root@fuzzy (Operator) (09/09/90)
Looking for advice with 1/4" cart tape problem.
System: SUN 3/50 8MB OS 4.1 (fuzzy.ucsc.edu)
In 3rd party shoebox: WANGTEK 5099ES (60MB QIC-24 1/4" cart tape)
terminators removed [first device]
WREN IV 94171-376 (300 MB disk)
terminators in [last device]
Symptoms: Tape fails intermittantly during tar tv
short tars seem to go ok and read back ok
on large old tar tapes, tar tv usually gets read error part way through
large (30MB+) new tars seem to write ok but errors
during tar tv to check tape - read error reported.
error messages in /usr/adm/messages
st0: tape syncronization lost
st0: tape rewinding
in SUNDIAG, does ok on several (e.g. 7 )passes of short (1000 blk)
and quick (382 blk) test but usually eventually dies
on "Big read I/O error, sense key=0x17" and
tape light stays on. I can get the tape test
started again by stopping sundiag, removing and
reinserting tape and starting test. The read
errors typically happen during 1st of 4 File tests.
In test to EOT, a variable number of blocks are
written: 128773, 129403, 129655, 130033. Typically
tape will fail on readback at random points in tape:
e.g. 32257, 96769 blocks in. On the 130033 write
it suceeded in reading back same number.
Occasionaly get write errors, e.g.
"Big write failed on /dev/nrst0 block 129277 I/O
error, sense key 0x4"
2 new 3M DC 600A tapes were used in tests.
SUNDIAG recognizes st0 as a WANGTEK 150
and does not offer usual QIC-11/QIC-24 choice
that is offered for other QIC-24 tape drives.
Questions: Might the problem be due to the fact the the OS thinks this
is a QIC-150? If so, is there a fix (e.g. to streg.h)?
Do I need to get rid of this mdel of QIC-24 and get something else?
(I need the QIC-24 rather than QIC-150 to communicate with
a 3/110 not on the net).
Is it probably just a flakey drive that should be swapped?
Can someone point to doc explaining sense key meanings?
Michael M. Cohen, Experimental Psychology, UCSC 408-459-2655
root@fuzzy.ucsc.edu