Urgent tape drive problem

[wjterst]

This question is about a Compaq Proliant DL380 under SCO Openserver 5.0.6 with a smart array controller 5i (BTLD ciss). The server has a internal hot pluggable DAT 20/40 tape drive on id 5, also connected to the smart array controller. I've tried to configure the tape drive with mkdev, but that didn't work. I searched the Compaq site and found out that SCO Openserver doesn't support hot pluggable tape drives on smart array controllers. My question is: is there a smart way around to get it working anyway?

Many thanks in advance,
wjterst

 

[apeasecpc]

I am guessing this is a SCSI tape drive and the controller is a SCSI controller which currently works fine with your boot drives.

It seems odd to me that your controller would make a difference here if it is already working for other devices (i.e. your hard drive array).

When you tried your mkdev, was it unable to find the device, or are you just unable to access the tape drive when you try to use it. I am guessing it was the former.

I presume your controller has software or firmware for managing the arrays. Are you able to see the tape drive from the within the controller software?

If no, your problem is between the controller and the drive, and is most likely related to cable termination or conflicting SCSI IDs. If yes, you may need to configure the controller so that SCO can see the drive as a device off of the bus.

Assuming the controller can see the drive, and there's nothing there to hide it from SCO, the next most likely hangup is mkdev. From past experience I know it can be kind of tricky getting the right values for the mkdev prompts, and if memory serves me correctly the prompts in mkdev are actually in a different order than expected.

Assuming the tape drive is on the same controller as your boot hard drive, you want to use controller 0, bus 0, ID 5, LUN 0. The drive is possibly on a different controller or bus, but the LUN should always be 0. Your chosen SCSI ID is unusual because SCSI ID 5 is typically used for SCSI CDroms, and ID 2 is used for tape drives. Do you have a SCSI CDRom set to ID 5? That may be the problem.

 

[wjterst]

Thanks apeasecpc for your interst in the problem, but i've been away for some time. During my absence they have replaced the tape drive with an external tape drive.
However, here are some answers to your questions.
Yes, it is a scsi tape drive and a scsi controller. On this raid controller you can install six hard drives or five hard drives and one tape drive. That tape drive can only be installed in the fith positions, so it automaticly gets id 5. Btw the cdrom is ide.
Yes, i can see the tape drive within the controller software.
I don't think its a termination problem, because the tape drive has it's own internal termination.
When running mkdev it accepts the tape but i cannot access it. Btw according to Compaq it's also not supperted under Linux.
Sorry that it is all hypothetical now, but thanks for the reaction.

wjterst

 

[Guest_imported]

I have the same problem. (Sort of...)
I have connected an external 20/40 gb dat streamer
to a DL380 with Smart Array 5i

I can't get it to work...
Tried several different settings.
Any suggestions?

 

[rgraf]

Hello,
My best suggestion to you all with this scsi tape drive problem would be to remove all non hard disk devices from your array controller. Invoke mkdev tape and remove the tape drive. I would also invoke mkdev cdrom if you have a SCSI cdrom attached to your array controller and remove it as well. Relink your kernel and shut down your system. Add a standard adaptec scsi host adapter to your system and attach all scsi devices which are not array hard drives to the seperate scsi controller. I assume your tape drive is standard narrow 50 pin scsi 2, if this is the case an Adaptec 2940 would be most appropriate. Add the AHA2940 in a pci slot. Make bios adjustments as necessary to assign an irq to the new host adapter. Reboot and go into the adaptec scsi utility and disable the scsi bios so that it will not conflict with your booting array host adapter. Boot the computer into single user mode and invoke "mkdev tape". When it ask you what scsi adapter the tape drive is attached to type "alad" and that will automatically add the alad driver for the new host adapter. When it asks which alad type 0 if it is the only 2940 in your computer. Then answer the questions as appropriate for your system. SCSI ID, LUN, etc.,etc.,

In my experience it is best to have any devices which are not array hard drives attached to a sperate host adapter.

Hope this is helpful !
Rob

 

[apeasecpc]

Rgraf's recommendation for a separate controller is right. Placing non-hard-drive devices on your hard drive controller, whether it is SCSI or IDE, will significantly cripple performance. You want to make sure the secondary peripherals are at least on a separate bus if not on an entirely different controller, and remember that with most scsi controllers the external connector is part of the same bus as the internal devices.

Having the peripheral on the same controller as the hard drives, however, will not prevent it from functioning, all it will do is reduce performance. So your problem, rkoot, is probably not caused by your choice of controllers.

Is your controller able to detect the external device? Go into the controller firmware and see if the device is listed.

Is your external device properly terminated? Some external peripherals require a special terminating adapter for high end termination.

Is your controller's communication rate set too fast for the device? Non-hard-drive devices often work better with a slower controller speed setting for that scsi ID.

Your problem may also be related to the UNIX install of the tape drive. How are you attempting to access the tape drive from UNIX (tar, backup_edge, etc...) or have you gotten that far?