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Classic Advice: Adding a DLT to an HP 3000

I'm trying to add a DLT to a my HP 3000 939KS and it keeps reporting media as bad. I can FCOPY but not run an Orbit or MPE store. It does mount the tape normally. The MPE store gives the following error:

STORE ENCOUNTERED MEDIA WRITE ERROR ON LDEV 9  (S/R 1454)    
SPECIFICALLY, STORE RECEIVED ERROR -48 FROM THE IO SYSTEM (S/R 1557).

The server which this drive is being added to has DDS-3s on it, but we are adding another disk array, so we are going to outgrow what we have very quickly.

DLT4000DLT8000s have not been manufactured in perhaps 10 years. Even five-year-old drives are SDLTII or DLT VS160, or some form of LTO. Also, using HVD-SCSI is so last century. At any rate, the heads on the DLT drives do get used up depending on the media used. Try another DLT drive, if possible.

Unfortunately, this is the exact issue facing homesteaders and others who are delaying their migration off the HP 3000, especially if they have pre-PCI machines like the 939. The hardware to run with it can be difficult to find, but it's out there, although it can be of varying level of readiness. You have many options open to you, but as time goes by they will more difficult to implement.

1. Look for another DLT8000 or a DLT7000. Either of these tape drives will work, and you will not get any performance benefit from either one over the DDS-3, but you will get more storage on one tape. You might make sure it has HP-branded firmware; there have been a painful set of System Aborts, due to semi-random walks through driver state machines — initiated by non-certified firmware.

2. Instead of a DLT, consider getting more DDS-3 drives. One medium size N-Class can have 12 DAT24 drives -- they do either a 4x3 or 3x4 parallel storeset. No messing with "reel" switches.

3. Consider getting an HVD to SE/LVD SCSI converter and then trying a DDS-4 device. DAT40 with DAT24 media has worked well for some sites, but DAT40 with DAT40 media is only supported on A/N-Class. To get technical on you here, you may only configure the DLT (scsi_tape2_dm) driver "under" the NIO F/W SCSI HBA (fwscsi_dam).

4. Move to a PCI HP 3000 (the A-Class or a small N-Class,) then use the newer LVD devices. PCI systems will at least enable the usage of much newer used equipment — and even some new stuff, if you want to buy a XP10000/12000.

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