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Backup errors 2

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byrontel

byrontel

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Jul 24, 2003
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Trying to back up Octel 250 behind a CS1000 switch.
Getting 2 different types of error messages on 4 different tapes.
"Tape unusable" and "tape drive reset".
The tapes I have are hpdds-3 24gb and also have access to DGDAT72 36gb (not sure if they will work)
I have tried a cleaner tape and tried these 4 multiple times to no avail.
I know this is an old system and customer stubbornly hangs on to it....any advice as to my next step?
Thanks
 
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Well at this point it would seem that the drive is bad if you have changed out the tape and you are sure you are using a dds2 tape.

It still could just need a reboot to bring the bus back inline as i have seen this before. Or you may need a new tape drive unit. We do indeed have them.



Ken Means

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
 
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Reboot"....forgot to mention...been there done that.
I will be asking customer to look into sourcing a tape drive assembly.(Got a feeling they're more than five bucks)
Thanks
 
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I have removed the drive assembly and manually cleaned head with alcohol...same issue.Older tape failure response is "tape unusable"...new tape response is "tape drive reset". Why two different responses??Does anyone have any suggestion for other things to try before buying a new tape drive assembly? I have located a supplier for one..not cheap.
Thanks
 
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And by not cheap you mean? We sell them and they are not that bad.

If you have cleaned the head and still get the error then it must be the drive. You say old tape do you mean that the new tape is the same type? Or a different type of tape?

I assume that they are not getting any other types of alarms on the system and that everything else is working fine.

The only other thing that it could be is the drive bay backplane or the ccf card itself that is causing the issue as it is the controller prep's the data before it goes to the drive.



Ken Means

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
 
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$1100.00...
Same type of tape.....older tape is the one used previously for years. Newer one is a HP DDS-3 24g (same as old one).Still don't know why I'm getting different failure responses.
As far as alarms go..I'm getting "Status Log Space Critical" in menu 13.8
Would hate to replace tape drive assembly only to find out it's not the problem.

Thanks
 
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Try a dds-2 tape and see what happens.

I may have asked this already but what happens if you just backup the data and say no to the messages ?

Also how busy is the system ?

Ken Means

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
 
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I am backing up data only...no messages...don't have any DDS-2 tapes...been using DDS-3 always.
I managed to clear the The Status Log Space Critical Alarm... although I did get a "staus log entry" alarm ...cleared that...but still same backup response. Can I check the backplane in any way?
As I said earlier I am only here on a part time basis and have to leave now until Thursday. I can dial in remotely if need be to check alarms again. Any thoughts you may have regarding other options are appreciated.No rush.
Thanks
 
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I would try backing up just one cos to see if anything changes. Other than that you may want to replace the drive.

Or haven the tape drive tested. We cando that to see if it works in a lab system. Or if you get one and it does not fix the issue we would not charge you for it as long as it is returned

Ken Means

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
 
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how much for a replacement?
" " " test/repair?
Tried one COS only...same result.
What does Tape Drive Reset actually mean?..not clear in docs.
Is there any point opr service affection in doing a "Garbage Collect?
Thanks
 
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the reset just means that it gave up as it could not complete the task.

it can mean that the motor cant move fast enough to keep up or that a mailbox is in use and it is trying to back it up.



i will need to get back to you on the cost.

Ken Means

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
 
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Thanks
Once again I'll be leaving here shortly until Tuesday but will keep an eye remotely.
What about "Garbage Collect" ?
 
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our cost on the drive is higher than $1100.00 so we could not do that low of a price. if they buy it and it does not work out let us know and we can see what we can do.

If you were to send us the drive to test we would charge $250.00 plus any shipping fees.



Ken Means

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
 
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Thanks...still checking with customer.
What about "Garbage Collect"?
 
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you can try it, it will not hurt to run it during the day if you know how to run it.



Ken Means

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
 
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Are these units typically repairable? What kind of hourly rate?
 
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They can be refurbed but the price is the same as getting one that is new or has been refurbed.

It had been 3 months so I guess the customer does not really care about the backups

I would say they need to bite the bullet and get a new tape drive not sure what else you can do about it.





Ken Means

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
First I want to thank you for all your help. Got two used tape drives and interface cards. Tape drives worked fine with old interface cards but one card gives message "failed spin control" when trying to enable. I'm fine with new drives now I can back up but just curious what that message means? (The other card has physical damage).
Thanks again
 
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