Brightstor 11.1 build 3200 LTO failure

[ChuckG]

We purchased a new server about a 1 1/2 years ago, it came with a Seagate Ultrium 06242 (LTO1) drive.

Been using it without issue for this period and suddenly about 2 weeks ago we've begun getting EC=UNRECOVERABLE DATA ERROR errors on over half of our LTO tapes.

Some of these tapes are probably about a year old, but a few are only a few months old. By itself I would have thought it was bad media, but with having this many failing we called the hardware vendor and had them send out a new drive and SCSI controller. Same issues.

This being our first LTO drive, (been using DDS4's) I'm not sure what the expected life of a LTO tape should be.

CA hasn't been of much help in diagnosing this, and just thought maybe some of the folks here might have some info.

Thanks
ChuckG

 

[vschumpy]

Look for information about the vicious cycle in this document particularly:

http://supportconnect.ca.com/sc/redir.jsp?reqPage=search&searchID=TEC342813

 

[davidmichel]

Check in the database under media view. Look at each tape to check on media and soft write/read errors. See if it is only for the old tapes, all tapes, certain brand tapes. Search the brightstor.log to see just when the errors really did start.


If it did truley start just two weeks ago, and it does not seem to be drive or media then check environmental. Is money being saved by turning the air off in the night time, was the location of the unit changed two weeks ago, is there a new worker who likes to blow smoke into the tapes.

It is always possible a problem drive was replaced with a problem drive.

Something to keep in mind about tape usage, every time a tape is loaded, it is used, regardless of if any data was written or read. This is because each time it is loaded the header is read.

 

[ChuckG]

Well we picked up two brand new FUJI LTO tapes yesterday, and our backups went through without a glitch last night.

So I'm somewhat leaning towards media at the moment, going to dig through the log a bit more and read that article that vschumpy posted.

ChuckG