[1290] in linux-scsi channel archive
SCSI tape control - and some other bits
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Matt Swanson)
Wed Jan 22 06:13:20 1997
From: matts@ozemail.com.au (Matt Swanson)
To: linux-scsi@vger.rutgers.edu
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 11:10:05 GMT
Hi
I'm brand new to this group so I might be asking the obvious.
I have just installed an AdvanSys ABP-930/40 PCI SCSI card and a
Seagate CTT8000 tape drive on my linux box (Redhat 4.0 with patches).
I also run an IOMEGA parallel port ZIP drive.
I have managed to resolve the differences between the two scsi
drivers. I ended up making the ppa driver a module and building
support for the ABP-930/40 unit into the kernel. I got tired of the
module load/unload messages splashing across my console. Also in the
conf.modules file the scsi_hostadapter alias was set to ppa and that
was causing problems when the st module tried to load.
1) Does anyone know how to turn off the scsi load/unload messages that
the module generates? Is there a way of defining/aliasing multiple
scsi_hostadapters in the conf.modules file?
2) Does anyone out there have the density settings for the Travan TR4
minicartride? Is it even required? I have managed to use the tape
without this setting so far.
3) Last (but I'm sure not least) I have familiarised myself with the
tar and mt commands but cannot get my tape unit to append to an
existing tar file on the tape. Considering the TR4 is 4gb native and
8bg compressed (2:1 ha ha) it seems a waste of tape if I can't append.
I have started writing my own backup/restore scripts but have become
stumped with the SCSI tape control required for this operation. I am
using /dev/nst0 so the tape should not rewind. Can someone either
point me in the direction of some good backup software or scripts (so
I don't have to reinvent the wheel) or point me in the right direction
for information on tape control. I am willing to continue writing my
own scripts and learn how it all works but can't track down the info I
require.
4) I have managed to use the tar command to generate a gnu new format
incremental (-g) backup on my tape unit - and I can even verify it. So
I don't think that it is a problem with my tar invocation. I think I
am missing (link?) some basic information about scsi tape control i.e.
how it finds the end of file - how to step the tape - what the hell
are setmarks? etc....
5) I assume the above is possible i.e. para 3 as even my windows 95
:-[[ software can append backups!! It must be my lack of knowledge in
this area (I hope).
many thanks in advance for
any pointers in the right direction
Matt
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Matt Swanson |
Email: matts@ozemail.com.au
Home Page: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~matts
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