Hiya Bacula-Users,
I have a number of clients backing up across the network to
a dedicated Bacula backup server. We have an IBM TS3310 (two drives and 30 tape
cartridges) attached to our SAN and presented to the backup server, appearing
as three SCSI IDs.
The problem I have is that Bacula has a problem appending to
a previously-used tape. It’s fine if the tape has only just been written
to - we have a dozen or so backup jobs running overnight, and they all write to
the same tape quite happily. But if the tape has been re-loaded between jobs,
or (I think - I’ve only seen this once) if there’s something of a
gap between jobs, it complains and marks the tape in error and fetches a new
one. I believe it’s a problem skipping to the end of the tape, it
can’t find it.
The message I get in the backup job log is this:
------------------------------------------
...
23-Nov 19:56 wnvsvmp1 JobId 1289: Volume
"I30043L3" previously written, moving to end of data.
23-Nov 19:56 wnvsvmp1 JobId 1289: Error: Unable to position
to end of data on device "Tape-0" (/dev/IBMtape1n): ERR=dev.c:1325
read error on "Tape-0" (/dev/IBMtape1n). ERR=Input/output error.
23-Nov 19:56 wnvsvmp1 JobId 1289: Marking Volume
"I30043L3" in Error in Catalog.
23-Nov 19:56 wnvsvmp1 JobId 1289: 3307 Issuing autochanger
"unload slot 9, drive 0" command.
...
------------------------------------------
Tape device config is thus:
-------------------------------------------
Device {
Name = Tape-0
Device Type = Tape
Drive Index = 0
Media Type = LTO-3
Archive Device = /dev/IBMtape1n
AutomaticMount = yes;
AlwaysOpen = yes;
RemovableMedia = yes;
RandomAccess = no;
AutoChanger = yes;
Autoselect = yes;
LabelMedia = yes;
# RECOMMENDED BY btape test
Fast Forward Space File = No
Hardware End of Medium = No
BSF at EOM = yes
Offline on Unmount = yes;
Maximum Changer wait = 600
Spool Directory = /backup/bacula/spool-tape0
Maximum Spool Size =
53687091200 # 50 GB
Alert Command = "sh -c 'tapeinfo -f %c |grep
TapeAlert|cat'"
}
-------------------------------------------
(The Spool directives are a red herring, I’m not
spooling any more.)
I’ve tried running btape test, and the first result I
got is it failed, recommended the three lines mentioned above, tried again and Kaboomed.
After putting those three lines in, it works until the
append test, which says:
--------------------------------------------
=== Append files test ===
This test is essential to Bacula.
I'm going to write one record in file 0,
two records in file 1,
and three records in file 2
btape: btape.c:475 Rewound "Tape-0" (/dev/IBMtape1n)
btape: btape.c:1577 Wrote one record of 64412 bytes.
btape: btape.c:1579 Wrote block to device.
btape: btape.c:505 Wrote 1 EOF to "Tape-0" (/dev/IBMtape1n)
btape: btape.c:1577 Wrote one record of 64412 bytes.
btape: btape.c:1579 Wrote block to device.
btape: btape.c:1577 Wrote one record of 64412 bytes.
btape: btape.c:1579 Wrote block to device.
btape: btape.c:505 Wrote 1 EOF to "Tape-0" (/dev/IBMtape1n)
btape: btape.c:1577 Wrote one record of 64412 bytes.
btape: btape.c:1579 Wrote block to device.
btape: btape.c:1577 Wrote one record of 64412 bytes.
btape: btape.c:1579 Wrote block to device.
btape: btape.c:1577 Wrote one record of 64412 bytes.
btape: btape.c:1579 Wrote block to device.
btape: btape.c:505 Wrote 1 EOF to "Tape-0" (/dev/IBMtape1n)
26-Nov 11:12 btape: Fatal Error at btape.c:368 because:
dev open failed: dev.c:432 Unable to open device "Tape-0" (/dev/IBMtape1n): ERR=Input/output error
Append test failed.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unable to correct the problem. You MUST fix this
problem before Bacula can use your tape drive correctly
Perhaps running Bacula in fixed block mode will work.
Do so by setting:
Minimum Block Size = nnn
Maximum Block Size = nnn
in your Storage daemon's Device definition.
nnn must match your tape driver's block size, which
can be determined by reading your tape manufacturers
information, and the information on your kernel dirver.
Fixed block sizes, however, are not normally an ideal solution.
Some systems, e.g. OpenBSD, require you to set
Use MTIOCGET= no
in your device resource. Use with caution.
--------------------------------------------
“tapeinfo” says, amongst other things,
MinBlock: 1
MaxBlock:
16777215
so I suspect the tape drive is not in fixed block mode. At
which point I’m at a loss what I should do.
Any suggestions, anyone? Do I need to throw caution to the
winds and set “Use MTIOCGET=no”?
Thanks,
David.
