How do I control tapedrive compression?
Hi all,
I understand that it is better to turn the tape drive's hardware compression
off and let Amanda know the real size of the tape and gzip do the compression.
So... How do I turn it off, or for that matter, how do I know if it's on or off?
My tape is a DLT 80/160 and I use the following for the tape size in
amanda.conf (from the amanda web site):
define tapetype DLTVS160 {
comment DLT VS160 tape drive
length 74529 mbytes # 72.78 Gb
filemark 584 kbytes
speed 2203 kbytes # 2.15 Mb/s
}
So my tape is configures with it's uncompressed length. The backups seem to be
working as expected, but how to make sure there is no hardware compression ?
Shai
--
Shai Ayal, Ph.D.
Head of Research
BioControl Medical BCM
3 Geron St.
Yehud 56100
ISRAEL
Tel: + 972 3 6322 126
Fax: + 972 3 6322 125
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: How do I control tapedrive compression?
Shai Ayal wrote: configures with it's uncompressed length. The backups seem to be working as expected, but how to make sure there is no hardware compression ? Amtapetype has a test for that, with the -c option: amtapetype -c -f /dev/yourtape (Note: the tapecontents will be destroyed! Don't use a tape you still need!) -- Paul Bijnens, XplanationTel +32 16 397.511 Technologielaan 21 bus 2, B-3001 Leuven, BELGIUMFax +32 16 397.512 http://www.xplanation.com/ email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** * I think I've got the hang of it now: exit, ^D, ^C, ^\, ^Z, ^Q, F6, * * quit, ZZ, :q, :q!, M-Z, ^X^C, logoff, logout, close, bye, /bye, * * stop, end, F3, ~., ^]c, +++ ATH, disconnect, halt, abort, hangup, * * PF4, F20, ^X^X, :D::D, KJOB, F14-f-e, F8-e, kill -1 $$, shutdown, * * kill -9 1, Alt-F4, Ctrl-Alt-Del, AltGr-NumLock, Stop-A, ...* * ... Are you sure? ... YES ... Phew ... I'm out * ***
Re: How do I control tapedrive compression?
On Mon, Feb 07, 2005 at 10:07:50AM +0200, Shai Ayal wrote:
Hi all,
I understand that it is better to turn the tape drive's hardware
compression off and let Amanda know the real size of the tape and gzip do
the compression.
better is very subjective here. There are valid reasons for choosing
hardware or software compression depending on your situation. Many of
the regular responders on the list use SW compression (myself included)
and are vocal about their preference. But their situation is not yours.
So... How do I turn it off, or for that matter, how do I know if it's on or
off?
A question for which the response is hardware and OS dependent. You may
be dealing with physical hardware option switches (in the case or outside),
front panel switches, software control such as with the mt command, OS
config files, or by selecting from several choices, a specific device name.
Check your mt command man page first. Mine (Solaris) has no sub-commands
related to compression. Others, notably linux, do.
My tape is a DLT 80/160 and I use the following for the tape size in
amanda.conf (from the amanda web site):
define tapetype DLTVS160 {
comment DLT VS160 tape drive
length 74529 mbytes # 72.78 Gb
filemark 584 kbytes
speed 2203 kbytes # 2.15 Mb/s
}
So my tape is configures with it's uncompressed length. The backups seem to
be working as expected, but how to make sure there is no hardware
compression ?
I suspect that when you get things sorted out that the amtapetype command
suggested by Paul B in another response will report a higher capacity.
I'm guessing the above tapetype definition may have been made by a tapetype
command run with hardware compression turned on.
--
Jon H. LaBadie [EMAIL PROTECTED]
JG Computing
4455 Province Line Road(609) 252-0159
Princeton, NJ 08540-4322 (609) 683-7220 (fax)
AMLABEL
Hello,
We have a new tape drive but I am unsuccessfully running amlabel.
Some background:
I was successfully running amlabel on HARD-DISK.
I modified amanda.conf file to accommodate the new tape drive
specifications:
I added the new tape drive spec - which I got through running amtapetype.
with the following :
define tape type ULTRIUM2-LTO{
comment just produced by tape type prog (hardware compression off)
length 207465 mbytes
filemark 939 kbytes
speed 17489 kps
}
and added the following line in the 'main' section in amanda.conf
tape type ULTRIUM2-LTO
But when I run the command:
# amlabel DailySet1 DailySet1001
The system ask me:
#insert tape into slot 1 and press return
Even though the tape is already in! - I tried to eject and insert the tape
but it again requested me to insert a tape!
Is it because Amanda could not identify my tape drive?
Or maybe it is related to my previous testing of Amanda with our hard-drive.
I successfully labeled our hard-drive and recently I comment it out and
labeled the new tape drive?
Thanks much,
gil
Re: AMLABEL
On Monday 07 February 2005 10:56, Gil Naveh wrote:
Hello,
We have a new tape drive but I am unsuccessfully running amlabel.
Some background:
I was successfully running amlabel on HARD-DISK.
I modified amanda.conf file to accommodate the new tape drive
specifications:
I added the new tape drive spec - which I got through running
amtapetype. with the following :
define tape type ULTRIUM2-LTO{
comment just produced by tape type prog (hardware compression
off) length 207465 mbytes
filemark 939 kbytes
speed 17489 kps
}
and added the following line in the 'main' section in amanda.conf
tape type ULTRIUM2-LTO
But when I run the command:
# amlabel DailySet1 DailySet1001
The system ask me:
#insert tape into slot 1 and press return
Even though the tape is already in! - I tried to eject and insert
the tape but it again requested me to insert a tape!
Is it because Amanda could not identify my tape drive?
Or maybe it is related to my previous testing of Amanda with our
hard-drive. I successfully labeled our hard-drive and recently I
comment it out and labeled the new tape drive?
This would suggest that the tape device really isn't the right tape
device. Which /dev/??? do you have it set to, and what OS?
Thanks much,
gil
--
Cheers, Gene
There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order.
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
99.32% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly
Yahoo.com attorneys please note, additions to this message
by Gene Heskett are:
Copyright 2005 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.
FW: AMLABEL
The Operating system is Solaris 9
and tape drive is under /dev/rmt/0n which is the defualt for Solaris.
Thx,
gil
-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Gene Heskett
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 12:43 PM
To: amanda-users@amanda.org
Cc: Gil Naveh
Subject: Re: AMLABEL
On Monday 07 February 2005 10:56, Gil Naveh wrote:
Hello,
We have a new tape drive but I am unsuccessfully running amlabel.
Some background:
I was successfully running amlabel on HARD-DISK.
I modified amanda.conf file to accommodate the new tape drive
specifications:
I added the new tape drive spec - which I got through running
amtapetype. with the following :
define tape type ULTRIUM2-LTO{
comment just produced by tape type prog (hardware compression
off) length 207465 mbytes
filemark 939 kbytes
speed 17489 kps
}
and added the following line in the 'main' section in amanda.conf
tape type ULTRIUM2-LTO
But when I run the command:
# amlabel DailySet1 DailySet1001
The system ask me:
#insert tape into slot 1 and press return
Even though the tape is already in! - I tried to eject and insert
the tape but it again requested me to insert a tape!
Is it because Amanda could not identify my tape drive?
Or maybe it is related to my previous testing of Amanda with our
hard-drive. I successfully labeled our hard-drive and recently I
comment it out and labeled the new tape drive?
This would suggest that the tape device really isn't the right tape
device. Which /dev/??? do you have it set to, and what OS?
Thanks much,
gil
--
Cheers, Gene
There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order.
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
99.32% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly
Yahoo.com attorneys please note, additions to this message
by Gene Heskett are:
Copyright 2005 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.
client version varies from server
On my amanda server (redhat 7.3) I'm running amanda-server-2.4.2p2-7 and on the client I'm running amanda-client-2.4.4p1-0.3E (RedHat ES). I keep getting selfcheck request timed out when I try to run amcheck on the server? Is this caused by the different versions??
Re: VXA-2 packet-loader issues and AMANDA [Fwd: hard luck with the new autoloader]
On Fri, Feb 04, 2005 at 07:21:59PM -0500, Gene Heskett wrote: Aha, LVD! LVD is not compatible with the rest of the system unless the rest of the system is also LVD. It is two, completely seperate signalling methods that just happen to use the same cabling. Yes and no. From the SCSI FAQ: [ANSI] specified that if an LVD device is designed properly, it can switch to S.E. [single-ended, i.e. normal, SCSI] mode and operate with S.E. devices on the same bus segment. - http://h000625f788f5.ne.client2.attbi.com/scsi_faq/scsifaq.html#Generic099 So if you mix it with S.E., you lose its LVDness, e.g. you have to stick to a S.E. bus length; but you shouldn't fry any hardware. HVD (high-voltage differential, i.e. the original differential variant of SCSI) is another story completely! That is indeed flat-out incompatible with S.E. (and presumably with LVD too...) -- | | /\ |-_|/ Eric Siegerman, Toronto, Ont.[EMAIL PROTECTED] | | / The animal that coils in a circle is the serpent; that's why so many cults and myths of the serpent exist, because it's hard to represent the return of the sun by the coiling of a hippopotamus. - Umberto Eco, Foucault's Pendulum
Re: VXA-2 packet-loader issues and AMANDA [Fwd: hard luck with the new autoloader]
I am near positive I did not fry anything since everything is working correctly except a sustained write to the tape. If anything were damages, I would expect nothing to work at all. I have ordered the new scsi card and I will report back in to this thread when I find the results. I am also interested in using the sym53c8xx-2 driver instead of the older ones. The older drivers presently work the best with the present configuration. Perhaps the newer drivers do not tolerate the bad scsi chain as well as the older ones ? On Mon, 2005-02-07 at 15:55 -0500, Eric Siegerman wrote: On Fri, Feb 04, 2005 at 07:21:59PM -0500, Gene Heskett wrote: Aha, LVD! LVD is not compatible with the rest of the system unless the rest of the system is also LVD. It is two, completely seperate signalling methods that just happen to use the same cabling. Yes and no. From the SCSI FAQ: [ANSI] specified that if an LVD device is designed properly, it can switch to S.E. [single-ended, i.e. normal, SCSI] mode and operate with S.E. devices on the same bus segment. - http://h000625f788f5.ne.client2.attbi.com/scsi_faq/scsifaq.html#Generic099 So if you mix it with S.E., you lose its LVDness, e.g. you have to stick to a S.E. bus length; but you shouldn't fry any hardware. HVD (high-voltage differential, i.e. the original differential variant of SCSI) is another story completely! That is indeed flat-out incompatible with S.E. (and presumably with LVD too...) -- | | /\ |-_|/ Eric Siegerman, Toronto, Ont.[EMAIL PROTECTED] | | / The animal that coils in a circle is the serpent; that's why so many cults and myths of the serpent exist, because it's hard to represent the return of the sun by the coiling of a hippopotamus. - Umberto Eco, Foucault's Pendulum
Re: VXA-2 packet-loader issues and AMANDA [Fwd: hard luck with the new autoloader]
On Mon, Feb 07, 2005 at 03:55:36PM -0500, Eric Siegerman wrote: On Fri, Feb 04, 2005 at 07:21:59PM -0500, Gene Heskett wrote: Aha, LVD! LVD is not compatible with the rest of the system unless the rest of the system is also LVD. It is two, completely seperate signalling methods that just happen to use the same cabling. Yes and no. From the SCSI FAQ: [ANSI] specified that if an LVD device is designed properly, it can switch to S.E. [single-ended, i.e. normal, SCSI] mode and operate with S.E. devices on the same bus segment. - http://h000625f788f5.ne.client2.attbi.com/scsi_faq/scsifaq.html#Generic099 So if you mix it with S.E., you lose its LVDness, e.g. you have to stick to a S.E. bus length; but you shouldn't fry any hardware. Can on look at the device connectors, or better yet, the external connectors, and tell if a device is LVD or SE? Or does one have to check the HW doc? -- Jon H. LaBadie [EMAIL PROTECTED] JG Computing 4455 Province Line Road(609) 252-0159 Princeton, NJ 08540-4322 (609) 683-7220 (fax)
RE: client version varies from server
The message indicates that the self-check portion of the amcheck command timed out while communicating with either itself or the client. Make sure that xinetd configuration files are set up correctly to respond to the Amanda commands sent over the Amanda UDP port. 1. Check your /etc/services file on each machine to ensure that you have the amanda UDP 10080 service defined in the file. 2. Check your /etc/inetd.conf file or /etc/xinetd.d file(s) have the appropriate entries for amanda (I use Amanda at work on a Tru64 UNIX system and my home server is Fedora Core 3, your mileage may vary) 3. Check the contents of the /tmp/amanda debug files from the amcheck operation to get more detailed explanations of why the operation is failing. Best wishes, Don Donald L. (Don) Ritchey Information Technology Exelon Corporation -Original Message- From: Don Carlton [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 1:41 PM To: amanda-users@amanda.org Subject: client version varies from server On my amanda server (redhat 7.3) I'm running amanda-server-2.4.2p2-7 and on the client I'm running amanda-client-2.4.4p1-0.3E (RedHat ES). I keep getting selfcheck request timed out when I try to run amcheck on the server? Is this caused by the different versions?? This e-mail and any of its attachments may contain Exelon Corporation proprietary information, which is privileged, confidential, or subject to copyright belonging to the Exelon Corporation family of Companies. This e-mail is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying, or action taken in relation to the contents of and attachments to this e-mail is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copy of this e-mail and any printout. Thank You.
RE: AMLABEL
Gene - thanks for trying to help,
Currently the only reason that I can think of is that Amanda has not read
correctly our tape drive so I am re-running
#amtapetype -f /dev/rmt/0n
By tomorrow I'll see what the results are and hopefully it should work...
Any thoughts why amlabel is not working are mostly welcome.
gil
-Original Message-
From: Gene Heskett [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 5:52 PM
To: Gil Naveh
Subject: Re: AMLABEL
On Monday 07 February 2005 13:57, Gil Naveh wrote:
The Operating system is Solaris 9
and tape drive is under /dev/rmt/0n which is the defualt for
Solaris.
Thx,
gil
Ok, then thats out of my field of expertise (such as it is), so take
this back to the mailing list where Jon LaBadie seems to be our
resident solaris expert, he can probably help you where I would be
making only SWAG's.
-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Gene Heskett
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 12:43 PM
To: amanda-users@amanda.org
Cc: Gil Naveh
Subject: Re: AMLABEL
On Monday 07 February 2005 10:56, Gil Naveh wrote:
Hello,
We have a new tape drive but I am unsuccessfully running amlabel.
Some background:
I was successfully running amlabel on HARD-DISK.
I modified amanda.conf file to accommodate the new tape drive
specifications:
I added the new tape drive spec - which I got through running
amtapetype. with the following :
define tape type ULTRIUM2-LTO{
comment just produced by tape type prog (hardware compression
off) length 207465 mbytes
filemark 939 kbytes
speed 17489 kps
}
and added the following line in the 'main' section in amanda.conf
tape type ULTRIUM2-LTO
But when I run the command:
# amlabel DailySet1 DailySet1001
The system ask me:
#insert tape into slot 1 and press return
Even though the tape is already in! - I tried to eject and insert
the tape but it again requested me to insert a tape!
Is it because Amanda could not identify my tape drive?
Or maybe it is related to my previous testing of Amanda with our
hard-drive. I successfully labeled our hard-drive and recently I
comment it out and labeled the new tape drive?
This would suggest that the tape device really isn't the right tape
device. Which /dev/??? do you have it set to, and what OS?
Thanks much,
gil
--
Cheers, Gene
There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order.
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
99.32% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly
Yahoo.com attorneys please note, additions to this message
by Gene Heskett are:
Copyright 2005 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.
Re: AMLABEL
Gil Naveh wrote: Gene - thanks for trying to help, Currently the only reason that I can think of is that Amanda has not read correctly our tape drive so I am re-running #amtapetype -f /dev/rmt/0n Add an estimate value! And it takes about 5 hours only. Without an estimate it takes a week or so. Like this: amtapetype -f /dev/rmt/0n -e 200g On the other hand, writing a few bytes is enough to see it the drive works. About the problem: you did specify that device in your amanda.conf ? (I believe that was what Gene was hinting about.) -- Paul Bijnens, XplanationTel +32 16 397.511 Technologielaan 21 bus 2, B-3001 Leuven, BELGIUMFax +32 16 397.512 http://www.xplanation.com/ email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** * I think I've got the hang of it now: exit, ^D, ^C, ^\, ^Z, ^Q, F6, * * quit, ZZ, :q, :q!, M-Z, ^X^C, logoff, logout, close, bye, /bye, * * stop, end, F3, ~., ^]c, +++ ATH, disconnect, halt, abort, hangup, * * PF4, F20, ^X^X, :D::D, KJOB, F14-f-e, F8-e, kill -1 $$, shutdown, * * kill -9 1, Alt-F4, Ctrl-Alt-Del, AltGr-NumLock, Stop-A, ...* * ... Are you sure? ... YES ... Phew ... I'm out * ***
Re: client version varies from server
On Monday 07 February 2005 14:40, Don Carlton wrote: On my amanda server (redhat 7.3) I'm running amanda-server-2.4.2p2-7 and on the client I'm running amanda-client-2.4.4p1-0.3E (RedHat ES). I keep getting selfcheck request timed out when I try to run amcheck on the server? Is this caused by the different versions?? I've never seen that be the case. Normally when you get a selfcheck request timeout, something has gone gaga in the networking or the server setup. Is this a new install? -- Cheers, Gene There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order. -Ed Howdershelt (Author) 99.32% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly Yahoo.com attorneys please note, additions to this message by Gene Heskett are: Copyright 2005 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.
Re: AMLABEL
On Monday 07 February 2005 18:31, Paul Bijnens wrote: Gil Naveh wrote: Gene - thanks for trying to help, Currently the only reason that I can think of is that Amanda has not read correctly our tape drive so I am re-running #amtapetype -f /dev/rmt/0n Add an estimate value! And it takes about 5 hours only. Without an estimate it takes a week or so. Like this: amtapetype -f /dev/rmt/0n -e 200g On the other hand, writing a few bytes is enough to see it the drive works. About the problem: you did specify that device in your amanda.conf ? (I believe that was what Gene was hinting about.) Chuckle, yup. Sometimes I get my tongue tangled up with my eyeteeth, and can't see what I'm writing... Corrections in that case are always welcome. :-) -- Cheers, Gene There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order. -Ed Howdershelt (Author) 99.32% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly Yahoo.com attorneys please note, additions to this message by Gene Heskett are: Copyright 2005 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.
Re: AMLABEL
On Mon, Feb 07, 2005 at 10:06:09PM -0500, Gene Heskett wrote: On Monday 07 February 2005 18:31, Paul Bijnens wrote: Gil Naveh wrote: Gene - thanks for trying to help, Currently the only reason that I can think of is that Amanda has not read correctly our tape drive so I am re-running #amtapetype -f /dev/rmt/0n Add an estimate value! And it takes about 5 hours only. Without an estimate it takes a week or so. Like this: amtapetype -f /dev/rmt/0n -e 200g On the other hand, writing a few bytes is enough to see it the drive works. About the problem: you did specify that device in your amanda.conf ? (I believe that was what Gene was hinting about.) Chuckle, yup. Sometimes I get my tongue tangled up with my eyeteeth, and can't see what I'm writing... Corrections in that case are always welcome. :-) With the ultrium it is less important about considering HW or SW compression. But be aware that on Solaris whether HW compression is turned on or not is determined by the device you choose. You will find lots of /dev/rmt/0xyz devices. The xyz determines the properties of the device the driver will set upon opening it. Don't be fooled into assumptions about the various devices. The c device is listed as compressed. But that is the conventional use. There is no certainty that it turns compression on for every device, or that devices without the c are no compression. You will even have a c device for drives that are not capable of HW compression ;-) Only way to tell is check the docs for the drive and settings for the driver. And then I'd check it if I could. -- Jon H. LaBadie [EMAIL PROTECTED] JG Computing 4455 Province Line Road(609) 252-0159 Princeton, NJ 08540-4322 (609) 683-7220 (fax)
