jdlink Posted June 19, 2002 Report Share Posted June 19, 2002 We are having problems restoring Macintosh fonts. Regular files will restore at a rate as high as 230 MB/minute. Fonts restore at 0.3 MB/minute and frequently stop entirely with a bad media or dirty heads error message. This requires completely restarting the restore, since there is no option to skip file and continue. Any reasons for this? Retrospect 4.3 System: Mac OS 9 fileserver: Red Hat Linux 6.2 (mounted on Mac desktop, connected using netatalk) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyJ Posted June 20, 2002 Report Share Posted June 20, 2002 From what you've described, it sounds as if you're having hardware failures. The tape drive is having trouble reading from the portion of the tape where the fonts are located (written), which is slowing down the entire restore. The tape drive slows down as it continually tries to read this section of the tape and then eventually errors out. Have you tried restoring these fonts from a different backup set? Do you see the same speed issues? Because fonts consist of many small files, you may see a speed decrease during the restore, however, this will never ultimately cause an Error 206 from the drive. From the Knowledgebase: www.dantz.com/index.php3?SCREEN=knowledgebase_article&id=230 When Retrospect reports an error 206 during an operation, it means the storage device has encountered a media failure. The storage device issues the error to Retrospect, which then reports the error to you with an on-screen dialog and an entry in the operations log. When it gets this error with a removable media device, Retrospect ejects the tape or disk, which it can no longer use. The following discussion assumes you are trying to recover files from the "failed" Backup Set media; otherwise just erase the media or use different media. Random Access Media In general, random access media refers to anything that the Finder can mount on the desktop as one or more volumes. This includes fixed media, such as hard disk drives (including servers and partitions) and ejectable media such as Zip, Jaz, SyQuest, optical, and Floptical cartridges, and floppy disks. Retrospect offers two kinds of StorageSets which can be used with random access media: file StorageSets and disks StorageSets. Error 206 on random access media is always the equivalent of a system error -36 ("bad media, i/o error"). File StorageSets File StorageSets are stored on either fixed or removable media mountable as volumes. For recovery after a 206 error, first use the Finder to try to copy the file StorageSet to a different volume (not the same disk). If the Finder reports the Mac OS system error -36 or a message saying "File (name) could not be read and was skipped" while copying, this confirms the storage medium on which the file resides is damaged. At this point you may want to use Norton Disk Doctor or some other file repair and recovery utility to see whether you can copy the file StorageSet to a different volume. If the StorageSet cannot be recovered, some of the data will be lost but you should be able to restore data which precedes the damaged area of the file StorageSet. In the case of a volume accessed over the network, there is a chance the error 206 resulted from a network communication failure rather than an actual media failure. Try your operation again or copy the StorageSet to a local volume and repeat. Disks StorageSets Disks StorageSets use ejectable media, with which error 206 is always caused by a genuine failure of the media (rather than another cause with the same error symptom). Recovery is unlikely, but you may retry the operation with the cartridge or disk (hereinafter simply "cartridge") in a different drive, or on a different computer. In most cases, Retrospect can read data preceding and following the failed area on the cartridge, allowing you to recover most files in the StorageSet. You may also try using the Finder or a file recovery utility to copy the "Retrospect.Data" file from a failing cartridge to a new cartridge. If the file copies successfully, rename the new cartridge exactly the same as the old cartridge. Then go to the Retrospect Directory, click the Tools tab, and click the Repair button. In the dialog that follows select "Recreate from Macintosh disks" and click OK. If Retrospect warns you there is already a StorageSet with this name, you may wish to save the new StorageSet catalog file to a different location (to avoid replacing the old catalog). Once the catalog is rebuilt, you may attempt to restore files from the StorageSet. Tape Media DC2000 Block-Addressable DC2000 Irwin and QIC-100 tapes are block-addressable and require that you format the tape prior to using it (unless the tape is pre-formatted). A 206 error on a formatted DC2000 tape usually means there are bad blocks on the tape. In most cases, Retrospect can read data preceding and following the bad blocks on the tape, allowing you to recover most files in the StorageSet. If the error occurs when you are trying to retrieve data you may try retensioning the tape. (Open the Storage Devices window from the Retrospect Directory's Configure tab then choose Retension from the Devices menu.) If that fails you can also re-try the operation with the tape in a different drive, or on a different computer. DC6000, TEAC Cassette, DC2000 Sequential Mode, 4mm DAT, 8mm Exabyte, DLT These are streaming tape drives. An Error 206 while using a streaming tape drive always means the device has reported a media failure to Retrospect. There are four reasons this can happen and each is discussed, in order from most to least common, in the following sections, with advice for particular tape devices as relevant. 1. The tape is bad; there is a defect in the media. If the error occurs while writing to the tape, simply replace it and try again. If the error persists with new tapes you may assume the tapes are not bad and proceed to the other troubleshooting stages. If the error occurs while reading a tape, use the following techniques to recover as much data as possible. • Retension the tape [DC6000 and TEAC only]: Open the Storage Devices window from the Retrospect Directory's Configure tab then choose Retension from the Devices menu. The error may have been caused by the tape being wound unevenly on its reels. Retensioning simply winds the tape to the end and back again at a constant speed. DC6000 and TEAC are the only streaming tape drive mechanisms that can retension tapes; other devices automatically retension during operation. • A technique for retrieving from bad media: Walk through an immediate search and retrieval operation, specifying the source StorageSet and destination volume, to the Searching & Retrieval summary window. Use the Searching button to use or make a Selector to find your file. After the search, click Files Chosen to open the Browser of results. Verify that the desired file is listed. Highlight it and choose Get Info from the File menu. Note the backup date and time, including the seconds. Return to the summary window and click the Searching button. Create a custom selector that includes a single date item. Set up the Date selector item pop-up menus to read "File Backup date and time is exactly Fixed date no offset." Set the date and time fields to the backup date and time you noted from the Get Info window of the desired file. When you apply the Selector by closing the Searching window, Retrospect asks you to choose between New, Narrow, and Widen; specify a new search. In the summary window, click the Retrieve button. With this setup, Retrospect retrieves all files in the session containing the desired file, from the beginning to the end of the session. Since this is a continuous segment of tape with a well-defined file mark at its beginning, the chances of success are better. 2. Another device is causing interference. Interference may be caused by inadequate shielding or may actually be transmitted on the SCSI cables. • If your tape drive is stacked with other devices or next to a device with a large power supply, try rearranging your devices so the tape drive is atop the stack or sits by itself. Refer to the Retrospect User's Guide for help in troubleshooting SCSI problems. • If your tape drive is adjacent to a large Seagate Wren hard drive on the SCSI chain, try putting another SCSI device or terminator between them or temporarily removing the Seagate from the SCSI chain. Older, large Seagate drives have been known to cause DAT drives to report media failures in some cases. • If your tape drive is close to a monitor, move them as far apart as possible. • If your tape drive has been set on its side or some other non-standard position, reposition it on its feet and ensure that any vents in the housing are unobstructed. 3. The tape drive has dirty or mis-aligned heads. Refer to your hardware manual (or contact the manufacturer) for cleaning and maintenance instructions. Perform any recommended cleaning or maintenance before assuming a worse problem. 4. The tape drive has failed and requires factory service. Contact the vendor for service. If media failures occur on all tapes and none of the above suggestions help, try using several pieces of media with the tape drive on a different Macintosh with a minimum of devices on its SCSI chain. If the errors still persist consult your drive's manufacturer. Hints and Tips • Never bring a cold tape into a warm room and use it immediately in your tape drive. Make sure that you've allowed the tape drive and the tape to adjust to the new room temperature • Rotate among three or more StorageSets to avoid overusing tapes, which have finite life spans. Significant wear occurs after 1,000 passes across the tape head. Because each insertion may generate three to four passes on a tape, you should consider using new media after roughly 300 tape insertions. Tapes are virtually useless after 10,000 passes. • Always follow the manufacturer's recommended instructions for maintenance on your tape drive. Clean the heads at regular intervals, as dirty heads can cause media failure errors. Cigarette smoke can contaminate the tapes and the heads. Remember the tape attracts fine particles such as dust or ash, so try to keep tapes in their protective casings when not in use. ©1996 Dantz Development Corporation. Although reasonable care has been taken to ensure its accuracy, this information is supplied without warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlink Posted June 20, 2002 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2002 I should have mentioned the tape drive being used: OnStream ADR-50, ultra-SCSI (the only SCSI device) I have moved it away from the monitor to see if that improves things. But the interesting thing about the problem is that it seems to affect only font files from all job folders. The data files do not seems to be affected. This was a new storage set and the problem appeared shortly after we began our system restore of 100+ GB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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