www.math.utah.edu/~backus
Re: Busted Tape Drive
Steven Backus wrote at 10:20 -0600 on Aug 7, 2008: > I've determined my drive can label tapes but can't read old > tapes. I get the Input/Output error whenever trying to read a > previously labeled tape or dd out anything. However, if I re-label > the tape it works again. Does this indicate a failing drive? Any > other ideas? I've seen problematic behavior when the tape unit is set to have a particular block size (that may not match at read time what was used to write a tape). We set the block size for the tape unit to have variable length blocks when doing amanda writes & reads. In FreeBSD, that's 'mt blocksize 0' and for linux, 'mt setblk 0'. (also we set hardware compression off) I don't know if that will help in your case or not. I assume you've done the simple test: dd if=/dev/random bs=32k of=/tmp/foo count=1 mt -f /dev/ rew dd if=/tmp/foo bs=32k of=/dev/ count=1 mt -f /dev/ rew dd of=/tmp/foo2 bs=32k if=/dev/ count=1 diff /tmp/foo /tmp/foo2
Re: Busted Tape Drive
I've determined my drive can label tapes but can't read old tapes. I get the Input/Output error whenever trying to read a previously labeled tape or dd out anything. However, if I re-label the tape it works again. Does this indicate a failing drive? Any other ideas? Thanks, Steve -- Steven J. BackusComputer Specialist University of Utah E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Genetic EpidemiologyAlternate: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 391 Chipeta Way -- Suite D Office: 801.587.9308 Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1266 http://www.math.utah.edu/~backus
Re: Busted Tape Drive
Matthew Marlowe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Are you using RHEL or Fedora? The bug is reported for fedora 8 but > we just noticed a similar issue on a RHEL5.2 box (perhaps this is > one of the feature updates carried over from fedora during the 5.2 > upgrade). I'm on RHEL 4.x, latest updates, that's when things broke. I have RHEL 5.x machines but if this bug is propagated throughout all of the versions it would be a waste of time to upgrade. > I'm looking to see what rpm or kernel is needed to downgrade. If you don't have time, can you tell me how to do this? Also, I wonder what OS is being used by the other person on this list who's having problems with /dev/nst0? Thanks, Steve -- Steven J. BackusComputer Specialist University of Utah E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Genetic EpidemiologyAlternate: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 391 Chipeta Way -- Suite D Office: 801.587.9308 Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1266 http://www.math.utah.edu/~backus
Re: Busted Tape Drive
On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 11:09 AM, Steven Backus <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This could be it, does amanda use this for tape commands? Amanda uses what was supplied in the TAPEDEV parameter directly. Dustin -- Storage Software Engineer http://www.zmanda.com
Re: Busted Tape Drive
Dustin writes: > Amanda uses what was supplied in the TAPEDEV parameter directly. Then someone busted more than just the mt status command: amtape genepi current returns: amtape: scanning current slot in tape-changer rack: slot 2: not an amanda tape (Input/output error) because it was an amanda tape before the latest OS updates. Steve -- Steven J. BackusComputer Specialist University of Utah E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Genetic EpidemiologyAlternate: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 391 Chipeta Way -- Suite D Office: 801.587.9308 Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1266 http://www.math.utah.edu/~backus
Re: Busted Tape Drive
Matthew Marlowe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > See the following Red Hat bug: >https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=289381 > This bug says: "mt status" attempts to use /dev/tape, as a device, when it's a directory This could be it, does amanda use this for tape commands? > Are you using RHEL or Fedora? I'm using RHEL 4.x, latest updates. > I'm looking to see what rpm or kernel is needed to downgrade. Please let me know, I tried the previous kernel without success. Thanks, Steve -- Steven J. BackusComputer Specialist University of Utah E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Genetic EpidemiologyAlternate: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 391 Chipeta Way -- Suite D Office: 801.587.9308 Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1266 http://www.math.utah.edu/~backus
Re: Busted Tape Drive
On 04.08.2008 13:45, Chris Hoogendyk wrote (please find the answer below the original text): Steven Backus wrote: Ever since my latest update from Red Hat, my VXA-2 tape library has stopped working. It appears /dev/tape is now a directory instead of a link to /dev/nst0 and every command I give to the drive returns /dev/nst0: Input/output error. I've tried removing /dev/tape and linking it to /dev/nst0 with no joy. I've also tried using dd, which returns the same error. I've tried re-compiling Amanda too. I'm running Red Hat AS 4.x and amanda 2.5.2p1, anyone got any ideas? newer linux Systems use udev for device files. /dev/tape will be a directory when the system detects a tape. Look at /etc/udev/rules.d to see what happens at boot time or when plugging devices -Ingo.
Re: Busted Tape Drive
Steve, Ever since my latest update from Red Hat, my VXA-2 tape library has stopped working. It appears /dev/tape is now a directory instead of a link to /dev/nst0 and every command I give to the drive returns /dev/nst0: Input/output error. See the following Red Hat bug: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=289381 Are you using RHEL or Fedora? The bug is reported for fedora 8 but we just noticed a similiar issue on a RHEL5.2 box (perhaps this is one of the feature updates carried over from fedora during the 5.2 upgrade). The bug indicates that the changes are being removed from fedora rawhide, which is good...but it's hard to understand how such a major change made it into RHEL. I'm looking to see what rpm or kernel is needed to downgrade. Regards, Matt -- DeployLinux Consulting, Inc Senior Infrastructure Consultant Tel: 805-857-9144 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo IM: deploylinuxconsulting
Re: Busted Tape Drive
Steven Backus wrote: Ever since my latest update from Red Hat, my VXA-2 tape library has stopped working. It appears /dev/tape is now a directory instead of a link to /dev/nst0 and every command I give to the drive returns /dev/nst0: Input/output error. I've tried removing /dev/tape and linking it to /dev/nst0 with no joy. I've also tried using dd, which returns the same error. I've tried re-compiling Amanda too. I'm running Red Hat AS 4.x and amanda 2.5.2p1, anyone got any ideas? I'm not a linux expert, so I can't tell you how to solve the problem. But, perhaps I can at least point you in the right direction for starters. Focus on the driver for your tape library. Did you install this yourself originally? Or did someone else? It would seem that if the driver came with Red Hat Linux, an update of Red Hat wouldn't have broken it. In any case, dropping back to a basic tool like dd (or tar) for testing is a good idea until that works. It eliminates extraneous variables. Once your are back to the point where mt and mtx work, then amanda should work. --- Chris Hoogendyk - O__ Systems Administrator c/ /'_ --- Biology & Geology Departments (*) \(*) -- 140 Morrill Science Center ~~ - University of Massachusetts, Amherst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --- Erdös 4
