Tape Inventory Takes Forever

[ljg]

I have an IBM 4560SLX Tape Library SCSI-Attached to a Dell PowerEdge running Windows 2000 Server, Legato Networker. Inventorying and labeling tapes takes FOREVER, during which often the drive goes into SERVICE mode after reporting the following:

\\.\Tape0 moving:tape_bsf bsf failed: drive status is The end of data was reached
\\.\Tape0 reading: no tape label found

It reports that for every tape. That's just the INVENTORY.

Are there any parameters I can change in Legato to make this procedure any easier?

Thanks,
LJG

 

[605]

During inventory and label processes any backup software must check for an existing label to prevent accidental overwrites. The effect you see appears most likely on tapes which have been written by another software and/or by another drive with a higher capacity which can not be read with this specific hardware.

If you can, overwrite the tapes with a program that does not read the tape label first. NetWorker offers such utility with tapeexer(cise). Try to run this utility on one of the tapes and label it later.

 

[ljg]

The tapes in question have NO label - they are new out of the box with an alphanumeric barcode label affixed before they are placed in the library. It is simply trying to inventory these blank tapes.

Additionally, why does the drive go into "service" mode?

 

[605]

Hmm - labeling blank tapes may take a while depending on the tape drive. You should also a read I/O error. However, the drive should not go to service mode.

Try to do the same by inserting a media into the drive and to label it this way. This way you avoid the jukebox factor. If this fails as well, i assume a problem with the drive(r).

 

[Inforfean1]

Perhaps, the tapes could be defective. I encountered a similar problem after changing vendor to cut cost. It so happened we received a shipment of refurbished media at a discount rate. Then we discontinued using their tapes to a different vendor, and suddenly we stopped having drives going into service mode.