msf@amelia (Michael S. Fischbein) (08/08/87)
We seem to be having a problem with the QIC tape drives on our Silicon Graphics
Iris 3030's, running GL3.5 (Sys V based, BSD extensions). During a backup
or other tape write (I usually use tar, but the same problem occurs with
cpio, cat, and with using a C program) the tape will spontaneously rewind,
resulting in an "unexpected beginning of tape" error. We have been using
Scotch DC600A's for almost two years with nary a problem until the last
two months (these particular tapes are about six months old. It happens
with all available tapes. This problem is occuring on at least two machines.
When it occurs, the problem is highly repeatable, but changing the tape, the
files being copied, or the machine (when working on system directories that
are identical on the two machines) will frequently cancel the problem, or
cause it to occur at some other point on the tape. Both tape drives are
clean. If a tape has been written successfully, it can be read by either
machine. The problem isn't the tape, because the same tape will work on
the other machine or on the same machine, but tar-ing a different file
system; it isn't the drive because sometimes it works; the disk seems fine,
etc, etc. Frankly, I'm stuck, which is why I'm appealing to the net.
Does anybody have any ideas?
By the way, I tried asking for help on the SGI BBS three weeks ago: no
reply. We don't have hardware maintenance, so no hotline requests.
I also posted to comp.sys.sgi and got no help (though I got a few "clean
the tape drive and reseat your cards" replies).
mike
Michael Fischbein msf@prandtl.nas.nasa.gov
...!seismo!decuac!csmunix!icase!msf
These are my opinions and not necessarily official views of any
organization.
Michael Fischbein msf@prandtl.nas.nasa.gov
...!seismo!decuac!csmunix!icase!msf
These are my opinions and not necessarily official views of any
organization.