"Bad Media" Error caused by Excessive disk paging???

[meganbrad]

Hi,

 

Can excessive disk paging (due to low computer RAM) cause Bad Media errors?

 

Our server only has 256MB RAM (To be upgraded to 1GB in the next week), and yesterday it gave a Bad Media error on a brand new tape (Tape had recycle backup on Friday 23/9, and a Normal backup on Monday).

 

Setup is:

 

HP Server

Win 2003 (Only 256 MB ram)

IBM VXA-2 Tape Drive

 

I was thinking that the excessive disk paging may cause data throughput to the tape drive to slow, thus making the tape drive think there is a problem with the tape, and so giving a Bad Media error. Is this possible?

 

Thanks

 

Brad Clarke

[natew]

Hi

 

If the stream of backup data to the tape drive is slow the tape will have to re-position itself more often. However it would take a lot of wear and tear on the tape to cause a media error.

 

Thanks

nate

[meganbrad]

Nate,

 

Thanks.

 

But what do you do when you have used a tape once, on its first backup cycle, fresh out of the shrink wrap and 3 days into it it gives this error. Is the tape actually faulty, or is there some other problem?

 

The tape has been marked by RS as having a Media Error. If I erase the tape will it be acceptable again? I know there is the risk of the tape actually being faulty. This VXA drive is starting to drive me up the wall. I now have 10 tapes (5 Exabyte and 5 IBM), and 6 of them are supposedly faulty!!! That is not a very good record for a drive that we have only had for 3 months (and we had the original drive replaced under warranty after 4 weeks). Our previous Sony DAT drive was faultless, with not bad media problems, it just kept going and going.

 

Thanks

 

Brad

[natew]

Hi

 

I suspect the drive is faulty. Not the media.

You may get a few bad tapes over the course of a few years of backup but 6 faulty tapes in 3 months is not right. Make sure your firmware is up to date and call Exabyte support. I think they will agree that this is unusual.

 

Thanks

Nate