SUMMARY - VDUMP: can't open dev </dev/nrmt0h>; [5] I/O error

From: Orson Galvco <galvao_at_jacaranda.uescba.com.br>
Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 09:19:14 -0300

Hello Managers

Thanks to all those who tried to help me. Everybody told me that the
problem was about bat tape, ambience and so.

AND everybody was too polite to tell me I am a perfect dummy. Well...
the solution is to insert the following command BEFORE the vdump
commands in procedure launched by crontab.

mt -f /dev/nrmt0h online

It is working fine... no more problems... but I do not realise why.
Perhaps something to do with the tape capacity; just suposing that each
time vdump works, it appends the archieves after the last one found at
the tape and not over the last version.

Here, the way I tracked the solution (an answer do Rodrigo Poblete)

------------------------------
Hello Rodrigo:

Rodrigo Poblete escreveu:
>
> One doubt .. does the message:
> </dev/nrmt0h>; [5] I/O error
> appeared in the middle of a backup process.(vdump already running and
> the tape led blin king). or it just appeared before starting the vdump
> (vdump trying to first access the tape?

        The second option; the message appeared at the beginnig of
vdump, after
about five seconds. Even if I use a <mt rewind> command, I got an error
message, but this time telling me the tape is offline. In fact this was
what advertise me this was not a vdump problem. I got the <mt> man page
and tried to make the tape unit online with:

        mt online

Surprise... it did not work, telling me that there was no nrmt0h device!
Strange not? Than I tried once more, but with the device full path name
in the command:

        mt -f /dev/nrmt0h online

GOT IT! After a looooong time the tape, after a full rewind, was
avaiable and we are all happy again

        Thank you for your reply

        Orson Voerckel Galvco

        Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz
        Ilhius - Bahia - Brazil
>
> TIA
>
> Rodrigo Poblete
>
> > ----------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Following, the original question and responses I got.

Hello managers:

Vdump was doing his work flawlessly, launched from my crontab... until
last week. Sudenlly I found the message in my mailbox:

vdump: can't open dev </dev/nrmt0h>; [5] I/O error

Than I tried to start vdump mannualy. It also fails.
BUT... when I tried it using two new clean tapes (just out of the box),
vdump worked very well.
Than I tried (again) doing vdump with all my usual (seven) tapes and
they all promoted the same error #:^O

I really can4t understand what is going on.

Other question... Does anyone know any error messages manual from DEC???

        Orson Voerckel Galvao
        
        Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz
        Ilheus - Bahia - Brazil

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

It's always been my experience that an I/O error means that there is a
problem with the media, whether it be tape, disk, or optical. How old
are
those tapes that you are using? I'd say to use the other tapes.

-Stephen Spalding

--------------------
You should look at the error log to see what the errors
are. On V4 DECevent (dia) is better at formatting the
error log entries, but you can use uerf(8) with the option
"-o full" to get the relevant information. If the tape drive
has a decent manual it will explain the means of the ASC
and ASQ codes that are the interesting part of the error
log entries.

Allan Rollow

--------------------
it seem that your tapes have been damaged by any reason... for example
exposure to excessive humidity.

tapes should be stored in a cool temperature room.
I work giving support to digital products.. and have seen immense cases
of this type.... the tape cartiridge goes dead.

rodrigo poblete

---------------------
Received on Tue Aug 04 1998 - 12:06:05 NZST

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