Sony AIT4 storestation using AIT3 tapes

[peterthorn]

I have a G5 running a clean 10.4.8 with the correct atto drivers, an Atto ExpressPCI UL4S scsi card and a Sony AITe520 external drive. I have retrospect 6.1.126 with the 6.1.9.102 driver update. According to Sony the drive should be 6.x certified (http://sony.storagesupport.com/ait/ISV_report_sdx-900v.htm), and should also support AIT3 tapes. It works fine with AIT4 tapes but with AIT3 tapes retrospect reports "media failure".

 

Does anyone have the same problem, a similar problem or, even better, a solution?

 

TIA,

Peter

[rhwalker]

I looked on the Sony web site moments ago upon seeing your post, and the AIT e520 (a/k/a SDX-D900V) only supports AIT-4 tapes. See, e.g., page 9 of the Operating Instructions:

Sony AIT e520 Operating Instructions Manual

 

What makes you think that AIT-3 tapes should work in this drive?

 

Russ

[peterthorn]

The manual that I got from the reseller says "The AIT Drive Unit AITe520 has the following features:

- Supports reading and writing to data cartridges conforming to the AIT-3 and AIT-4 formats and reading from data cartridges conforming to the AIT-1 and AIT-2 formats..."

I can't point you to it, as it was send to me.

 

But I can also see that, according to the manual you've found, there is no indication that it should support AIT-3 tapes...?!?

 

Thanks,

Peter

[rhwalker]

I do see on the EMC "list of supported devices" that firmware version 0104 is required to read "AIT-3 Ex" tapes, whatever that means, and that 0102 firmware "removes backward media compatibility".

See:

Retrospect Supported Devices

 

But all the stuff I found on the Sony site seemed to indicate that there was one version of the drive for AIT-1, -2, -3, and a different version for AIT-4.

 

You might check your firmware version, see if a firmware update helps.

 

Russ