On Fri, Aug 18, 2006 at 02:45:27PM -0500, Nick Jones wrote: > I can use mtx to get tape status. I have not tried to load or unload > a tape. Basically, assuming everything works and the problem lies > with amanda, how do I use amtapetype? What device do I use? > > Last login: Fri Aug 18 13:40:00 2006 from adams.gige.uiowa.edu > [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]# mtx -f /dev/sg1 inquiry > Product Type: Tape Drive > Vendor ID: 'HP ' > Product ID: 'Ultrium 3-SCSI ' > Revision: 'G24H' > Attached Changer: No > [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]# mtx -f /dev/sg2 inquiry > Product Type: Medium Changer > Vendor ID: 'OVERLAND' > Product ID: 'LXB ' > Revision: '0107' > Attached Changer: No > > Trying amtapetype with either of these devices fails. Any hints? I > can try the other things you suggested btw, such as tar or load/unload > a tape, and will let you know if they don't work. >
A tape library consists of several SCSI devices, a minimum of two, the changer mechanism and the tape drive. Every SCSI device will have a Scsi Generic (sg) device associated with it but that 'may' not be the device used to access the device. This is because the specific driver for that kind of device will not attach through the "generic" device. For example, external USB disk drives look to the system as SCSI disks. They will have an "sg" device. But you can't access files on the disk with that device. You need the "sd" device (Scsi Disk) to get a hard disk driver associated with, and attached to the device. Tape drive are similar in having an "sg" and another device associated. In this case the other device will be a Scsi Tape ("st" device). A third device name will be "nst" for "No rewind on close Scsi Tape". Tape changers use a simple enough set of scsi commands that usually they don't need a separate driver and you can use the "sg" device for the changer (It looks like /dev/sg2 in your case). You might also look for a /dev/changer, or make one, that is a link to /dev/sg2 If you only have one tape drive, its device is probably /dev/st0 (and /dev/nst0). These are the tape drive devices amanda wants, particularly the "nst" version. Amanda assumes the tape stays where it is unless amanda issues a rewind. So your amtapetype command should probably be something like: amtapetype -f /dev/nst0 -e 400g Do not forget the -e 400g option. Otherwise amtapetype will take forever to complete (days). As it is, it should take 4-8 hrs. -- Jon H. LaBadie [EMAIL PROTECTED] JG Computing 4455 Province Line Road (609) 252-0159 Princeton, NJ 08540-4322 (609) 683-7220 (fax)