gary@sci34hub.sci.com (Gary Heston) (06/19/91)
I am having a strange problem with interaction between TCP/IP networking software and tape backups. Generally, if the networking stuff is working, the system will not produce a readable tape of any length. I can usually get a meg or two to write and read back, but not always. I can generate a good tape if I reboot the system and bring it up to init 2, then run the backup script, then do init 3. I cannot go boot --> init 3 --> init 2 --> backup; the tape is not readable. The problem affects both tar or cpio. With tar, I generally get a "directory checksum error" on readback; with cpio, sometimes it will read a few files before giving a "phase error", usually I get: "cpio: ERROR: This is not a cpio file. Bad magic number.". In all cases, the write proceed merrily along it's way, acting fine. The OS is 386/ix 1.0.6, running on a MultiBus system. The TCP/IP is "TCP Ethernet Support Version-1.0.5", with "LAYERS-Version 1.0.6" and "Network Connection Facilities-Version 1.0.4". There's got to be something in the configuration that's hosing this up; I just can't find it. One user here suggested that there might be a remote tape server, but I was unable to find anything in the configuration files concerning it. I have swapped drives, boards (both CPU and mass storage), and even the chassis. I have moved a new copy of cpio from another system; nothing has helped. At the moment, I have to do the reboot --> init 2 --> backup routine to get a valid tape, which I don't like. 1.0.6 did not come with detailed manuals, and I've gone thru everything I can find without success. Going to 2.x is not an option; it's not available for this machine. If anyone has any ideas, I would greatly appreciate the help. This has about driven me up the wall.... Thanks, -- Gary Heston System Mismanager and technoflunky uunet!sci34hub!gary or My opinions, not theirs. SCI Systems, Inc. gary@sci34hub.sci.com I support drug testing. I believe every public official should be given a shot of sodium pentathol and ask "Which laws have you broken this week?".
cpcahil@virtech.uucp (Conor P. Cahill) (06/19/91)
gary@sci34hub.sci.com (Gary Heston) writes: >I am having a strange problem with interaction between TCP/IP >networking software and tape backups. Generally, if the networking >stuff is working, the system will not produce a readable tape >of any length. I can usually get a meg or two to write and read >back, but not always. This sounds like a hardware configuration problem. You need to check and ensure that the two cards (network and tape controller) are not colliding on interrupt or memory address ranges (sounds more like memory address range). -- Conor P. Cahill (703)430-9247 Virtual Technologies, Inc. uunet!virtech!cpcahil 46030 Manekin Plaza, Suite 160 Sterling, VA 22170
gary@sci34hub.sci.com (Gary Heston) (06/20/91)
In article <1991Jun19.125524.13934@virtech.uucp> cpcahil@virtech.uucp (Conor P. Cahill) writes: =gary@sci34hub.sci.com (Gary Heston) writes: =>I am having a strange problem with interaction between TCP/IP =>networking software and tape backups. Generally, if the networking =>stuff is working, the system will not produce a readable tape =>of any length. I can usually get a meg or two to write and read =>back, but not always. =This sounds like a hardware configuration problem. You need to check =and ensure that the two cards (network and tape controller) are not =colliding on interrupt or memory address ranges (sounds more like =memory address range). The tape drive is a SCSI device, driven from the same board (called an MSP, mass storage processor) as the hard drives and floppy. The Ethernet board is a Micom/Interlan (now Racal/Interlan) NP-322. All are jumpered as per specs; I have no other interaction problems. The system will stay up for weeks without problems. I think if an interrupt was set wrong or there was a memory conflict, I'd be having far more problems. Telnet, ftp, etc., all work fine. As I said initially, strange. -- Gary Heston System Mismanager and technoflunky uunet!sci34hub!gary or My opinions, not theirs. SCI Systems, Inc. gary@sci34hub.sci.com I support drug testing. I believe every public official should be given a shot of sodium pentathol and ask "Which laws have you broken this week?".