UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I have been attempting to read a DLT tape, but encountered problems. I have applied patches from SUN that 'resolve' known problems with tape reading etc...but still the error!

Techsupport reckon that the data/tape is corrupt. I would like to think they aren't.

Are there any issues with tapes being written out on a newer version of Solaris and being read by an older version (solaris2.6)?

What if the "writing" unix box was not SUN, but the reading box was?

Can you think of any implications/issues?

I thinking there shouldn't be - as i can read many of the tapes from the same batch...just not the importanat ones!!!

you're help will be appreciated.

it depends on the format on the tape.

what format are the tapes written in ??

DD, CPIO, TAR UFSDUMP ???.

can you issue mt commands to the drive like rewind etc ??


Kie

The tape was created using TAR.

I can issue commands to the device, and have read tapes...just these few (which conatin the most valuable data) are the 'corrupt' ones.

Initally a blocksize error was also included in the tar output error, which i have got round by stipulating tar -tvbf 8 /dev/rmt/0...but still i get this:

tar: directory checksum error

Supposedly fixable by the patches, unless the data is really corrupt.

Are you sure it was created using TAR? If I try to TAR a tape created using CPIO I get the error

tar : directory checksum error

try doing

cpio -itv < /dev/rm/0

to see if there's anything on it.

Kevin,

Tried the cpio option, but equally got errors:

cpio: I/O error on "input", errno 12, Not enough space
1 errors

i'm not that clued up on this - but i'm thinking that it is actually trying to restore, so why is it indicating lack of space?

meant to add:

The tapes where created on another unix box by another unix guy...who has since left. from a brief convo with him, the tapes were supposedly created with TAR.

This sound like your importend tapes are corrupted.


Try the same tape on a other (original) tapedrive?
Does the DLT-drive load the tape correctly?


Or try to read some blocks from your tape with `dd`
>> dd if=/dev/<YourDLT> of=/home/dir/YourFile.tar

at least you get some of the data, and you can find out with tape block is corrupted