Compaq 40/80 DLT External Drive

[bobbydale81]

I could not find a suitable location for this post, so I am posting here in the General Back-up Forum.

I recently purchased a used Compaq 40/80 DLT External Tape Drive with the intention of using it with my Compaq Proliant ML530. I am beginning to think that either A) the tape drive does not work or B) I am not setting it up right.

To eliminate A, I need your help. Should the drive accept and eject tapes regardless of it's connection to the server?

If not, then I have not set it up correctly. But first, let's try to eliminate A.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
Dale

 

[ntinlin]

It should indeed. As long as it has power the SCSI connection doesn't really matter.

Neill

 

[bobbydale81]

That's what I thought, but the company that sold it to me is telling me different...could they possibly be fibbing just so I will keep it?

I'm not sure how to ask this, but how confident are you of your answer? Have you worked with these drives?

I assume that it should eject and accept tapes regardless of the SCSI connection, but I have never really worked with many tape drives.

Thanks!
Dale

 

[karlisi]

Internal Quantum DLT 20/40 accepts and ejects tapes without SCSI cable connected, only power. I think, 40/80 is not so different.

===
Karlis
ECDL; MCSA

 

[bobbydale81]

Well, this message board along with a few of my associates are all telling me the same thing - the drive should be accepting and ejecting tapes regardless of the SCSI connection; therefore, I am sending back the drive with request for a replacement.

I may need further assistance installing it once I receive the correct drive. Is it cool to keep posting in this forum about it or is there another I should be posting this in?

Thanks!
Dale

 

[ntinlin]

I suppose it could go under Compaq Servers but it is backup related so seems ok to me.

Neill

 

[bobbydale81]

The company that sold me the drive contacted me back and informed me that they have the drives checked by HP before they are sold as refurbs.

Could it be possible that something in the kernel initializes the drive so that it can be used? I would assume that accepting and rejecting tapes would not need a SCSI connection nor any sort of initialization.

 

[birky]

Try this..it works for Quantum LT drives.

1. Press and hold the unload/eject button for approximately 27 seconds until all 4 LEDs are illuminated (not blinking)

2. Release the unload/eject button and the drive will initiate a device reset and perform a POST.

3. Upon completion of the POST, press and release the unload/eject button as soon as the READY led starts to blink and/or you hear media motion. The drive will try to eject the tape as soon as the drive has finished the reset....can take up to several minutes though.

If that doesn't work then return the drive.


PinnacleData Systems (UK)

 

[bobbydale81]

There are two buttons on the front of the drive: 'Select' and 'Unload'. I held down each button by itself for over seconds. I also tried holding both buttons at the same time. Never at any time did any of the LEDs blink or turn on/off.

I have a contractor coming in Friday night that is actually the guy that set up the server several years ago. If he is determines that the tape drive is non-functioning, then I will return the drive for another.

I appreciate everyone's help.

THANKS!!!
Dale

 

[MarinoMel]

The drive in general can be put by the backup application is several status, that will prevent actions from the front panel.
One of these status is "Reserve", if you drive is put in Reserved mode by the application, you cannot eject the tape.
So you need to identify when you have the problem:
if you just power up the server and the drive, and your backup application never start, nothing can lock the drive, and you should be able to insert and eject tapes at any time.
If you run a backup, and the task do not finish for any case, you will not be able to eject the tape, because the drive was set in reserved mode, and a release command was not send.
if you are facing the second case, a power cycle will clear the "Reserve" flag inside the drive and will allow you to load/unload again the tape.
so depending when you face the problem, it may be caused by a defective drive or a standard command
marino

 

[bobbydale81]

Right out of the box, the drive would not accept tapes. Also, I tried installing it on Windows2000 and SCO Unix Openserver 5.0, both of which have drivers for the drive. Neither OS was able to recognize the drive.

The company that I bought it from,

http://www.ambry.com,

told me that the drive wouldn't work until I had installed it properly. The feedback I am getting here and at my office is that the drive should at least accept and eject tapes before I ever hook it up to a server.

Thanks,
Dale

 

[bobbydale81]

I received a new external tape drive and I am sure that this one works. The LEDs on the front actually come on and it will accept and eject tapes; all this before I even install it on the server.

Now my new problem is that I can get it set up correctly on the server. I am running SCO Openserver V5.0.5 with the SCSI tape drive connected to port 1 (the b port). The server is a Compaq Proliant ML530 (stop laughing - I still use this thing.

When I run `mkdev tape`, I set up the drive with all of the correct settings (as far as I know them to be), but still no response from the drive when I run the `tape` command.

Any tek-tips?

thanks!
-dale-

 

[birky]

first....is the drive terminated?

This should help you....up until # mkdev juke

http://wdb1.sco.com/kb/showta?taid=111063&sid=639740887

PinnacleData Systems (UK)

 

[bobbydale81]

I finally got it working! Thanks so much for everyone's help!

Get this though - now that the drive works, I'm having trouble with the software. I tried updating the contact information and it made my license invalid! ARGHH!!!!

I can take care of that, thanks again for everyone's help!

-Dale-

 

[bobbydale81]

New problem with this stupid drive...

On the main display screen for my SCO box, it keeps displaying over and over:

"The host detected a single bit error on the SCSI bus" along with some various numbers related to settings.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks!
Dale

 

[birky]

hi again

Make sure the bus is properly terminated.

Have you got any more devices attached to the bus?

Tried a different scsi cable?

 

[bobbydale81]

There are not any other devices attached. If I relink it in the kernel(SCO Openserver V5), then it will work fine for a few hours to days before getting the error. I have tried that about three times now.

A contractor that was here recently told me that he thought it was something inside the drive as I have had the cable and terminator hooked up to a different drive for several years now without any issues.

This makes me sad because I'm afraid if I return the drive as defective to the place I bought it from(ambry.com<-stay away if you can...) that it will work for them initially when they test it and won't get the error. Then, they would charge me a restocking fee and I would have to pay shipping both ways for a replacement drive.

Do you know of any diagnostic tools or anything that I could run on the drive before deciding to send it back? This is the second drive from ambry, the first one wouldn't even turn on.

Thanks!
Dale

 

[birky]

Seems funny that you can relink it in the kernel and then it works fine for a while....could also be a problem with the scsi adaptor at the server end.

Any errors in /usr/adm/syslog
(not sure if right path? ...I know Solaris )

Did you not get any HP software with this drive?

What do Ambry say when you talk to them?....surely they must have some kind of idea as to what could be causing this error...ask them if there are any firmware updates you should apply.

 

[MarinoMel]

You may have a cable that have some bad connection, or a bent/retracted pin, moving connector from one to another drive, can introduce this kind of problem.
Try with new cable, and you can use the Storageworks L&TT to diagnose connectivity of your device
marino

 

[bobbydale81]

Where can I find this Storageworks L&TT for SCO OpenServer V5.0.5? I am usually pretty good at hunting things down, but I'm coming up short on that one.

So far, I can get the drive to back up, but it will only backup at about 1/4 the speed that it used to. To me, this means that it must be configured wrong.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
Dale