Error The device, \Device\Tape0, is not ready for access yet

[sherpa101]

We have a Compaq Proliant connected via ultra scsi cable to a Quantum DLT 7000 drive.
Backup Exec 7.2 states that the device is off line in the devices tab.
Rebooting solved the problem last Thursday but now I can't get it back on line. Thus no backups.

In control panel in SCSI adapters the correct ScSI ID appears. In Tape Devices in control panel NT can see the drive, says it's working, and the driver is loaded.

In event viewer I get Event ID 15 something about "qntmdlt "
"The device, \Device\Tape0, is not ready for access yet"

Is this an NT, Compaq, SCSI, Backup Exec, or a driver issue!

Please help
Tony [sig][/sig]

 

[seniorpete]

try ntbackup first. does it work with the drive?
which driver are you using? seagate, nt, or quantum?

id also check the status of the dlt drive via the lights on the front. are the "operate handle"?? lights on? meaning that the drive has dismounted the tape and is waiting for an operator to lift the handle and remove the tape. try taking the tape out and putting it back in. then run an inventory in be or try ntbackup.

 

[sherpa101]

Darn, it's happening again.
Do you mean dump Backup Exec and use NTBAckup?

When I put a tape in and choose Inventory it goes offline. Everytime. I have to disable the DLT thur Backup Exec scsi configuration and then re enable it to get it back on line. As soon as the scheduled job starts up at night it goes off line. The "tape in use" light stays on constantly is that typical when a tape is in?

Help

 

[humse]

Event Id usual relates to hardware issue. In my opinion you need to replace you hardware either the tape device, or controller.

It is higly unlikely that Backup Exec or NT backup are the issue. The follwoing is an extarct from the Microsft themselves:

Event ID: 15
Source: [scsi miniport driver]
Description: The device, \Device\ScsiPort1, is not ready for access yet.

Event ID 15 indicates that the device is not ready. This can be the result of SCSI host adapter configuration issues or other problems. Check with the manufacturer for updated firmware, drivers, or known issues. This could also indicate a malfunctioning device. This error occurs at the device level.

General Troubleshooting
Use the following general troubleshooting methods to help resolve event ID 9, 11, or 15:

Check for loose connections.


Check for physical damage to cables or connector pins.


Make sure that the driver and firmware versions match those used on all servers in the cluster. Check with the manufacturer for updates.


For SCSI-based storage:
Make sure that you have a "Y" cable with an external physical terminator.


Verify that you have the proper terminator for your SCSI implementation. For example, you need a different type of terminator for a SCSI2 and an Ultra2 LVD SCSI system (because different resistance is needed).


Verify that you do not have duplicate termination (for example, there are two physical terminators on the bus and one of the controllers has its software termination enabled).


Make sure that you have disabled the internal termination in the BIOS of the controller.


Make sure that the total combined cable length does not exceed the maximum SCSI length specification (this varies depending on your implementation).


Check for duplicate SCSI IDs on the same bus.

NOTE: By default, both controllers are set to ID 7; you need to make sure that one of the controllers is set to ID 6.


Make sure that the automatic bus reset option is turned off in the controller's configuration.

 

[hydrogen45]

Sherpa can you please tell me what you did to solve this crisis....i have a similar situation on my Compaq Proliant 3000

 

[zzc4]

It looks like a SCSI time out error. Try to download the latest Compaq NSSD for NT from

http://www5.compaq.com/support/files/server/us/download/9192.html,

and load on the server. It will update the SCSI and changer driver, or you can force to re-install them. See if it can fix the problem.

This was suggested to me by a friend. I hope it works.

 

[Guest_imported]

qntmdlt.sys is in fact the driver for the DLT drives that is made by Compaq.

In general I have seen it fail far more often than the drives themselves. As zzc4 said installing the latest greatest SSD should help resolve your issue. Make sure you test it in your test enviorment first because SSDs are not fool proof, but this is what your handy dandy Compaq Service Rep would suggest.

However if this system was running fine and it suddenly started to fail with no change to the SCSI, fibre, Backup Exec or other related areas then you are prolly looking at a hardware failure.

 

[Malcolmf]

I am having the same problem with a Compaq ML 370 G2 Server and a Compaq 100Gb AIT drive running Windows 2000 Service pack 3.

I have had Compaq replace the drive three times and had an engineer check out the SCSI/termination/cable setup. I have updated the SCSI driver and the firmware revision is up to date. The drive still fails and goes off line during full backups. Small incremental back ups run OK. Only a shut down and reboot will bring the tape drive back online. I have all but ruled out hardware failure.

The Veritas Support Users site has several posts on this, it appears that many people with different Server and backup devices are having the same problem.

Backup Exec is the common denominator