LTO4 Tapes recieving HARD ERROR on first use.

[Jesse_Holloman]

I am having issues with LTO4 Tape Drives getting HARD ERRORS on the first use of the tape,  and FREEZING the tape.

I have tried setting the media type and device type to HCART.

I have tried setting the media type and device type to HCART3

I have updated the NetBackup Device Mapping file to the most current.

I have tried LTO4 media from different vendors.

All to no avail.

We are running NetBackup  version 6.5.6, on Solaris 10, using STK L700 Robot with IBM Ultrium LTO4 drives.

Below are the messages I am seeing; They appear in bptm logs, in job log, and in /var/adm/messages.

Anyone have any ideas what could be causing this.

Oct 14, 2011 11:46:13 AM - positioned L70800; position time: 0:00:03
Oct 14, 2011 11:46:13 AM - begin writing
Oct 14, 2011 11:46:19 AM - Warning bptm (pid=22582) TapeAlert Code: 0x03, Type: Warning, Flag: HARD ERROR, from drive IBM.ULTRIUM-TD4.009 (index 9), Media Id L70800
Oct 14, 2011 11:46:19 AM - Error bptm (pid=22582) TapeAlert Code: 0x04, Type: Critical, Flag: MEDIA, from drive IBM.ULTRIUM-TD4.009 (index 9), Media Id L70800
Oct 14, 2011 11:46:20 AM - Error bptm (pid=22582) TapeAlert Code: 0x06, Type: Critical, Flag: WRITE FAILURE, from drive IBM.ULTRIUM-TD4.009 (index 9), Media Id L70800
Oct 14, 2011 11:46:21 AM - Warning bptm (pid=22582) TapeAlert Code: 0x0f, Type: Warning, Flag: MIC FAILURE, from drive IBM.ULTRIUM-TD4.009 (index 9), Media Id L70800
Oct 14, 2011 11:46:21 AM - Warning bptm (pid=22582) TapeAlert Code: 0x11, Type: Warning, Flag: READ ONLY, from drive IBM.ULTRIUM-TD4.009 (index 9), Media Id L70800
Oct 14, 2011 11:46:25 AM - end writing; write time: 0:00:12
the requested operation was successfully completed  (0)

[Marianne]

Please check and confirm the following:

Up-to-date firmware on tape drives. Firmware level can be confirmed with 'tpautoconf -t'

st patch level on Solaris server that support LTO4 tape drives:
# cd /kernel/drv/sparcv9
# strings st |grep -i ultrium

[J_H_Is_gone]

0x03: 'Uncorrectable read/write error',

0x04: 'Media Performance Degraded, Data Is At Risk',

0x06: 'Write Failure',

0x0F: 'Failure of cartridge memory chip',
 

0x11: 'Read only media loaded',

from the errors it would look like your new drives are having issues writing to the memory chip in the physical tape.

when a tape is loaded for the first time the barcode is set to the chip as well as info on when last written to and errors - if it cannot write to the chip it could be failing.

Are these New tapes or used tapes?


 

[Mark_Solutions]

Hi I have seen this many times and it usually ends up with the drive bring replaced but the first thing you will be asked to do is clean the drive at least 3 times to see if resolves the issue So try that but log a call with your vendor and try the drive firmware upgrade

[Jesse_Holloman]

These are New LTO4 Drives, so I dont think cleaning them is an issue.

They are New (not used ) tapes.

Firmware version is 94D7

bash-3.2$ strings st | grep -i ultrium
XFPHP Ultrium LTO 4
HP      Ultrium 4*
XFPHP Ultrium LTO 3
HP      Ultrium 3*
XFPHP Ultrium LTO 2
HP      Ultrium 2*
XFPHP Ultrium LTO
HP      Ultrium 1*
8@Certance Ultrium 3
CERTANCEULTRIUM 3
4*0Certance Ultrium 2
CERTANCEULTRIUM 2
4*0Seagate Ultrium LTO
SEAGATE ULTRIUM06242-XX
IBM Ultrium Gen 4 LTO
IBM     ULTRIUM-TD4
*0IBM Ultrium Gen 4 LTO
*0IBM Ultrium Gen 3 LTO
IBM     ULTRIUM-TD3
IBM Ultrium Gen 3 LTO
IBM Ultrium Gen 2 LTO
IBM     ULTRIUM-TD2
#dIBM Ultrium Gen 2 LTO
#dIBM Ultrium LTO
IBM     ULTRIUM-TD1
IBM Ultrium LTO

[Jesse_Holloman]

Also from the latest test, I can label the tapes using NetBackup's  bplabel,  without error.

From that point the tape is usable without error and without FREEZING.

But that's a workaround and not a viable option.

[Jesse_Holloman]

J.Hinchcliffe,

Thanks for the code translation; the messages as produced are pretty generic.

Issues with writing to the memory chip on the tape is an interesting direction.

Since writing to the tape with bplabel, produces no errors,  do you know if NetBackup's labeling process would bypass writing to the chip,  (or maybe ignore any errors it encounters) ?

The Firmware we have on the drives (94D7) is very new, so we have ordered a Firmware downgrade which we will apply and test.

I will post the outcome.

   Thanks,

            Jesse

[Mark_Solutions]

Hi

If they are new drives cleaning is all the more important!

The manufacturers used to clean them 4 times before shipping but due to the cost they no loner do this.

Clean them 3 or 4 times and see what happens

[J_H_Is_gone]

It is the default of the tape drive to write to the chip -

now that a bplabel worked - meaning you said overwrite what ever and reliable - it could be that what it is finding on the tape or the chip is something it is not allowed to over write.  Still might be pointing to tape drives -- 

but is it right that the same tapes used by a windows  media server using the same tape drives works the first time?

[Jesse_Holloman]

 I tested cleaning all of the drives 4 times.

Unfortunately, same result. I saw the errors on the first write, and tapes were FROZEN;  did not see the error on subsequent writes.

Thanks

[Marianne]

I see that you have tried media from different manufacturers. Does the same happen when using IBM media?
A colleague at my new job told me the other day that they have seen "strange" errors when using media from other manufacturers on IBM LTO drives. These errors go away on 2nd write. (similar to your experience after labelling tapes.) No problems seen when using IBM media.

Have you tried different firmware on the drives?

[Jesse_Holloman]

I have tried using IBM media to no avail. We are expecting latest firmware upgrade to arrive tomorrow.

That will be the next test.

[Mark_Solutions]

Just noticed your note about being able to label them to get them to work - I have seen that previosuly with SDLT4 media and that was a firmware issue so hopefully the firmware upgrade will sort you out.

If not keep pressing your vendor as i have one client that has had all of their drives replaced at least twice so far due to a few bad batches of drives knocking about.

Keep us up to date.

[Jesse_Holloman · Accepted solution]

We applied firmware version B5JF to the IBM ULtrium LTO4 drives.

The errors cleared and tapes are no longer FREEZING.

Thanks to everyone for your input.