News Group Posts

tapealert messages

Microlite BackupEDGE can read these messages. So can Linux "smartctl" (though the man page says only for SCSI tapes). BSD has "mtx".

It's good to have this as part of your backup strategy. Knowing about pending problems can help avoid useless backups that can't be restored.

There's a list of TapeAlert messages lower down.

        Tom Podnar propounded (on Thu, May 25, 2000 at 11:14:20PM -0400):
        | 
        | Here is an updated /etc/edge.nightly that properly prints
        | TapeAlert Messages in the email message for you to test.
        | 
        | My tape drives all report fine:
        | Here is an example from my mail message:
        | 2000-05-25 23:01:01 - BackupEDGE - Process ID 13202 Beginning
        | 2000-05-25 23:01:04 - Checking For Logged In Users - Complete!
        | 2000-05-25 23:01:05 - Running /etc/edge.start Program - Complete!
        | 2000-05-25 23:01:05 - Performing mlite:NS20 Checklist
        | 2000-05-25 23:01:08 - NS20 on mlite
        
        
        I installed the new script on my machine and on a customer's machine.
        
        As opposed to the five lines you show, on both machines, I only saw the
        single line w/r to:
        
                'Performing <tape-dive> Checklist'
        
        -- 
        JP

That is exactly correct behaviour.

TapeAlert messages only appear when one or more is pending in the
drive's TapeAlert log page.

That's why we missed things during testing. They aren't supposed to
show up often and our tape drives don't usually give us problems.

What was happening here with 01.01.08 build 2 was that edge.nightly
was getting the message, then discarding it without printing it.

I'm avoiding cleaning one of the NS20s right now just to make sure we
get messages to test with.

Remember, according to the spec, when we read a TapeAlert message off the
drive it is cleared. So nothing will probably happen if you manually issue
an "edge.tape -V", read the message, then issue it again or have the
edge.nightly command issue it again.

The NS20 I'm playing with is so desparate to be cleaned it issued the
following last night/this morning...
  2000-05-25 23:01:08 - NS20 on mlite
                        Pre-Backup TapeAlert Message - Primary
  The tape drive is due for routine cleaning:
   1. Wait for the current operation to finish.
   2. Then use a cleaning cartridge.
  Check the tape drive users manual for device specific cleaning
  instructions.

  Flags: 21
  2000-05-25 23:01:08 - TapeAlert Message Ends

Then, when the backup was complete:

  2000-05-26 01:58:59 - NS20 on mlite
                        Post-Backup TapeAlert Message - Primary
  The tape drive is having problems reading data. No data has been lost, but
  there has been a reduction in the performance of the tape.
  The tape drive is having problems writing data. No data has been lost, but
  there has been a reduction in the capacity of the tape.

  Flags: 1 2
  2000-05-26 01:59:00 - TapeAlert Message Ends

Obviously, the cleaning message was cleared when it was read before the
backup began. The other two messages were generated by the drive during
the backup.

If I remove the current tape cartridge, then re-insert another without
performing a cleaning, the drive will queue a new cleaning message.

Tom Podnar

From: "D. Thomas Podnar" <tom@microlite.com>
Subject: Re: HP DAT tape drive isn't holding up
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 01:35:09 GMT

: I have an HP DAT24eU tape drive.  It's about 18 months old.  I do 2
: masters (3.5 GB) and 3 incrementals (0.5 GB) per week.  I don't bother
: with compression, due to the small size of the backups.  I usually buy
: new tapes every 3 months.
: 
: Lately I'm getting an I/O error when the backup starts, about once a
: week.  (It's an unattended backup.)  Power cycling the drive gets
: things going again.  I've had the drive in to our local tech for a
: good cleaning and going over.  The intermittent problem persists,
: indeed worsens.
: 
: Does this drive have such a limited life?  At this point I'm planning
: to buy another drive, install it, and send this one back to HP to be
: rebuilt.  Then I guess in 18 months it'll be time to reinstall the
: rebuilt drive, and send in the new one I'm preparing to buy now.
: 
: But should I have to do this?  Is this typical?  Any other ideas or
: suggestions?
: 
: Nathan / Theatre Effects
: www.theatrefx.com

The DAT24 is a pretty smart device. It may be able to tell you what is
wrong with it, or its environment, using its TapeAlert(tm) diagnostics
capabilities.

TapeAlert compatible drives like the DAT24 can tell you if they need
cleaned, if they have been using bad media, and in some cases if they
are running in an undervolt scenario or in a system with poor termination.
They can even tell you if they are about to fail, if you have software
capable of querying them.



Diagnostics Method 1
--------------------
If you are using a recent release of BackupEDGE, you can ask the
tape drive to return any diagnostics messages to you.

/usr/lib/edge/bin/edge.tape -V /dev/xStp0

If you aren't using BackupEDGE you may download a copy from the web
site, install it (it will run for 60 days in evaluation mode),
and then run the command.

If you are using other software, install the eval and issue the command
right after you insert a tape for a few days, and right after you get
an I/O error.

BackupEDGE 01.01.08 will query the drive for TapeAlert messages and
place any results in normal nightly backup reports.

BackupEDGE can be completely removed at any time by using
Custom / Software Manager.


Diagnostics Method 2
--------------------
If you can move the tape drive to a Windows machine, HP has an excellent
program called TapeTools. It will thoroughly diagnose the drive, and also
allow you to upgrade to the latest firmware, which is L005 for that device.


Method 2 provides a very thorough test of the drive itself.

Method 1 may provide better environmental diagnostics, as you are testing
it on the system, cabling and media you use daily.



Tom
---
  D. Thomas Podnar - President  tom@microlite.com
  Microlite Corporation         724-375-6711 Voice
  2315 Mill Street              724-375-6908 Fax
  Aliquippa PA 15001-2228       888-257-3343 Toll Free Sales
+----------------------------------------------------------+
|             The Crash Recovery Company(sm)               |
+----------------------------------------------------------+
|Makers of                                                 |
| BackupEDGE  -  Data Archiving Software For Unix & Linux  |
| RecoverEDGE -  Network-Enabled Smart Disaster Recovery   |
|                for Linux, UnixWare 7.1, OpenServer 5.0.x.|
|http://www.microlite.com           ftp://ftp.microlite.com|
+----------------------------------------------------------+

From - Tue Sep  5 16:06:20 2000
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sco.misc
From: "D. Thomas Podnar" <tom@microlite.com>
Subject: Re: Travan NS problems
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 18:10:41 GMT
Message-ID: <200009051810.OAA02853@mlite.microlite.com> 

: We are experiencing problems with backups on our SCO Openserver 5.0.5
: servers with Travan NS20 tapes (TR-5).
: After several months of use the tape fails to read part way through the
: data. Up to now we had assumed this to be a fault with the drive or dirty
: heads. We are now certaing that it is due to individual tape problems. Has
: anybody experienced these problems ??
: 
: By the way, the drive is installed as a standard SCSI tape device although
: we are using a custom written backup routine which has always proven
: reliable over the past few years with other tape devices e.g. Tandberg .25".
: The error messages reported are not standard and so I havent reported them
: here.
: 
: Robbie Niblock

Well, let's try asking the tape drive...

Install a demo copy of BackupEDGE from our web site.
(ftp://ftp.microlite.com/demos/010108/edgesco5)

For your purposes, we'll be skipping backup and disaster recovery and
going right to diagnostics.


The product will run in 60 day evaluation mode.

Type the following command immediately, then right after a failure.

/usr/lib/edge/bin/edge.tape -V /dev/xStp0

If the tape drive is any kind of recent, it will have TapeAlert diagnostics
built in and will report the hardware reason for its failure.

If it does not, every NS20 that I'm aware of has a firmware upgrade
which adds TapeAlert support. Try a firmware upgrade.

Below are a few of the messages that BackupEDGE might get from TapeAlert 
compatible drives that may help diagnose tape read errors.

You'll see as you read through some of the messages that smart tape
drives can diagnose themselves, their media, and the bus and environment
they are working within.

Please let us all know if this helps.


Tom
---
  D. Thomas Podnar - President            tom@microlite.com  Email
  Microlite Corporation                   724-375-6711       Voice
  2315 Mill Street                        724-375-6908       Fax
  Aliquippa PA 15001-2228                 888-257-3343       Toll Free Sales
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                     The Crash Recovery Company(sm)                       |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Makers of Microlite BackupEDGE  - Data Archiving Software For Unix/Linux. |
|      and Microlite RecoverEDGE - The Smart Crash Recovery Software with  |
|                                  Network Support for Linux, UnixWare 7.1,|
|                                  OpenServer 5.0.x and Unix 3.2v4.2.      |
|http://www.microlite.com                          ftp://ftp.microlite.com |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+


---
Sampling of possible TapeAlert messages...
---
The tape drive is having problems reading data.
No data has been lost, but there has been a
reduction in the performance of the tape.
---
Your data is at risk:  
1. Copy any data you require from this tape.  
2. Do not use this tape again.  
3. Restart the operation with a different tape.
---
The tape is damaged or the drive is faulty. Call
the tape drive supplier helpline.
---
The tape cartridge has reached the end of its
calculated useful life:  
1. Copy any data you need to another tape  
2. Discard the old tape.
---
The tape cartridge is nearing the end of its
calculated life.  
It is recommended that you:  
1. Use another tape cartridge for your next
backup.  
2. Store this tape cartridge in a safe place in case
you need to restore data from it.
---
The tape drive needs cleaning:  
1. If the operation has stopped, eject the tape
and clean the drive  
2. If the operation has not stopped, wait for it to
finish and then clean the drive.  
Check the tape drive users manual for device
specific cleaning instructions.
---
The tape drive is due for routine cleaning:  
1. Wait for the current operation to finish.  
2. Then use a cleaning cartridge.  
Check the tape drive users manual for device
specific cleaning instructions.
---
A tape drive cooling fan has failed.
---
The tape drive power consumption is outside the
specified range
---
The tape drive has a hardware fault:  
1. Turn the tape drive off and then on again.  
2. Restart the operation.  
3. If the problem persists, call the tape drive
supplier helpline.  
Check the tape drive users manual for device
specific instructions on turning the device power
on and off.
---
The tape drive has a problem with the host
interface:  
1. Check the cables and cable connections.  
2. Restart the operation.
---
Environmental conditions inside the tape drive
are outside the specified humidity range
---
Environmental conditions inside the tape drive
are outside the specified temperature range.
---
The voltage supply to the tape drive is outside
the specified range.
---
A hardware failure of the tape drive is predicted.
Call the tape drive supplier helpline.
---

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