Not able to see SDLT media

FORGIVEN · ‎12-22-2008

We had an old dlt and then replaced it with an sdlt tape drive. Now, BE does not see any sdlt media inserted into the new drive. I can insert dlt media and "inventory" and it reports the label name but i can not do this with sdlt media. I get 0x15 - the device is not ready when running inventory. I have uninstalled BE and reinstalled->same problem. The device is seen in device manager and reports it as Quantum SDLT 220 Tape Drive (this is with the symantec drivers installed). I look through the event logs and see event id 15 about the removable storage not being able to manage the tape. DB is corrupt. How do i go about getting this tape drive working in BE?

Oh the tape device number found on the drive is:

tr-s13aa-az

Message Edited by FORGIVEN on 12-22-2008 10:11 AM

Larry_Fine · ‎01-06-2009

Start by turning off Windows RSM (removable Storage manager) and try again.

FORGIVEN · ‎01-06-2009

Removable Storage is and has been turned off from the start. Does not see media inserted. The media is seen with no problems in other SDLT's, so it can't be media issues. I can also insert a DLT tape and the device and BE report the media label and i can run restores off of this DLT. Any other idea's?

Larry_Fine · ‎01-09-2009

Not to be mean, but you state that RSM is disabled after previously reporting an RSM error "see event id 15 about the removable storage not being able to manage the tape. DB is corrupt.", so I am confused. I was under the impression that you could only get RSM type errorts if the RSM service was enabled. Are you sure the RSM service is disabled, not just set to manual mode? RSM is a strange beastand stopped is not the same as disabled.

If it is not an RSM issue, then maybe looking at the SCSI trace will give you an idea why that drive doesn't like those media.

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/285630.htm

FORGIVEN · ‎01-09-2009

No meanness taken. You were right, i had RSM set to manual. So i disabled it and now i can not get the device online. Device manager does not see it either. I also get these messages:

The device, \Device\Scsi\aic78u21, did not respond within the timeout period.

Message Edited by FORGIVEN on 01-09-2009 04:40 PM

Larry_Fine · ‎01-12-2009

If Windows Device Manager doesn't show the device (in either the tape drive or the unknown sections), then there isn't anything that BE can do with it. The fact that you are getting SCSI timeouts further supports that there is probably a configuration issue, a hardware failure or a cable/termination issue. I assume you have power cycled the server and tape drive to no avail?

Is that an Adaptec 2940 controller card you are using? Do you have the latest (I use the term loosely as that is a very old card) firmware and driver installed? This technote may help with troubleshooting:

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/191158.htm

FORGIVEN · ‎01-13-2009

Ihave thought about that too but when i remove the sdlt device only and put the dlt back in place, everything works. So this seems to support the controller and cable are OK. The sdlt does have a terminator on the device, i don't have another one of those to test with. I have restarted the server and all BE services many times. I do believe it is a 2940 controller and we understand it is OLD but it works with the dlt. The SCSI id is set for 5 and i don't seem to get any error on post; it finds the device and appears to load correctly. I am using the MS driver, i believe, for the 2940 controller. I have updated the firmware of ther sdlt but, i don't believe i have updated the firmware of the 2940 controller. I will try this now.

FORGIVEN · ‎01-14-2009

OK, i updated the firmware of the scsi card and still does not notice brand new, verified working, media. To run down what all has been done, dlt device works fine with same scsi card and cable, installed a different scsi card, uninstalled/reinstalled drivers, disabled RSM, verified new media in a different sdlt device, update sdlt firmware and updated scsi card firmware. The scsi card drivers are signed by MS (not available from adaptec) and the tape device has symantec drivers installed and now device manager sees the sdlt tape device. At this point i do not know what to do to get this sdlt working?

Message Edited by FORGIVEN on 01-14-2009 06:46 PM

Larry_Fine · ‎01-15-2009

Exactly what DLT and SDLT drives are you using?

Please try and get a SCSI trace of the failing inventory job. I am hoping the trace will shed some light on why your SDLT drive doesn't like your SDLT media.

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/191158.htm

FORGIVEN · ‎01-15-2009

Not exactly sure of the model number of the dlt but it is a quantum dlt 8000 and the sdlt is 110/220 (for the model number please see the end of the very first post). I have done the trace and here is what is found in the trace:

Attached devices:
02:00:05:00 Tape QUANTUM SuperDLT1 5D5D PMC36H1509
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Event: 1 Start: 20:58:05.560 Stop: 21:02:44.041 Duration: 278.480660
SCSI Address: 02:00:05:00
1243 events dropped(131011 bytes)

Event:         2 Start: 21:02:27.478 Stop: 21:02:27.478 Duration: 0.000000
SCSI Address: 02:00:05:00
Function                                SRB_FUNCTION_FLUSH_QUEUE
SRB Status                              SRB_STATUS_SUCCESS
SCSI Status                             SCSISTAT_GOOD
Sense Length                            0
Data Length                             0
Driver Result                           STATUS_SUCCESS

Event:         3 Start: 21:02:27.588 Stop: 21:02:27.588 Duration: 0.000000
SCSI Address: 02:00:05:00
Function                                SRB_FUNCTION_EXECUTE_SCSI
SCSI Status                             SCSISTAT_CHECK_CONDITION
Sense Length                            18
Data Length                             0
Driver Result                           STATUS_SUCCESS

Raw CDB
00 00 00 00 00 00 ......

CDB Operation                           TEST_UNIT_READY
LUN                                    0
Control                                0x00

Sense Data
70 00 02 00 00 00 00 16 00 00 00 00 52 00 00 00 p...........R...
00 00                                           ..
Filemark                               False
EOM                                    False
ILI                                    False
Sense key                              NOT_READY
ASC                                    CARTRIDGE_FAULT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Event:         4 Start: 21:02:27.994 Stop: 21:02:27.994 Duration: 0.000000
SCSI Address: 02:00:05:00
Function                                SRB_FUNCTION_EXECUTE_SCSI
SRB Status                              SRB_STATUS_ERROR | SRB_STATUS_QUEUE_FROZEN | SRB_STATUS_AUTOSENSE_VALID
SCSI Status                             SCSISTAT_CHECK_CONDITION
Flags                                   SRB_FLAGS_DISABLE_SYNCH_TRANSFER
Sense Length                            18
Data Length                             0
Driver Result                           STATUS_IO_DEVICE_ERROR

Raw CDB
00 00 00 00 00 00 ......

CDB Operation                           TEST_UNIT_READY
LUN                                    0
Control                                0x00

Sense Data
70 00 02 00 00 00 00 16 00 00 00 00 52 00 00 00 p...........R...
00 00                                           ..
Filemark                               False
EOM                                    False
ILI                                    False
Sense key                              NOT_READY
ASC                                    CARTRIDGE_FAULT

Event:         5 Start: 21:02:27.994 Stop: 21:02:27.994 Duration: 0.000000
SCSI Address: 02:00:05:00
Function                                SRB_FUNCTION_FLUSH_QUEUE
SRB Status                              SRB_STATUS_SUCCESS
SCSI Status                             SCSISTAT_GOOD
Sense Length                            0
Data Length                             0
Driver Result                           STATUS_SUCCESS
Event:         6 Start: 21:02:28.103 Stop: 21:02:28.103 Duration: 0.000000
SCSI Address: 02:00:05:00
Function                                SRB_FUNCTION_EXECUTE_SCSI
SCSI Status                             SCSISTAT_CHECK_CONDITION
Sense Length                            18
Data Length                             0
Driver Result                           STATUS_SUCCESS

Raw CDB
00 00 00 00 00 00 ......

CDB Operation                           TEST_UNIT_READY
LUN                                    0
Control                                0x00

Sense Data
70 00 02 00 00 00 00 16 00 00 00 00 52 00 00 00 p...........R...
00 00                                           ..
Filemark                               False
EOM                                    False
ILI                                    False
Sense key                              NOT_READY
ASC                                    CARTRIDGE_FAULT

I snipped it due to the length (pastebin would not take it either). I see CARTRIDGE_FAULT entries and IO errors but i am hoping you can help me make heads or tails out of this. Thanks again, Larry!

Larry_Fine · ‎01-20-2009

The key is the CARTRIDGE_FAULT message, which comes from the 52 00 about 5 lines above it. Unfortunatley, it doesn't give us any detail. Looking up 52h/00h on http://t10.org/lists/asc-num.txt simply shows the same "cartridge fault". Looking up 52/00 in the Quantum SCSI manual shows "Cartridge Error, Calibration Failure" which still isn't much help to us. Sorry I cannot be more help, but it looks like you will need to get a better explaination from Quantum why your drive doesn't like those tapes.

VOX

Not able to see SDLT media