Further update: some couple of hours later, it finished the btape test, failed with the same set of messages as below.

 

Cheers,

 

DJ

 

Update: after 30 minutes, btape test has moved on a step.

 

Watch this space...

 

DJ

 

 

One more bit of information...

 

I added “Two EOF = yes” to the tape device config, and re-ran the btape test:

-----------------------------

*test

 

=== Write, rewind, and re-read test ===

 

I'm going to write 1000 records and an EOF

then write 1000 records and an EOF, then rewind,

and re-read the data to verify that it is correct.

 

This is an *essential* feature ...

 

-----------------------------

 

and it’s been sitting there for several minutes now, no sign of activity, I don’t know what it’s doing.

 

 

Cheers,

 

DJ

 

 

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.