Cannot format backup tape

[cdoss]

Our Intuity messaging system (audixcd 5.0.77) ate the backup tape. I can't find anywhere to format the new tape we purchased. The backup mounts the tape drive, but it says tape is write protected or absent. Does the new tape need to be formated?
Thanks in advance.
Craig

 

[aussie88]

It does indeed need to be formatted. Login as SA. Go to "Customer Services Administration" then to "System Management," then go to "UNIX Management." Go to "Format UNIX Floppy/Tape." Insert the tape, and select the appropriate tape type. Follow the instructions, and you should be good to go.

 

[franke]

Also, make sure sure the write protect 'screw' is turned off.

franke

 

[cdoss]

The menu is set up like this:
Intuity Main Menu:
Customer/Services Administration
System Management
Disk Management (install disk is the only option)

or

Intuity Main Menu:
Unix Mangement
Removable Media Operations (the only option is to format a floppy under this menu)

One more question:
How are Intuity and WinSPM related. We have one computer with WinSPM on it and another one with Intuity.

Where is the write protect screw. All I see is a red arrow that slides left or right for lock/unlock.

 

[aussie88]

Are you sure that you have the correct tape for your machine? Intuity and WINspm, have the POTENTIAL to be related. First, you must aquire a 355AF adapter. You will plug the 355AF adapter into the back of the intuity, and use an 8 wire cable (CAT 5) to connect the Intuity, to the Admin port on the Legend. Now, if you access the Legend via it's built in modem (using winSPM), launch Standard SPM, and click on "Passthrough". Now you can Administer the Intuity, and the LEgend, from one machine. Kinda cool, eh? And, if you have the SPM package on the Intuity (you probably do) and as long as you keep the Intuity connected to the LEgend via the 355AF adapter, you can also administer the Legend from the Intuity. Just log onto the intuity, and select "Switch Administration" and it will bring up Intuity's version of Standard SPM.

 

[cdoss]

The two computers are connected with what looks like a serial interface. I connect WinSPM via a com port.
As far as the tape issue, it is the same type of tape that was in the machine before. Everything used to work correctly until I checked the backup log, saw the error, then looked at the tape and saw that it was eaten (mangled).
What I am worried about is if the intuity box dies, how will I restore the files?

Thanks again for your time.
Craig

 

[franke]

The Intuity should autimatically format the tape when you do a full backup. On the large tapes (about 3 1/2 in x 6 in) the write protect 'screw' is located in the lower left hand side of the cartridge. On the smaller tapes, it's the red 'slide'. In either case, you want it in the 'un-locked' possition.

franke

 

[cdoss]

Do I have to do a full backup to format the tape (does this take the system offline when a full backup is done)? The nightly backups are evidently not formatting the tape.

 

[franke]

Doing any type of backup does NOT take the system down. Although, depending on how busy the system is, will determine how long the backup takes.

franke

 

[franke]

In addition, you should find the format command under :
Customer/Service Administration
>System Management
>Unix Management
>Format Unix Floppy/Tape

You should see your tape size listed (for instance the large tapes are 525 mb Cartridge Tapes.

franke

 

[cdoss]

The menu is set up like this:
Intuity Main Menu:
Customer/Services Administration
System Management
Disk Management (install disk is the only option)

or

Intuity Main Menu:
Unix Mangement
Removable Media Operations (the only option is to format a floppy under this menu)

Is there someway to get to the shell and format the tape from there?

Thanks for all of your help.