Hi,
Networker keep track of media handling errors.And the threshold for this is specified in device attribute-Max consecutive errors.

Thanks
Saleesh

Increase the value for max consecutive errors for the drive. It is 20 by default.

Ideally you should ask for a drive replacement as well.

You are right but what I want to say is that such messages should not be treated as error messages they are only informative, that tape does not have a Networker label ... so what, there is no error in having blank tapes in library, should this invalidate a device ? ... I think this isn't correct.

Drive does not get into Service mode only for media errors or infact never for media errors. Drive has some other problem with it.

And you can place any no. of unlabelled or blank tapes in the library, it has nothing to do with invalidating the device.

What I've understood ... if you inventory 21 tapes without labels the drive will be put in service mode due to the 20's error threashold ...
but it could be wrong and the drive shoud have problems.

Message was edited by:
Dan Maracineanu

I have 3 drives:
/dev/nst0
/dev/nst1
/dev/nst2

Only /dev/nst2 has this problem with service mode. As you can see bellow drive nst1 has also over 20 errors but it was never switched in service mode.
From the grafical console interface:
/dev/nst0
- accesses: 3490
- Consecutive errors: 0
- Statistics: errors = 18

/dev/nst1
- accesses: 3489
- Consecutive errors: 2
- Statistics: errors = 57

/dev/nst2
- accesses: 3249
- Consecutive errors: 0
- Statistics: errors = 97

Can you show daemon.log when and before it gets to service mode? nst1 doesn't have more consecutive error as it has 2 - 57 is total in previous history.

Have you ran a cleaning tape in the problem tape drive? This could be a drive problem not a software problem

this is from message log:

ov 16 01:00:32 rpblegato1srv logger: rpblegato1srv.rompetrol.org: index:rpbhr2srv.rompetrol.org level=9, 1089 KB 00:00:01 10 files
Nov 16 01:01:18 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: Success
Nov 16 01:01:18 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: no tape label found
Nov 16 01:02:31 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: Success
Nov 16 01:02:31 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: no tape label found
Nov 16 01:04:01 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: Success
Nov 16 01:04:01 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: no tape label found
Nov 16 01:05:44 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: Success
Nov 16 01:05:44 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: no tape label found
Nov 16 01:06:53 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: Success
Nov 16 01:06:53 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: no tape label found
Nov 16 01:08:00 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: Success
Nov 16 01:08:00 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: no tape label found
Nov 16 01:09:15 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: Success
Nov 16 01:09:15 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: no tape label found
Nov 16 01:10:00 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker savegroup: (info) starting rpbhr1srv (with 1 client(s))
Nov 16 01:10:40 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: Success
Nov 16 01:10:40 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (warning) /dev/nst2 reading: no tape label found
Nov 16 01:10:40 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker device disabled: (warning) Device /dev/nst2 is automatically disabled.
Nov 16 01:10:40 rpblegato1srv logger: consecutive errors (21) exceeded the maximum consecutive errors allowed.
Nov 16 01:10:40 rpblegato1srv logger: Please fix the device or set a higher value for the Max consecutive errors
Nov 16 01:10:40 rpblegato1srv logger: attribute in the device resource.
Nov 16 01:15:13 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker media: (critical) Waiting for 1 writable volumes to backup pool 'T31days' tape(s) or disk(s) on rpblega
to1srv.rompetrol.org
Nov 16 01:15:14 rpblegato1srv logger: NetWorker savegroup: (notice) rpbhr1srv completed, Total 1 client(s), 1 Succeeded. Please see group completion de
tails for more information.
Nov 16 01:15:14 rpblegato1srv logger:
Nov 16 01:15:14 rpblegato1srv logger: Succeeded: rpbhr1srv.rompetrol.org


Could be that media warning messages counted for consecutive errors ?

I've also noticed in daemon.log at the same time the folowing messages:

11/16/06 01:02:14 nsrd: /dev/nst2 Verify label operation in progress
11/16/06 01:02:31 nsrd: media warning: /dev/nst2 reading: Success
11/16/06 01:02:31 nsrd: media warning: /dev/nst2 reading: no tape label found
11/16/06 01:02:32 nsrd: [Jukebox `IBML', operation # 938]. Expected volume `000005L2' in slot `78'. The actual volume is ` '.
11/16/06 01:02:32 nsrd: /dev/nst2 Eject operation in progress
11/16/06 01:03:07 nsrd: [Jukebox `IBML', operation # 938]. Finished with status: failed
11/16/06 01:03:07 nsrmmgd: RAP error: Invalid resource data.
11/16/06 01:03:07 nsrmmgd: Cannot update operation status resource (instance 938).

11/16/06 01:03:37 nsrd: Operation 939 started : Load volume `000022L2'.
.
11/16/06 01:03:49 nsrd: /dev/nst2 Verify label operation in progress
11/16/06 01:04:01 nsrd: media warning: /dev/nst2 reading: Success
11/16/06 01:04:01 nsrd: media warning: /dev/nst2 reading: no tape label found
11/16/06 01:04:02 nsrd: [Jukebox `IBML', operation # 939]. Expected volume `000022L2' in slot `26'. The actual volume is ` '.
11/16/06 01:04:02 nsrd: /dev/nst2 Eject operation in progress
11/16/06 01:04:37 nsrd: [Jukebox `IBML', operation # 939]. Finished with status: failed
11/16/06 01:04:37 nsrmmgd: RAP error: Invalid resource data.
11/16/06 01:04:37 nsrmmgd: Cannot update operation status resource (instance 939).

11/16/06 01:05:19 nsrmmd #1: Device /staging/backup/_AF_readonly, with total 60077121 blocks, each of size 4096, now has 33223108 blocks free
11/16/06 01:05:22 nsrd: Operation 940 started : Load volume `000222L2'.
.
11/16/06 01:05:32 nsrd: /dev/nst2 Verify label operation in progress
11/16/06 01:05:44 nsrd: media warning: /dev/nst2 reading: Success
11/16/06 01:05:44 nsrd: media warning: /dev/nst2 reading: no tape label found
11/16/06 01:05:45 nsrd: [Jukebox `IBML', operation # 940]. Expected volume `000222L2' in slot `38'. The actual volume is ` '.
11/16/06 01:05:45 nsrd: /dev/nst2 Eject operation in progress
11/16/06 01:06:20 nsrd: [Jukebox `IBML', operation # 940]. Finished with status: failed
11/16/06 01:06:20 nsrmmgd: RAP error: Invalid resource data.
11/16/06 01:06:20 nsrmmgd: Cannot update operation status resource (instance 940).

Strange is that volumes are in place at the specified location but it seems it can not read the label. Could be a drive problem but after I've switched from service mode to normal mode everithing was ok and the drive is working.

null

Could be several thing like:
- tape label got overwritten (you can verify that with scanner, dd or simply by mounting the tape from NW)
- SAN event (switch logs might have something on it)
- bad drive or media
- bad Linux kernel (that is Linux, right?)

Yes it's linux kernel.
I've mounted the tape from the specified location and it has the correct label.

Anyway I will have an eye on this issue.

What kernel version is that?

Linux version 2.4.21-37.ELsmp (bhcompile@tweety.build.redhat.com) (gcc version 3.2.3 20030502 (Red Hat Linux 3.2.3-53)) #1 SMP Wed Sep 7 13:28:55 EDT 2005

Couldn't see anything specific for that, but if you check http://www.linuxtapecert.org/ you will see that some version might be defected. You may wish to try with some verified once.