Hi All,
I'm trying to access the tape so that I can backup. I found a documentation that "modprobe aic7xxx" should be used. After modprobe command, the tape drive worked. However, all of a sudden, I cannot access it again and again and again.

How can i resolve this problem?. How can i permanently load the "modprobe aic7xxx". What is the cause of the problem?.

Please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm insane.


tungaw


BTW,
i'm using adaptec scsi controller card. (7xxx series).


Thank you very much.

Try adding this line to your /etc/modules.conf

alias scsi_hostadapter aic7xxx

Thanks, But it was already added. actually, when i executed the "modprobe aic7xxx", there was response from the tape drive. I've already backed up some of my files into it, however, when i tried to verify if it backed up successfully, I/O error returned. I'm using "taper -T scsi" utility to backup the files.

Where do you think the problem relies? I'm tired on testing this backup tape. Hope yu can help me.....

BTW, i'm using redhat 7.2 on IBM Xseries.


Thanks again.

Sorry, I have never used taper.

You can use the tape utilities mt to check some functions and may be tar just to see if you can copy files to / from the dirive.

I executed

$mt -f /dev/st0 status
output: SCSI 2 tape Drive
File number=-1,block number=-1,partition=0.
tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x0(default).
Soft error count size since last status 0
General status bits on (10000).
ION_REP_EN


I tried also "$mt eod "
Input/Output error returned.


I tried $msprobe aic7xxx, since my adapter is Adaptec.
No error returned, i checked /etc/modules.conf to check
if aic7xxx its present, and it is.

I tried $inmod aic7xxx, it said, that it was already present.

Please help me....... help...... help...... arggggggggg........

tungaw

What kind of tape drive do you have?

If this is a status of the drive when a tape is loaded it doesn't appear to be correct. I would expect to see some other status with a tape loaded other then just the
ION_REP_EN

like
ON_LINE or DR_OPEN or BOT

hi,
Here are the details of the configuration of my Redhat Linux 7.2 Tape device.

$lsmod
Module Size Used by
ide-cd 27136 0 (autoclean)
cdrom 28736 0 (autoclean) [ide-cd]
soundcore 4848 0 (autoclean)
autofs 12096 0 (autoclean) (unused)
eepro100 18144 1
st 26976 0
usb-ohci 19344 0 (unused)
usbcore 54528 1 [usb-ohci]
ext3 67728 5
jbd 44480 5 [ext3]
ips 39552 6
aic7xxx 114704 0
sd_mod 11584 6
scsi_mod 98512 4 [st ips aic7xxx sd_mod]


$vi /etc/modules.conf
alias parport_lowlevel parport_pc
alias eth0 eepro100
alias scsi_hostadapter ips
alias scsi_hostadapter ips
alias scsi_hostadapter1 aic7xxx
alias scsi_hostadapter2 aic7xxx
alias usb-controller usb-ohci


$mt -f /dev/st0 status -------TAPE INSERTED ON DRIVE

output: SCSI 2 tape Drive
File number=-1,block number=-1,partition=0.
tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x0(default).
Soft error count size since last status 0
General status bits on (10000).
ION_REP_EN

$mt -f /dev/st0 status --- NO TAPE INSERTED on DRIVE

output: SCSI 2 tape Drive
File number=-1,block number=-1,partition=0.
tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x0(default).
Soft error count size since last status 0
General status bits on (50000).
DR_OPEN ION_REP_EN

On my /var/log/dmesg file,
Attached scsi tape st0, channel 0, id 0, lun 0.

my mt version,
mt-st v.0.6

My tape device :
SEAGATE -- STT20000N

I also tried $insmod aic7xxx, but it says that it's already loaded.

Thanks again for your help and hopefully you can help me resolve my problem. I'm trying to fix it for the last 1 week already. thanks again.


tungaw

Try to see if this works:
http://support.certance.com/support/...s/stdiag1.html

Does this work.
tar cvf /dev/st0 <file_name>

(Replace <file_name> with an existing file.

Change to another directory to copy file back to har drive
tar xvf /dev/st0

Just out of curiousity do these tapes require formating?

I already tried "tar cvf /dev/st0 filename" but it isn't working. the tape drive should blink but it's not. And also i tried to extract using tar xvf /dev/st0 but still tape drive not responding.


Thanks,
tungaw

This may or may not be a problem. Do you have more than one SCSI controller?

You stated your scsi modules in modules.conf:
alias scsi_hostadapter ips
alias scsi_hostadapter ips
alias scsi_hostadapter1 aic7xxx
alias scsi_hostadapter2 aic7xxx

I don't know anything about the tape drive but I would still expect its status to be on_line with a tape loaded.

Did you try running the diagnostics on the drive?

There are 2 host adapter on the machine. Both are Adaptec. I haven't run the diagnostics on the drive coz the machine does not reside in our office.

I'll try to do it tomorrow and hopefully the drive will respond.
But i'm wondering why is it the drive worked when i run "modprobe aic7xxx"?. I already wrote to tape,then all of a sudden, it haven't worked again?. Do you think the drive is dirty and needs clean up?. I haven't used the drive for the last 11 months.


Thanks,
tungaw

It couldn't hurt to clean the drive.

Whats the ips SCSI adaptor in the modules.conf? If not needed then see what happens when you remove it.

Hi,
I took me a long time trying to verify the problem. Anyways, I've already cleaned the tape drive for a couple of days. I inserted the tape cleaner and it seems working.
I asked the person incharge to reboot the server, It worked for a while. It says it's ONLINE, but when i tried to use it again, it didn't work again.
here's the message :
$ mt -f /dev/st0 status
SCSI 2 tape drive:
File number=-1, Block number =-1 partition=0
tape block size 0 bytes, Density code 0x 0
Soft error count since last status = 0
General Status bits on (10000):
IM_REP_EN

The above status is when the tape is inserted, if not its OPEN.

Thanks,
tungaw

I'm having the same exact problem with the adapter and tape drive. I've tried using an AHA-2940UW and a AHA 2940AU with the same results on each card. I only have one adapter installed at a time.

Has anyone got one of these tape drives to work successfully? The "STT20000N" is a SCSI Seagate Hornet 10/20 GB.

Thanks,
Kevin