Re: A non-amanda issue: the abysmal misery of LUNs

[FL]

Executive summary:
mt status  works if no tape is loaded!


Details:
This is what I have done so far (I will try the suggestion to echo the new
device into /proc/scsi)

added a the last line to /etc/modprobe.conf as follows:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]# tail /etc/modprobe.conf
alias eth0 3c59x
alias scsi_hostadapter aic7xxx
alias usb-controller uhci-hcd
alias scsi_hostadapter1 aic79xx
options scsi_mod max_luns=255
[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]#

(in my version of CentOS, which is close to RHEL 4,
what was previously
   options scsi_mod max_scsi_luns=255
became
   options scsi_mod max_luns=255)

Then I created a new initial ram disk with


mkinitrd /boot/initrd-2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmpLUN.img 2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmp

and modified /boot/grub/menu.lst  accordingly.

But nothing sort of worked until I located the SCSI terminator.

Now something odd occurs: with  say storage element 4 loaded into the drive,

[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]# mtx -f /dev/sg4 status
 Storage Changer /dev/sg4:1 Drives, 11 Slots ( 0 Import/Export )
Data Transfer Element 0:Full (Storage Element 4 Loaded):VolumeTag =
A00004
     Storage Element 1:Full :VolumeTag=A00001
     Storage Element 2:Full :VolumeTag=A00002
     Storage Element 3:Full :VolumeTag=A00003
     Storage Element 4:Empty:VolumeTag=
     Storage Element 5:Full :VolumeTag=A00005
     Storage Element 6:Full :VolumeTag=A00006
     Storage Element 7:Full :VolumeTag=A00007
     Storage Element 8:Full :VolumeTag=A00008
     Storage Element 9:Full :VolumeTag=A00009
     Storage Element 10:Full :VolumeTag=A00010
     Storage Element 11:Full :VolumeTag=A00011
[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]#

I cannot see the status:

[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]# mt -f /dev/nst2 status
/dev/nst2: Input/output error
[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]#

But if I unload the tape drive I CAN see the status

[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]# mtx -f /dev/sg4 unload 4
Unloading Data Transfer Element into Storage Element 4...done
[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]#

[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]# mtx -f /dev/sg4 status
 Storage Changer /dev/sg4:1 Drives, 11 Slots ( 0 Import/Export )
Data Transfer Element 0:Empty
     Storage Element 1:Full :VolumeTag=A00001
     Storage Element 2:Full :VolumeTag=A00002
     Storage Element 3:Full :VolumeTag=A00003
     Storage Element 4:Full :VolumeTag=A00004
     Storage Element 5:Full :VolumeTag=A00005
     Storage Element 6:Full :VolumeTag=A00006
     Storage Element 7:Full :VolumeTag=A00007
     Storage Element 8:Full :VolumeTag=A00008
     Storage Element 9:Full :VolumeTag=A00009
     Storage Element 10:Full :VolumeTag=A00010
     Storage Element 11:Full :VolumeTag=A00011
[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]#
[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]# mt -f /dev/nst2 status
SCSI 2 tape drive:
File number=-1, block number=-1, partition=0.
Tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x0 (default).
Soft error count since last status=0
General status bits on (50000):
DR_OPEN IM_REP_EN
[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~]#