Bacula-users

Re: [Bacula-users] multiple mtx-changer scripts

2008-07-22 13:28:44
Subject: Re: [Bacula-users] multiple mtx-changer scripts
From: Brian Debelius <bdebelius AT intelesyscorp DOT com>
To: Mark Nienberg <gmane AT tippingmar DOT com>
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:28:28 -0400
Im going to have to chime in here.  Although I am not getting the errors 
you are, I am having bacula not recognize a labeled tape, and it 
requests a new one.
I manually release, and mount the tape, and all is well after that, 
usually.  Lets say it happens once a week, so that 1 out of 15 loads.

Mark Nienberg wrote:
> Timo Neuvonen wrote:
>
>   
>>> P.S. Why?  Because I have modified the "load" command to use "btape" to 
>>> read the
>>> bacula label on the volume after loading it.  If it fails, then it unloads 
>>> and
>>> reloads the tape and tries again. This is an attempt to automatically fix 
>>> the I/O
>>> problem that happens about 10-20% of the times bacula changes a tape in 
>>> the middle of
>>> a backup.  Note that it is not a timing problem.  It happens even after
>>> "wait_for_drive" returns ready.  Obviously, when working at bconsole, 
>>> there are some
>>> commands that I have to perform on tapes that have no labels, so I need a 
>>> different
>>> "load" command.  But don't get bogged down thinking about all this, just 
>>> think about
>>> the question above, OK?
>>>
>>>       
>> Could you tell something more about this problem, what hardware you have 
>> etc?
>>
>> I have experienced some, possibly similar problems with Exabyte 1U 10 tape 
>> autochanger. No way to reproduce the problem, but happens quite often when 
>> tapes need to be changed in real work :-(
>>     
>
> Yes, I have an Exabyte 1U 10 tape changer with a VXA 320 drive in it.  The 
> problem 
> looks like this:
>
> 19-Jul 03:32 khyber-sd JobId 2235: 3305 Autochanger "load slot 6, drive 0",
> status is OK.
> 19-Jul 03:32 khyber-sd JobId 2235: 3301 Issuing autochanger "loaded? drive 0" 
> command.
> 19-Jul 03:32 khyber-sd JobId 2235: 3302 Autochanger "loaded? drive 0",
> result is Slot 6.
> 19-Jul 03:32 khyber-sd JobId 2235: Error: block.c:995 Read error on fd=3 at 
> file:blk 
> 0:0 on device "VXA3drive" (/dev/nst0). ERR=Input/output error.
> 19-Jul 03:32 khyber-sd JobId 2235: Error: block.c:995 Read error on fd=3 at 
> file:blk 
> 0:0 on device "VXA3drive" (/dev/nst0). ERR=Input/output error.
>
> When I first got the changer I saw other errors too, but those were all 
> related to 
> timing problems with mtx-changer not waiting long enough (specifically the 
> wait_for_drive subroutine).  I have since resolved all of that by tweaking 
> mtx-changer and the Max Changer Wait setting in the device resource.  But the 
> error 
> above still happens.  As you say, it is not reproducible.  Generally I can 
> use 
> bconsole to unmount and then mount the tape again and it will proceed.  But 
> this is 
> putting a strain on my Saturday mornings, since my full tape backup runs 
> Friday night!
>
> Since I have never been able to find the cause of the problem I have decided 
> instead 
> to try to work around it as I described in my initial message.  In effect, I 
> want the 
> mtx-changer script to do what I have to do manually (unmount and mount again).
>
> I do daily backups to disk so my tape backups only happen once a week, and 
> since the 
> problem doesn't happen every time it can be a month or so before I have real 
> world 
> results of the effectiveness of my revisions.  So if you are interested in 
> testing my 
> script, let me know.
>
> Mark
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge
> Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes
> Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world
> http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/
> _______________________________________________
> Bacula-users mailing list
> Bacula-users AT lists.sourceforge DOT net
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users
>   


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge
Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes
Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world
http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/
_______________________________________________
Bacula-users mailing list
Bacula-users AT lists.sourceforge DOT net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users