[Veritas-bu] Error 83 - including solution

We've been getting bucketloads of Error 83's around here (Sol 8, NB v4.5 MP5
SSO).  

Error 83 looks like an error in the configuration or perhaps the SCSI
reserve/release process. Here's the description 

from bperror: 

=====================================
>bperror -S 83 -r
media open error
The tape manager (bptm) or disk manager (bpdm) could not open the device or
file that the backup or restore must use.

Try the following.
1.  For additional information, check the following:
   *  NetBackup Problems report
   *  System log (UNIX)
   *  Event Viewer Application log (Windows)
2.  Typically, this status code indicates a drive configuration problem that
allows more than one process at a time to open the device.
   On UNIX, the problem could be due to:
   *  Two (or more) devices were configured that are really the same
physical device (for different densities perhaps). Verify that none of the
/dev files used for these devices have the same major or minor numbers.
   *  Links exist in the file system that are allowing users access to the
drives.
   *  The configuration for the drives was modified (in the administrator
interface or vm.conf) and the Media Manager device daemon, ltid, was not
restarted. Verify the configuration and start ltid.
   On Windows, the problem could be that the Media Manager device
configuration was modified but the NetBackup Device Manager service was not
restarted. Verify the configuration and restart the NetBackup Device Manager
service.
3.  Make sure the tapes are not write protected.
4.  For detailed troubleshooting information:
   a.  Create a debug log directory for bpdm (if the device is disk) or bptm
(if the device is tape).
   b.  On UNIX, restart ltid in the verbose mode by executing:
      /usr/openv/volmgr/bin/ltid -v
      Or, add a VERBOSE entry to the Media Manager configuration file,
/usr/openv/volmgr/vm.conf. Create the vm.conf file if necessary.
   c.  On Windows, enable verbose logging by adding VERBOSE on a line by
itself in the install_path\Volmgr\vm.conf file. Then, stop and restart the
NetBackup Device Manager service.
   d.  Retry the operation and check the resulting debug log files.
   e.   On UNIX systems, look at the /usr/openv/netbackup/db/media/errors
log (which is also included in the /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/goodies/support
script output) for a drive that is frequently producing errors.
=====================================

How I must stress the importance of the very small #3 point above, "Make
sure the tapes are not write protected".  Our tape was not write protected,
at least through the deliberate act of flipping the Write-protect switch on
the tape.  Our tape, however, was damaged in some subtle way that prevent it
from mounting as a writeable tape.

If you get 83's, in an otherwise validated installation, check the bptm logs
for the actual tape involved in the error.  Because this looked so much like
hardware, we were checking drives, SAN gateways, & fiber cards but nothing
localized.  If I had thought to check the Media ID, I could've had this
fixed a week earlier.

FYI - M


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There are 10 types of people in the world, those 
that understand binary, and those that don't.
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Mark Donaldson - SE - Experian
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