hi

I have a problem to reading /writing /erasing tape in IBM 3590 ACF
tape drive.

This tape drive is connected with Node N1 of SP3 system (rmt0). There
is another tape
drive connected with Node N3 (rmt2). Both are IBM Magstar 3590 tape
drive with ACF (10 slots)

when ever i tried to read or write a tape on rmt0 it gives a tape
error near the end of tape
.. I have replaced the cartridge but no reasult. Both cartridge are
readable /writable on
another tape drive (rmt2). I have cleaned the tape drive several
times.

O.S is AIX 4.3.3
Any suggestions ?

"Parth" <pcdk@rediffmail.com> wrote in message
news:69a288c8.0310070259.5eea411@posting.google.co m...
> hi
>
> I have a problem to reading /writing /erasing tape in IBM 3590 ACF
> tape drive.
>
> This tape drive is connected with Node N1 of SP3 system (rmt0). There
> is another tape
> drive connected with Node N3 (rmt2). Both are IBM Magstar 3590 tape
> drive with ACF (10 slots)
>
> when ever i tried to read or write a tape on rmt0 it gives a tape
> error near the end of tape
> . I have replaced the cartridge but no reasult. Both cartridge are
> readable /writable on
> another tape drive (rmt2). I have cleaned the tape drive several
> times.
>
> O.S is AIX 4.3.3
> Any suggestions ?
Log a HW call with IBM, send them the errpt output and get your local
IBM CE to health check the drive.
Other than that there isn't a whole lot else you can do 'cos 3590s
aren't customer maintainable.


--
RobH
The future's dim, the future's mono.

"RobH" <nospam@dev.null> wrote in message news:<blu6n9$2ne$1@titan.btinternet.com>...
> "Parth" <pcdk@rediffmail.com> wrote in message
> news:69a288c8.0310070259.5eea411@posting.google.co m...
> > hi
> >
> > I have a problem to reading /writing /erasing tape in IBM 3590 ACF
> > tape drive.
> >
> > This tape drive is connected with Node N1 of SP3 system (rmt0). There
> > is another tape
> > drive connected with Node N3 (rmt2). Both are IBM Magstar 3590 tape
> > drive with ACF (10 slots)
> >
> > when ever i tried to read or write a tape on rmt0 it gives a tape
> > error near the end of tape
> > . I have replaced the cartridge but no reasult. Both cartridge are
> > readable /writable on
> > another tape drive (rmt2). I have cleaned the tape drive several
> > times.
> >
> > O.S is AIX 4.3.3
> > Any suggestions ?
> Log a HW call with IBM, send them the errpt output and get your local
> IBM CE to health check the drive.
> Other than that there isn't a whole lot else you can do 'cos 3590s
> aren't customer maintainable.

Dear Robh
thanks for response. actually we maintained 3590 and this place
(assam-india) is quite remote place and very difficult to obtain
suport from IBM. It may takes weeks to get.
Any way, in my last post i didn't mention the problem in details, here
is the details problem. Hope some one can give a suggestion like head
alignment.

Actually with SP3, two identical IBM Magstar 3590 connected (one is
rmt0 connected with Node1 and other is rmt 2 connected with Node3)
When ever I try to read or write any tape from rmt0 its working fine
up to almost end of the tape. Near the end of the tape, the drive
trying to locate the data, to locating it rewinds whole tape to
cartridge and then re-reads again. After two to three times it gave
up indicating tape error.
I have checked the media and change the cartridge. The same cartridge
is readable or writable by other tape drive (rmt2-connected with
Node3).
I have also checked the configuration of tape (block size, hardware
compression etc) in both nodes and found ok

It seems to me, that, near the end of the tape there is a tape motion
fault or its linear speed may be changing, but I am not sure.




Here is the details of error log generated by ?errpt ?a?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

LABEL: TAPE_ERR4
IDENTIFIER: 5537AC5F

Date/Time: Tue Oct 7 15:04:54
Sequence Number: 16177
Machine Id: 000505204C00
Node Id: sp1jor_s
Class: H
Type: PERM
Resource Name: rmt0
Resource Class: tape
Resource Type: 3590
Location: 20-58-00-4,0
VPD:
Manufacturer................IBM
Machine Type and Model......03590B11
Serial Number...............0000000B2538
Device Specific.(FW)........B833
Loadable Microcode Level....A0B00E25

Description
TAPE DRIVE FAILURE

Probable Causes
ADAPTER
TAPE DRIVE

Failure Causes
ADAPTER
TAPE DRIVE

Recommended Actions
PERFORM PROBLEM DETERMINATION PROCEDURES

Detail Data
SENSE DATA
0604 0000 1600 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0200 0400 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
0000 0000
0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks
Parth

"Parth" <pcdk@rediffmail.com> wrote in message
news:69a288c8.0310142256.76f76443@posting.google.c om...
> "RobH" <nospam@dev.null> wrote in message
news:<blu6n9$2ne$1@titan.btinternet.com>...
> > "Parth" <pcdk@rediffmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:69a288c8.0310070259.5eea411@posting.google.co m...
> > > hi

<SNIP>

>
> Dear Robh
> thanks for response. actually we maintained 3590 and this place
> (assam-india) is quite remote place and very difficult to obtain
> suport from IBM. It may takes weeks to get.

In my last job I looked after a number of 3494 tape libraries with about
ten 3590 tape drives and didn't find them consistant or particularly
reliable. I used to get my local IBM CE in to check the drives almost
every time hardware errors were reported and he was constantly
"tweaking" and adjusting the drives, upgrading the microcode, adjusting
the pneumatics, extracting stuck tapes etc. I wonder if I was just
"unlucky".


> Any way, in my last post i didn't mention the problem in details, here
> is the details problem. Hope some one can give a suggestion like head
> alignment.
Having seen a 3590 disassembled on many occasions you really need
someone who knows what they are doing. If you maintain your drives
yourself but are having problems then you have little option but to go
to IBM.
If you have no option going to IBM then you could follow the problem
determination in the 3590 service guide (you should have received one
with each drive you purchased) but this may end up suggesting a
non-trivial action which requires some specialist tools (some of which
come with the drive).

In either case you may have to pay IBM big bucks to bail you out.


--
RobH
DAB: The future's dim, the future's mono.