reading tapes

[Guest_imported]

aix/perts,

in an old RS6K with AIX4.2.1, DDS2 tape drive, i backed up 2 filesystems using "tar cvf /dev/rmt0 /data1 /data2" - using DDS2 tapes. i checked the tape and i can display what's in it (tar tvf /dev/rmt0).

i tried restoring this to the new RS6K machine with DDS3 tape drive (same block-size=512; tar xvf /dev/rmt0). but i got these 2 inconsistent results:

1. i was able to restore part of it and it stops along the way unsuccessful. leaving with an error-detecting LED on. part of the data was restored. i cleaned the tape drive and drive's ok again.

2. wasn't able to read the tape at all

* the DDS2 tapes are all new (IBM, 4mm)
* i even tried DDS3 tape to DDS2 drive (which i doubt)

any suggestion/s?

 

[PSD]

jonny,

Welcome to the world of tape transfers, I have had this problem many times tapes only working on the tape drives they were created on i.e. due to slightly different head alignment in the drives e.t.c.....

This may of course be a different problem - part way through the restore when it stopped, it is not a large file i.e. over 1 GB because your ulimit setting may the the default only allowing files smaller than 1GB, or if it is bigger than 2GB you will need to create a large file enabled JFS. Just something to check.

Cheers
PSD
IBM Certified Specialist - AIX V4.3 Systems Support
IBM Certified Specialist - AIX V4 HACMP

 

[Guest_imported]

PSD,

i think, you're right - i'm restoring more than 1GB files. in my new machine, i created 2 FFs with:

Compression algorithm no
Large File Enabled false

should i re-create it and setup to "yes" & "true", respectively?

how about the old machine? i got the backup and i was able to read (backup), display and restore on it. the problem is when reading/restoring this backup to new machine.

 

[aixqueen]

You might also check what the density settings are for your tape drive
on the new machine? and what they were on the old

DDS2 READ/ WRITE 4GB Mode Only 36 (density setting?)


What PSD is referring to, I believe, is your ulimit value in the
/etc/security/limits file Maybe -1 for a value?

or if the file on the old system was large file enabled because it was over 2 gigs....
if not...no to large file enabled.....

 

[PSD]

jonny,

Post up the output from both machines of :

ulimit -a

After you do an attempted restore post up the size of the file as shown via "ls -l".

Aixqueen has also identified how to change this i.e. by editing /etc/security/limits

Cheers
PSD
IBM Certified Specialist - AIX V4.3 Systems Support
IBM Certified Specialist - AIX V4 HACMP

 

[Guest_imported]

due to time limitations, i was advised by my comrade to connect the new machine on the network. and copy FSs via network connection. the only problem i got now is im getting permission violation.

i exported FSs of the old machine and mounted it on the new machine. is there a particular command the will bypass all these read permission violation (i used cp -R <file_name/directory_name> <destination> im getting when copying from a mounted FS of the old machine from new RS6K?

i will try PSD and AIXqueen's suggestion eventually after settling things down.

thanks.