DAT Autoloader Problem

[Brian Ristuccia]

I'm experiencing trouble with my Seagate / Archive Python 4487NP 12 DAT
casette autoloader.

I use the following tar command to do my backups:

export TAPE=/dev/st0
tar cv home --exclude home/mp3 --new-volume-script='mtx next'

When backing up with tar, using the --new-volume-script argument, the DAT
changer backs up my first 3-4gb worth of data onto the first tape. When the
media in that cartrige is exhausted, it is rewound and MTX exchanges it for
the next cartrige. For some reason, tar thinks that cart is empty as well,
and calls MTX to advance to the next tape. This sequence repeats until every
cart in the magazine is exhausted. Then tar fails with an I/O error. 

After this point, the drive is left in an error condition. Although I can
load tapes with MTX, I can't rewind/record/erase/read them. It stays in this
error condition until I eject and reload the magazine. 

I am using the Adaptec AIC7xxx driver version: 5.1.0pre10/3.2.4 with kernel
2.0.35. I have two SCSI controllers, a AIC-7880 ultra wide controller, and a
AHA-2940A ultra controller. The DAT drive is connected to the AHA-2940A. The
bus is properly terminated.

Backups that fit on a single tape seem to work just fine.

I can even make several backups (each of which fit on a single tape) and use
MTX to change tapes inbetween. 

-- 
Brian Ristuccia
brianr at osiris.ml.org
bristucc at baynetworks.com
bristucc at cs.uml.edu

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