[5062] in linux-scsi channel archive
Problem with Scsi Tapes
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (brian@nycrc.net)
Sat Nov 7 01:06:25 1998
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 01:03:32 -0500
From: brian@nycrc.net
To: linux-scsi@vger.rutgers.edu
Hello All,
I have a question concerning Scsi Tape drives. I tried to
install one at a client and I had some troubles.
First, I have an HP C1537A dat drive that works perfectly. It is
connected to an Adaptec card and I am using the aha152x
driver with no problems. The only problem with it is that
it is very expensive and can store ~ 12GB raw. For smaller
clients this is not an option.
Well first I got a Ditto Max Pro and I could not get that to
work with ftape. I emailed the linux-ftape list and got some friendly
responses. However, the people who were responding were having
the same troubles. Btw, I do not mean to cross post but anyone
on this list ever get the ditto to work with the Ditto DX pnp
4MB/s card? Well that is another story.
Anyway, I had such ease with my scsi tape and I remember reading
in the st.c driver in the kernel source that the driver was generic
and ANY scsi tape would work. So I bought a less expensive
HP Surestore T4i. This drive uses the Travan TR-4 4.0GB cartridges.
Now I ran it with an adaptec 2940 using the Future domain chip and
also with an NCR810. When I run tar -cvzf /dev/st0 / the tape
churns away. However, sometimes the driver hickups and gives me
errors. I believe they are "invalid sense of raw data" followed
by some hex numbers. I assume it is having problems with the tape
format. Also sometimes when I run tar -tvzf /dev/st0 I get extra
garbage at the EOT marker and gzip complains about it but says the
uncompression was OK. I ran the other larger tape drive on the same
two cards and had no problems. So I know the scsi cards are working
ok.
Someone who works with me said they remember seeing that linux
had problems with traven tapes. Anyone able to confirm this? If
so are there any low cost scsi tape drives that have no problems?
Or do I have to go for the big 10GB+ dat scsi tape drives?
Any help is appreciated. Usually linux does not put up such a
fight with me. I tamed it a long time ago. :) Out of curiosity
what tapes are people using out there for their backup solutions
and how big are they?
Btw, I am not on the scsi list so if you can when you respond to
the list please also cc to me so I get your response. Thanks!
Brian
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