AIT backups fail regularly...

[meliora]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm running Retrospect 6.0.178 Workgroup, on a Powermac G4 dual 450 Mhz, 1 GB RAM, running Mac OS X 10.3.9. Our RDU version is 5.2.101. We're using an AIT-3 SCSI tape drive (100GB/260GB), connected to the Mac via an ATTO express PCI UL3D SCSI adapter.

 

Most of the time, our backups work, but about 10-20% of the time, we come in in the morning to find one of two errors in our log:

 

1) Failure: Trouble communicating

2) Failure: Drive reported dirty heads, bad media, etc

 

If we get either of these errors, we cannot use the backup set further without re-building the catalog from tape. Given that our set spans nine tapes, it is not worth the time to rebuild, so we just erase the tapes and start over, or move on to the next set.

 

This is happening often enough that it's a real problem. Does anyone know where to begin troubleshooting this? Bad AIT? Bad ATTO card?

 

Thanks!

[twickland]

First I would update Retrospect to the latest Panther version (6.0.204) and the RDU to a more-recent version (either 6.2.102 or 6.4.102).

 

Did the problem appear recently. or has it been ongoing?

 

"Drive reported a failure" errors are definitely with the AIT unit or the tapes themselves. If running a few head-cleaning cycles doesn't help, it may be time for a fresh set of tapes (especially if you've already reused the tapes a lot), or time to have the unit serviced or replaced. Being mechanical devices that require direct physical contact with the storage medium, tape drives are more trouble-prone than just about any other hardware. In 15 years we have NEVER had a small tape drive that did not require either service or replacement during the warranty period.

 

"Trouble communicating" may indicate problems in the SCSI chain or with the AIT device itself. Be sure you have the latest ATTO driver, and check/replace cables and terminator. Are there any other devices in the SCSI chain?