Tape drives and libraries hints and tips
Problems with tape drives and libraries might be with software on the computer trying to use the device, connections to the device, or the device.
Has anything been changed?Suspect anything on the computer trying to use the device. Or look at the device itself, especially if the device worked prior to a given change then stopped working after that change.
- If the adapter firmware changed, a device might exhibit intermittent or persistent failures. Try reverting back to an earlier version of the firmware to see if the problem continues.
- If cabling between the computer and the device was changed, intermittent or persistent failures might occur. Check any cabling changes to verify that they are correct.
- If the device firmware has changed, a device might exhibit intermittent or persistent failures. Try reverting back to an earlier version of the firmware to see if the problem continues.
Adjusting to operating system changes
Operating system maintenance can change kernel levels, device drivers, or other system attributes that can affect a device. Similarly, upgrading the version or release of the operating system can cause device compatibility issues.
If possible, revert the operating system to the state prior to the device failure. If you cannot revert the operating system, check for device driver updates that might be needed based on the fix level, release, or version of the operating system.
Adjusting to device driver changes
A device driver upgrade might result in a tape drive or library device not working. These issues can also occur as a result of the type of driver that you use.
When working with IBM libraries or drives, as opposed to using other vendor libraries and drives, the type of device driver that you choose is important. IBM libraries and drives should use the IBM device driver, while other vendor libraries and drives should use the IBM Storage Protect device driver.
Revert to the previous (or earlier) version of the device driver to see if the problem was introduced by the newer version of the driver.
Adjusting to a replaced adapter or other hardware changes
A small computer system interface (SCSI) connection to the device uses a SCSI adapter. A fibre-channel (optical) connection to the device uses a host bus adapter (HBA).
In either case, the cause of the problem might be from a changed adapter or an open computer where other hardware was changed or fixed.
- If the adapter was changed, revert to the previous adapter to see if the issue is resolved.
- If hardware in the computer was changed or the computer opened, check the computer to ensure that the adapter is properly seated in the bus. By opening and changing other hardware in the computer, the cards and other connections in the computer might have been loosened. Loosening the connections might cause intermittent problems or total failure of the devices or other system resources.
Resolving a loose cable connection
Problems might occur to the device if a connection is loose from the computer to the cable, or from the cable to the device.
Check the connections and verify that the cable connections are correct and secure.
For SCSI devices, check that the SCSI terminators are correct and that there are no bent pins in the terminator itself. An improperly-terminated SCSI bus might result in problems with one or more devices on that bus.
Using error messages to resolve a device malfunction
A device might report an error to a system error log where you can try to find the cause of the problem.
- errpt for AIX®
- Event Log for Windows