Networker

[Networker] Cleaning frequency - was HELP!! Getting error "Tape positioning by record is disabled"

2007-10-04 09:18:13
Subject: [Networker] Cleaning frequency - was HELP!! Getting error "Tape positioning by record is disabled"
From: Teresa Biehler <tpbsys AT RIT DOT EDU>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 09:13:53 -0400
Hi,

What great timing for this to come up.  We've been discussing automated
cleaning in our environment.  We've noticed that when we clean
frequently (whenever the drive "cleaning needed" light comes on) we have
fewer "tape read" issues.  So, rather than obsessively watching for the
light, we'd like to automate this process, but are unsure of how often
we should clean the drives?  How often are you cleaning your drives?
Did you do any sort of analysis to select this interval?  Is your
cleaning automated or do you do it manually?  If manual, what issues did
you have when using the automated cleaning interval (set in device
definition)?

Our environment:
- 10 AIT3 drives in ADIC Sc10k
- backing up about 17TB a week
- NW server is Solaris and running NW v7.2.2


Thanks.
Teresa

-----Original Message-----
From: EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU] On
Behalf Of Werth, Dave
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 2:06 PM
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Subject: Re: [Networker] HELP!! Getting error "Tape positioning by
record is disabled"

Dave,

We get these occasionally with our AIT-4 drives as well.  For the most
part it appears to be because the drive needs cleaning. It could also be
caused by a bad tape or because the tape drive itself needs maintenance
beyond cleaning.

I've found that automatic cleaning doesn't work very well for us.  Now I
run the AIT cleaning tape manually through each of our two drives at
least once a week.  Often I'll do it twice in a row.  This seems to keep
these kind of errors down.  One other thing, when I'm introducing brand
new tapes to the library they appear to "shed" material at a greater
rate until they get "burned in".  I increase my cleaning rate if I'm
doing a bunch of new tapes.

We have a SpectraLogic 10K with 2 AIT-4 drives. We back up then clone
around 900 GB per week to each the 2 drives.

Dave

David Werth
Garmin AT, Inc
Salem, Oregon
dave.werth<at>garmin.com

-----Original Message-----
From: EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU] On
Behalf Of Dave Martini
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 10:01 AM
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Subject: [Networker] HELP!! Getting error "Tape positioning by record is
disabled"

I'm running Legato Networker 7.3  on Solaris 9 with a SpectraLogic 2k 
tape library
wtih dual Ait-5 drives inside.

My tapes are being marked full prematurely. I'm getting this error in 
my logs which I thnk
is causing it. What does this mean and how do I fix it? I have the 
st.conf entry set the way
that Spectralogic told me to. From what I understand the st.conf 
entry is set to a variable
block size.

Here are the errors I get just before it marks my tapes full
Notice this error which I think  is key
Cannot decode block. Verify the device configuration. Tape 
positioning by record is disabled.
How do I fix this?


10/02/07 20:12:12 nsrd: media warning: Jukebox `[email protected]' 
Hardware status of jukebox '[email protected]' changed from 'ready' to 
'detected hardware change'
10/02/07 20:12:13 nsrmmgd: Resynchronizing jukebox `[email protected]' 
with nsrlcpd.
10/02/07 20:12:46 nsrd: media info: Jukebox `[email protected]' Hardware 
status of jukebox '[email protected]' changed from 'detected hardware 
change' to 'ready'
10/02/07 20:13:34 nsrd: media info: WORM capable for device 
/dev/rmt/1cbn has been set
10/02/07 20:29:31 nsrd: media warning: /dev/rmt/1cbn moving: fsr 
6318: drive status is Media Error, Reposition Error
10/02/07 20:29:31 nsrd: media emergency: could not position 000010 to 
file 127, record 6319
10/02/07 20:29:31 nsrd: media info: WORM capable for device 
/dev/rmt/1cbn has been set
10/02/07 20:29:32 nsrd: media warning: /dev/rmt/1cbn reading: I/O error
10/02/07 20:29:32 nsrd: media warning: /dev/rmt/1cbn reading: I/O error
10/02/07 20:29:33 nsrd: media warning: /dev/rmt/1cbn reading: I/O error
10/02/07 20:29:33 nsrd: media warning: /dev/rmt/1cbn reading: I/O error
10/02/07 20:29:33 nsrd: media warning: /dev/rmt/1cbn reading: I/O error
10/02/07 20:29:33 nsrd: media warning: /dev/rmt/1cbn reading: I/O error
10/02/07 20:29:34 nsrd: media notice: Volume "000010" on device 
"/dev/rmt/1cbn": Cannot decode block. Verify the device 
configuration. Tape positioning by record is disabled.
10/02/07 20:29:34 nsrd: media warning: verification of volume 
"000010", volid 4278364588 failed, can not read record 6319 of file 
127 on 8mm AIT-5 tape 000010
10/02/07 20:29:34 nsrd: media notice: verification of volume 
"000010", volid 4278364588 failed, volume is being marked as full.
10/02/07 20:29:34 nsrd: write completion notice: Writing to volume 
000010 complete
10/02/07 20:29:34 nsrd: media notice: Save set (2248325853) 
erdfilespace:/Volumes/DATA1 volume 000010 on /dev/rmt/1cbn is being 
terminated because: Media verification failed
10/02/07 20:29:34 nsrd: mmd 1, authorized mode (0), active mode (0), 
re-setting authorized sessions (0) to number of active sessions (1)


Thank you.
Dave Martini
LLNL

To sign off this list, send email to listserv AT listserv.temple DOT edu and
type "signoff networker" in the body of the email. Please write to
networker-request AT listserv.temple DOT edu if you have any problems with this
list. You can access the archives at
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/networker.html or
via RSS at http://listserv.temple.edu/cgi-bin/wa?RSS&L=NETWORKER

------------------------- 
This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential material for
the sole use of the intended recipient.  If you are not the intended
recipient, please be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or
use of this e-mail or any attachment is prohibited.  If you have
received this e-mail in error, please contact the sender and delete all
copies. 
Thank you for your cooperation 

To sign off this list, send email to listserv AT listserv.temple DOT edu and
type "signoff networker" in the body of the email. Please write to
networker-request AT listserv.temple DOT edu if you have any problems with this
list. You can access the archives at
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/networker.html or
via RSS at http://listserv.temple.edu/cgi-bin/wa?RSS&L=NETWORKER

To sign off this list, send email to listserv AT listserv.temple DOT edu and 
type "signoff networker" in the body of the email. Please write to 
networker-request AT listserv.temple DOT edu if you have any problems with this 
list. You can access the archives at 
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/networker.html or
via RSS at http://listserv.temple.edu/cgi-bin/wa?RSS&L=NETWORKER