Linux with SCSI card for HP DAT tape drives

bjp4549 · 01-18-2019, 04:33 PM

Is there a way for me to buy or construct a Linux box that can read SCSI DAT2, DAT3 and DAT4 tapes? I have the drives, I just need the box, scsi card and OS/drivers.

ehartman · 01-18-2019, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjp4549

Is there a way for me to buy or construct a Linux box that can read SCSI DAT2, DAT3 and DAT4 tapes? I have the drives, I just need the box, scsi card and OS/drivers.

OS drivers are basic SCSI support, the module for the adapter and the st (Scsi Tape) module. Most kernels will already have them, either built-in or as modules.
I.e. in my system I got an Adaptec 29160 card, the kernel already got the basic SCSI support built-in

Code:

# SCSI device support
CONFIG_SCSI_MOD=y
CONFIG_SCSI=y
CONFIG_SCSI_DMA=y
CONFIG_SCSI_TGT=y
CONFIG_SCSI_NETLINK=y
CONFIG_SCSI_PROC_FS=y
# SCSI support type (disk, tape, CD-ROM)
CONFIG_CHR_DEV_ST=m
CONFIG_CHR_DEV_SG=m
CONFIG_SCSI_ENCLOSURE=m
CONFIG_SCSI_MULTI_LUN=y

in the kernel's config and

Code:

modprobe aic7xxx
modprobe st

for the loadable modules, with the drive connected and switched ON.

I've made it easy on myself by creating a /etc/modprobe.d/scsitape.conf in which aic7xxx is a requirement for st, which means I only need the modprobe st.

Code:

install st /sbin/modprobe aic7xxx; /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install st

But of course this will be different in your system.

PS: as my DDS drive is an autochanger it is multi-lun, that's why the MULTI-LUN=y in above's config options

Code:

Host: scsi58 Channel: 00 Id: 04 Lun: 00
  Vendor: HP       Model: C5713A           Rev: H307
  Type:   Sequential-Access                ANSI  SCSI revision: 03
Host: scsi58 Channel: 00 Id: 04 Lun: 01
  Vendor: HP       Model: C5713A           Rev: H307
  Type:   Medium Changer

jefro · 01-18-2019, 06:53 PM

I've found that Suse tended to have built in support for more of the scsi cards that we use. After that it's just some program to use. http://www.cs.inf.ethz.ch/stricker/lab/linux_tape.html

Are these audio tapes??

bjp4549 · 01-18-2019, 08:04 PM

"ehartman".....thanks for your in depth reply. I have some experience with Suse 9 (many years ago), but what backplane supports the Adaptec 29160 card...ie. what box/platform should I look for? Is there an old HP desktop that would work?
Thanks again!!!

ehartman · 01-19-2019, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjp4549

Is there an old HP desktop that would work?
Thanks again!!!

I'm actually using an old HP workstation (HP xw4600). The card needs a normal PCI slot.
Note that dependant on the drive you need a wide (68-pin) SCSI connector (like mine: 29160) or a narrow (50-pin) one (like the 19160). A wide adaptor CAN be connected to a narrow SCSI drive with a special cable (that terminates the unused wires) but not the opposite way. I bought this system including the adaptor in 2009, so it's getting close to 10 years old, but on still older systems (and DDS drives) I've used 2940 (and 2940uw, the "wide" version) succesfully too.
The main difference is the transfer speed (the 40 or 160 is essentially the speed in MB/sec).

You didn't say what kind of DDS tapes you want to use, so I cannot be more specific, but in my cases the DDS4 (and above) drives needed a wide SCSI adaptor and the higher speed.
But I never worked with DDS6 and later (the wider tapes), by then we had switched to LTO