pOWERvAULT 110 DLT not recognised- checked SCSI IDS. No help

Hi,

Is the tape drive detected by the system during POST, before the Operating System loads?

If yes, you just need to load the driver for the Scsi controller where the tape drive is attached.

If not, which Scsi controller do you have the tape drive connected?
If you connected it to the embedded Scsi controller, did you enable it in the System BIOS?
Did you use a terminated Scsi cable?

Hi Mark, Thanks for you tips.

During POST the tape drive is not seen before the OS loads.

I have tried to switch SCSI IDs and for example on ID 9. On channel A it is visible intially during POST then subsquent reboots nothing is detected. I changed to channel B with SCSI ID 9. On a couple of reboots the tape drive is not detected during POST.

I have even changed cables from another DELL server with a 100T DDS4 Drive.

Please help me and assist on how to install drivers for the SCSI Channels A and B if that's what is missing  where my tape drive is connected.

I have no idea whatsoever. I thought these are already installed by Dell Openmanage boot cd ?

I have the drivers for the DLT tape on CD, it will not even show in device manager as a device with a ?.

Guys do I have to reconfigure the Server to intialise the sequence in which the SCSI IDs are allocated to have my 110T Tape drive to default to SCSI ID 6 (default) ?

Please any ideas are welcome.

Hi,

If the drive is not consistantly recognised during post on either channel of the Adaptec AIC-7899 controller in your PowerEdge 6400, the problem is not a driver, rather a real hardware problem.

This could be a defective part (cable, drive or controller), a poor cable connection, bent pins on the connector or improper termination.

Use this link to reset the Scsi ID to 6:

Check your cable for chafed or cut insulation, loose connectors, bent pins, extreme creases in the cable which could break individual wires. Does it have a terminator block attached to one end as depicted in Figure 3 at this link?

When i reset SCSI ID to default 6,  in the PERC BIOS configuration utility this is what is allocated to SCSI ID 6

Channel 0

id

0       READY

1       READY

2       READY

3       READY

4

5

6       PROC

 

The drive info on ID 6  (channel0, Target6)

Device type  : PROCESSOR

capacity       : N/A

Vendor         : DELL

Product ID   : 1x8     SCSI BP

Revision      :  5.47

SCSI Standard : SCSI-2

 

Does this mean SCSI ID 6 the default can't be used or ??#?$?@#?%$?@#

 

 

Hi,

You have displayed the BIOS of the PowerEdge Expandable Raid Controller (PERC) controller. You pressed CTRL-M to enter this BIOS. Tape drives are only validated on standard Scsi controllers and will not work on the Percs.

The tape drive should be connected to the embedded Adaptec AIC-7899 controller or the optional Adaptec 39160 PCI controller. Both of these controllers use CTRL-A to enter the BIOS. The Scsi connectors on the motherboard for the embedded controller are shown in Figure 1, items 1 and 2 at this link:

<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

Also make sure the embedded Scsi controller is enabled on Page 2 of the System BIOS screens:

 

Let me know if the tape drive is recognised on the Scsi controller.

Hi Mark,

1) CTRL-A Has the following results; Tape drive has SCSI ID 6

Adaptec AIC-7899 Utility Build 25307
AIC-7899 at Bus:00h Device:05h Channel:A

Select SCSI Disk and press

SCSI ID #1  No Device
SCSI ID #2  No Device
SCSI ID #3  No Device
SCSI ID #4  No Device
SCSI ID #5  No Device
SCSI ID #6  No Device
SCSI ID #7  Adaptec AIC-7899
SCSI ID #8  No Device
SCSI ID #9  No Device
SCSI ID #10  No Device
SCSI ID #11  No Device
SCSI ID #12  No Device
SCSI ID #13  No Device
SCSI ID #14  No Device
SCSI ID #15  No Device

 

 

The tape drive has always been connected to the embedded Adaptec AIC-7899 controller on the motherboard for the embedded controller as shown in Figure 1, items 1 at this link: <ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>

2)  I have made sure and confirm that the embedded Scsi controller is enabled on Page 2 of 2 in the System BIOS screens. Under Intergrated Devices we have

 PRIMARY SCSI:         On

 

3) Let me know if the tape drive is recognised on the Scsi controller.

The Tape drive is not recognised on the Scsi controller at all.

Unfortunately all these were just as you had suggested and nothing had been changed.

Regards

Hi Ed,

There is one more thing to check. The AIC-7899 is a 2 channel controller. You have listed the contents of Channel A and confirmed the Primary controller is enabled.

Is the cable connected to Channel A or Channel B on the motherboard?

If both the primary and secondary Scsi is enabled in the System BIOS and the tape device is not recognised in the CTRL-A Scsi Bios under Channel A or Channel B (depending on which connector on the motherboard the drive is connected), then the problem is either the cable or the tape drive is defective. I would recommend replacing both to be safe.

It is a slim chance the motherboard is defective, but this is not usually the case. Do you have another system with a Scsi controller with which you could test the tape drive?

At tis point the problem is not related to the Operating System in any way.

Hi Mark,

It is true the AIC-7899 is a 2 channel controller and what I listed are the contents of Channel A and confirmed the Primary controller is enabled.

The cable is connected to Channel A

My system BIOS only shows the primary Scsi is enabled in the System BIOS and the tape device is not recognised in the CTRL-A Scsi Bios under Channel A or Channel B (depending on which connector on the motherboard the drive is connected), then the problem is either the cable or the tape drive is defective. I would recommend replacing both to be safe.

I have another server a 1600SC where I tried connecting the tape drive but still it is not detected at all.

Unfortunately this is a drive which was replaced during the warranty days which are no more.Do you know how much do the

powervault 110 DLT go for if I wanted to buy one because I have too much data to backup which a  100T DDS4 drive can’t handle.

 

Regards

Edward

Thanks Mark,

2 questions though 

a) what would you recommend to replace this DLT1 drive here because i do not seem to see the same type as I have here.

which one of these can tape DLTtape IV 12.65mm Data Tapes (40/70/80GB) ?

b) Can the DLT1 Tape drive work in a 2600 server or 1600 SC server ?

Thanks so much .

 

 

 

Hi Edward,

This link has the offerings for the PowerVault 110T tape drives. This is on the US website, but I assume thre would be a similar page on the UK version. If not, please call your salesperson.

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/tapeb_sing?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

Note: If this tape drive was replaced under warranty and it NEVER worked, it should be still covered. I do not know all the details of the case, but I would certainly recommend calling technical support and ask them to review the case.

Mark sorry to bug you again ?

If i setup my raid 5 once again on the powerEdge 6400 and installed the OS , if i get the PowerVault 110T DLT Drive VS80 drive later can I be able to just plug it onto the SCSI controllers Channel A or Channel B and get rolling ? I hope it does not necessitate to re-install the Box afresh.

 

Regards

Edward

Hi Edward,

The PowerVault 110T VS80 is the same technology as your existing DLT1. It is just a physically smaller version. It does use the DLTtape IV tapes.

Both the DLT1 and VS80 should work equally well in your server or the PowerEdge 1600 SC and PowerEdge 2600. Actually, these drives are validated in almost every PowerEdge Servers.

Thanks

Hi,

Installing the tape drive later will not require reinstalling the Operating System.

FYI, no apology needed, you are not bugging me, ask all the questions you need to get the issue resolved. I am always happy to help out when I can.

Dear Mark, I'm making progress. I have connected a new DLT powervault tape drive to secondary SCSI channel B. The Tape drive is recognised both in BIOS though intermittently and at the OS level. However read below, I have some IRQ conflicts on 3 devices on IRQ 15.

As a result, the tapes are not recognised on trying to do a backup, the secondary IDE is disabled.....

 

System Information report written at: 12/17/2003 07:41:46 PM
[IRQs]

IRQ Number Device
9 Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System
17 Adaptec AIC-7899 Ultra160/m PCI SCSI Card
18 Adaptec AIC-7899 Ultra160/m PCI SCSI Card
5 PCI Simple Communications Controller
26 Intel 8255x-based PCI Ethernet Adapter (10/100)
13 Numeric data processor
6 Standard floppy disk controller
1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
12 PS/2 Compatible Mouse
4 Communications Port (COM1)
3 Communications Port (COM2)
8 System CMOS/real time clock
15 System board
15 Secondary IDE Channel
15 dcesm
14 Primary IDE Channel
11 Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller
23 Dell PERC 2/DC RAID Controller

 

what pointers do you have on this one ?.

please bail me out.

Edward

 

Hi Edward,

This driver will resolve the IDE conflict on IRQ 15 and possibly the others:
Dell 2nd IDE Channel Patch, Windows 2000,  A02
Filename: 2chidefixA02.exe (26 KB)
http://support.dell.com/FileLib/Format.aspx?ReleaseID=R39617

Also run the RCU to resolve any IRQ problems at the BIOS level. The list you provided is at the OS level and is sometimes misrepresented by Windows.

Dell Resource Configuration (RCU), PowerEdge 6400, 6450, v. 1.40, A00
Filename: B0200T00.exe [665 KB]
http://support.dell.com/us/en/filelib/download/index.asp?fileid=r13943

Using the Resource Configuration Utility:
http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/pe6450/en/ug/3097Pc50.pdf