Les Yaw wrote:

Hmmm... I wonder...

I'm no where near being a SCSI expert, and I don't play on on TV.  I'm
wondering if somehow the block-size issue is at the root of this.  We have
some RH servers too, but they're running at best 7.2, most are 6.3!!!  --
don't yell back!

Have you loaded a labeled tape that you know fails in drive 1, into drive
0, then I believe the command is

mt -f /dev/nst0 status

I just tried that -- identical results:

[root@tapes root]# mt -f /dev/nst0 status
SCSI 2 tape drive:
File number=-1, block number=-1, partition=0.
Tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x32 (no translation).
Soft error count since last status=0
General status bits on (1010000):
 ONLINE IM_REP_EN


[root@tapes root]# mt -f /dev/nst1 status
SCSI 2 tape drive:
File number=0, block number=2, partition=0.
Tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x32 (no translation).
Soft error count since last status=0
General status bits on (1010000):
 ONLINE IM_REP_EN


Too weird -- it's giving me a headache.

                                       Matt

I think that will show you block sizes that tapes' labeled for.

Then, load a tape that works in drive 1 into drive 0, and do the status
command again.

I got a hunch the block sizes are different on the two tapes.

Then, it's a matter of getting the config properly set for whichever way
you wish to go.  I don't understand block sizes, or stinit.def files.  All
I do know is when we first set up Legato 6.1.3 on a RH 7.2 server,
something didn't config a stinit.def file, so our block sizes weren't what
we wanted.

I went through the process of no config to using stinit.def about a year
ago.   It was painful.   This thing actually looks different, since both
drives are AIT-3 and get their blocksize set by stinit.def.   Blanking
out the label might be a good idea, though.

                                       mht

When we moved up to the SuSE 8.2 and Leg 7.1, the block size thing was
automagically config'd, and now, unless I manipulate the block-size when I
need to recover from older tapes, they're totally useless.

Help?  Or continue to drive you nutz?

Keep in touch, as I think what I have is contagious and you caught it, or
vice versa.

Have a good night,

Les

Les,

       I liked your cookbook idea, so here's what I did to
find out what's wrong with my library:

       1. Loaded a blank tape into /dev/nst0.
       2. Wrote an EOF mark
       3. Labeled tape on /dev/nst0
       4. Mounted tape on /dev/nst0 -- SUCCESS
       5. Mounted tape on /dev/nst1 -- FAILED

       1. Loaded a blank tape into /dev/nst1
       2. Wrote an EOF mark
       3. Labeled tape on /dev/nst1
       4. Mounted tape on /dev/nst1 -- SUCCESS
       5. Mounted tape on /dev/nst0 -- SUCCESS

So, tapes labeled on /dev/nst0 can't be mounted on /dev/nst1,
but tapes labeled on /dev/nst1 can be mounted on /dev/nst1 and
       /dev/nst0.

Looks like something is wrong with /dev/nst0, wouldn't you say?

BTW, I'm running 7.1 on Linux (don't yell) Redhat 9.   Been running
for quite a while with no issues, by the way.



                                       Matt Temple


--
=============================================================
Matthew Temple                Tel:    617/632-2597
Director, Research Computing  Fax:    617/582-7820
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute  mht AT research.dfci.harvard DOT edu
44 Binney Street, LG300/300   http://research.dfci.harvard.edu
Boston, MA 02115              Choice is the Choice!

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=============================================================
Matthew Temple                Tel:    617/632-2597
Director, Research Computing  Fax:    617/582-7820
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute  mht AT research.dfci.harvard DOT edu
44 Binney Street, LG300/300   http://research.dfci.harvard.edu
Boston, MA 02115              Choice is the Choice!

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