vdump strangeness

From: Andrew Raine <Andrew.Raine_at_mrc-dunn.cam.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 04 Oct 2002 09:38:16 +0100

Dear Managers,

I've been having difficulties with my vdump scripts, using a NEO
Overland tape library containing an SuperDLT drive. Vdump seems to
behave differently on this system than it does on my TL800 containing a
DLT8000 drive.

What I am seeing is that *vdump* is rewinding the tape at the end of
the job, when using the NEO/SDLT, but doesn't using the TL800/DLT.
(Furthermore, if there are errors, then the NEO/SDLT goes offline, but
the TL800/DLT doesn't - but this isn't my main problem).

I'm pretty sure that I am using the non-rewind devices in both cases:

beta # cd /dev
beta # ls -l DLT0 SDLT0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root system 14 Jul 23 14:52 DLT0 -> ntape/tape0_d1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root system 14 Jul 23 14:52 SDLT0 -> ntape/tape3_d1

My vdump commands were:

/sbin/vdump -0 -u -b 64 -f /dev/DLT0 <fileset>

and

/sbin/vdump -0 -u -b 64 -f /dev/SDLT0 <fileset>


I noticed, that the man-page describes options:

  -N Does not rewind the storage device when it is a tape.
  -U Does not unload the storage device when it is a tape.

However, including -N, or both of these causes vdump to exit with a
Segmentation fault. Including just -U doesn't stop the tape rewinding.

Can anyone tell me

(a) whether it is vdump that is doing the rewinding and ignoring the
choice of non-rewinding tape device?

(b) is there anything else that I've missed, or do I just need to make
my scripts explicitly forward the tape again (using mt) after each
vdump?

I'm running 5.1 PK3 on an ES40

Regards,

Andrew

--
Dr. Andrew Raine, Head of IT, MRC Dunn Human Nutrition Unit, 
Wellcome Trust/MRC Building, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2XY, UK
phone: +44 (0)1223 252830   fax: +44 (0)1223 252835
web: www.mrc-dunn.cam.ac.uk email: Andrew.Raine_at_mrc-dunn.cam.ac.uk
Received on Fri Oct 04 2002 - 09:41:05 NZST

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