explanation about soft/hard read/write errors on backup tapes

[Explorer1]

I have a backup tape with the following errors:

seek errors: 0

soft write errors: 202

hard write errors: 2

soft read errors: 51

hard read errors: 1

is this backup still safe to use? is it still reliable for use on restores?

if there are like 5000 soft read errors? how bad is that? is it normal? i can't find any related information about these errors on backup tapes.

[AmolB · Accepted solution]

Refer to the below articles

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH7363

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH148542

[CraigV · Accepted solution]

...any worries about these errors can be checked out by using your drive manufacturer's tape diagnostic and running a write test on 1 of those tapes. It will check the hardwre to rule that out as being the cause.

Sometimes it's just down to old tapes at the end of the day...

Thanks!

[pkh · Accepted solution]

See my article below https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/tape-statistics-explained