HP Ultrium 448 LTO2 - error 206

[fleecy]

XServe Quad 2.8 GHz, Leopard Server 10.5.5, 4 GB RAM

ATTO UL4D PCI-X SCSI card (Driver 4.3.0, firmware from Feb 18 2008)

HP Ultrium 448 SCSI tape device, using the SCSI cable that came with the device

Retrospect 6.1.138, Driver Update 6.1.15.101 installed

 

All of this is brand new.

 

Retrospect keeps crashing with this in its log when I try to use this setup for backups :

 

Trouble reading: “1-test†(31155), error 206 (drive reported a failure: dirty heads, bad media, etc.).

Trouble reading: “1-test†(31155), error 206 (drive reported a failure: dirty heads, bad media, etc.).

Trouble reading: “1-test†(31155), error 206 (drive reported a failure: dirty heads, bad media, etc.).

Trouble positioning: “1-test†(31155), error 206 (drive reported a failure: dirty heads, bad media, etc.).

Trouble reading: “1-test†(31155), error 206 (drive reported a failure: dirty heads, bad media, etc.).

Additional error information for device "HP Ultrium Gen 2 DC" [0:3],

Sense > f0 00 03 00 00 00 02 10 00 00 00 00 31 00 00 00 30 29

(HP |Ultrium 2-SCSI |S63D)

 

I managed to use the HP Ultrium 448's diagnostics tool by transferring the UL4D in a PC. It passes all tests successfully. I updated the firmware to the latest version (S63D), hoping that it would help. Retrospect still errors out on the XServe.

 

I ordered a replacement SCSI cable, in case the OEM one is bad (it works on the PC though). I'm running out of options.

 

Help!

[Mayoff]

206 is a hardware error reported by the tape drive.

 

It could be caused by a bad scsi cable, bad terminator, dirty tape heads, bad tape, It could also be caused by a bad scsi card or even a bad LTO drive.

 

 

[rhwalker]

XServe Quad 2.8 GHz, Leopard Server 10.5.5, 4 GB RAM

ATTO UL4D PCI-X SCSI card (Driver 4.3.0, firmware from Feb 18 2008)

HP Ultrium 448 SCSI tape device, using the SCSI cable that came with the device

Retrospect 6.1.138, Driver Update 6.1.15.101 installed

 

All of this is brand new.

 

....

 

I ordered a replacement SCSI cable, in case the OEM one is bad (it works on the PC though)

You don't mention a SCSI terminator. I assume that this is LVD (on the UL4D) to LVD on the Ultrium drive. Do you have an LVD terminator (preferably and active terminator) at the drive? Are there any other SCSI devices on the chain?

 

Just out of curiosity, why aren't you using the UL5D (or UL5D Low Profile) in the Intel Xserve? That's what most people use in the Intel Xserve because it is directly PCIe without the converter card.

 

Russ

[fleecy]

The XServe was ordered by mistake with a PCI-X riser, so we had to use a PCI-X card. The UL4D seemed to fit the bill, and was available in a reasonable delay from our distributor.

 

The HP device has automatic termination, according to the product manual, and actually only has one connector on its back, so I don't see how I could install a terminator.

 

I actually popped the UL4D card out of the XServe, installed it in a PC running XP and attached the same cable, same HP drive. HP diagnostics (which are PC only) ran fine, no errors. Backups on the PC work fine too.

 

I forgot to mention that Retrospect was initially able to backup to this device, but started failing after 3 backups to the same tape. I tried a different tape and cleaning the drive, no go.

[rhwalker]

Ok. I'll just point out that the PCI-X to PCIe converter adds another variable to the mix (and also something else to fail, whether by connector failure or component failure), and you won't get the performance through the PCI-X converter that you would with a PCIe card.

 

I don't have any experience with that converter card, so I can't help you. Sounds like the UL4D, cable, and HP drive are fine.

 

Perhaps something has happened to the PCIe slot or to the converter card. If it were me, I would get a UL5D Low Profile and return the UL4D (or sell it and the converter card on eBay).

 

Russ