Question about a tape write error doing backups

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1

Hello all. UNIX dummy here :stuck_out_tongue:

Anyway I was trying to do a full backup of my work server SUN SPARC SERVER 1000 machine (yes we are actually using this dinosaur). I did the ufsdump comand and everything was fine until I got to the dumping of regular files. During the run I got the following errors:

Tape write error 19 feet into tape 1
 
Error for command "write file mark' Error level: fatal
Requested block 30 Error block 30
Sense Key: Media Error

I was wondering if this error is a problem with the tape drive, the tape cartidge, or the file that was trying to get backup on the tape. Trying to figure out where to start fixing this issue.

Thanks

2

looks like the tape...

3

If you are appending to the tape, you may have run off the end of the tape.

4

No this was a new blank tape cartridge. At least it should have been

5

Some tape tape devices arent happy for you forgot to give it a clean...

---------- Post updated at 18:37 ---------- Previous update was at 18:36 ----------

no little blinking led on tape device or equivalent?

6

Well I assume that it was clean since it was still sealed.

Yes the tape drive device was blinking as if was still processing. I believe it was doing that because the process was rewinding the tape after it asked me if I wanted to retry the copy

7

I was talking about the tape drive...
You usually have to clean the heads every 10 recordings ( well you should...) far that you use a cleaning tape, when tape drive is badly dirty you may have to pass the cleaning tape a few times...

8

Cleaning the tape drive might help. I don't think the drive has been cleaned in a long time so maybe that is causing the tape write errors.

Thanks