I am backing up partition images to LTO-5 tape cartridges, and so far, the tape backup initially worked, but recently has eventually errored on each cartridge used in the backup attempts.
For the moment, I am willing to accept that the tar command is NOT the culprit.
It could be the SAS Controller software, or the "mt" package which manages the tape drive, but given that it has worked several times and has continued to work, even as individual backups have failed, I am not convinced that the issue is with software.
All this leads to the hardware question, "What is failing": Tape Drive? Cartridge(s)? Cable? SAS Controller?
Rather than just blindly substitute parts (expensive, time consuming, frustratingly inconclusive) and try to eliminate that way, I'd really like to have a better roadmap for locating the issue. A new SAS Controller, or the Cable connecting the Controller to the Drive, or new Cartridges are not so expensive as to be non-starters, but I'm retired with limited income, and a new LTO drive would be a real stretch.
Here are the three minutes of error notes from yesterday morning in kern.log/syslog:
Code: Select all
Nov 13 08:02:29 BigMutt kernel: [34669.493781] st 0:0:0:0: device_block, handle(0x0009)
Nov 13 08:02:29 BigMutt kernel: [34669.493879] st 0:0:0:0: [st0] Error e0000 (driver bt 0x0, host bt 0xe).
Nov 13 08:02:31 BigMutt kernel: [34671.743620] st 0:0:0:0: device_unblock and setting to running, handle(0x0009)
Nov 13 08:02:31 BigMutt kernel: [34671.743714] st 0:0:0:0: [st0] Error 10000 (driver bt 0x0, host bt 0x1).
Nov 13 08:02:31 BigMutt kernel: [34671.744077] st 0:0:0:0: [st0] Error 10000 (driver bt 0x0, host bt 0x1).
Nov 13 08:02:31 BigMutt kernel: [34671.745089] mpt2sas_cm0: removing handle(0x0009), sas_addr(0x500110a001622ed0)
Nov 13 08:02:31 BigMutt kernel: [34671.745091] mpt2sas_cm0: enclosure logical id(0x500605b00341cef0), slot(0)
Nov 13 08:02:36 BigMutt kernel: [34676.006914] scsi 0:0:1:0: Sequential-Access HP Ultrium 5-SCSI Z6ED PQ: 0 ANSI: 6
Nov 13 08:02:36 BigMutt kernel: [34676.006922] scsi 0:0:1:0: SSP: handle(0x0009), sas_addr(0x500110a001622ed0), phy(3), device_name(0x500110a001622ed2)
Nov 13 08:02:36 BigMutt kernel: [34676.006924] scsi 0:0:1:0: enclosure logical id (0x500605b00341cef0), slot(0)
Nov 13 08:02:36 BigMutt kernel: [34676.008694] scsi 0:0:1:0: TLR Enabled
Nov 13 08:02:36 BigMutt kernel: [34676.011053] st 0:0:1:0: Attached scsi tape st0
Nov 13 08:02:36 BigMutt kernel: [34676.011056] st 0:0:1:0: st0: try direct i/o: yes (alignment 4 B)
Nov 13 08:02:36 BigMutt kernel: [34676.011143] st 0:0:1:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 1
Nov 13 08:05:24 BigMutt kernel: [34844.612941] st 0:0:1:0: [st0] Block limits 1 - 16777215 bytes.