Very Computer

Hi,

I have an Archive Python 28388 tape backup that works perfectly well
under NT4 (sorry...) on a no-name PC, SCSI card Adaptec AHA-1510.

I want to move it to a Solaris machine but I can't make it work. Here
are the*details:

- The Manufacturer label in the tape says:
   Conner 4004R-S/4324RP (manufactured in 1995).

- The SCSI INQUIRY string displayed by a (OK prompt) probe-scsi is:
   Archive Python 28388-XXX5.45

- The Solaris SCSI tape configuration file at
   /kernel/drv/st.conf
   says that an Archive Python 28388 is "officially supported".

- I've tried this tape in a:
   - SparcStation 20 running Solaris 8
   - SparcStation 2 running Solaris 7

It can't read perfectly good Solaris tar tapes created elsewhere. The
error messages:
# tar tv
tar: tape read error

# tar cv /etc
tar: tape write error

# mt status
mt: no tape loaded or device offline

I've tried "rm /dev/rmt/*" and then "OK> boot -r" several times with
different DIP switch settings but it simply refuses to work. Cables and
terminator are OK.

Any suggestion?

TIA

Paio

When you changed the settings did you power cycle?

Have you consider flashing the firmware?
John

Since you mentioned, I decided to take a second look there... and this
time I found it! The tape is not a Python, but a Peregrine CDT4004R-S.
(The clue was the firmware version: 5.45 is for Peregrines only.)

All the default settings work on PC/NT. Here they are:
DIP 1-3  = SCSI ID
DIP 4 ON = enable MRS
DIP 5 ON = enable parity
DIP 6 OFF= DDS-DC (hardware compression enabled)
DIP 7 OFF= factory reserved
DIP 8 ON = Power-on self test

None of the jumpers in the back are on, as they deal with termination,
but the tape is on an external enclosure.

These settings seem to make sense for a Sparc machine also.

Quote:

> When you changed the settings did you power cycle?

Yes.

Quote:

> Have you consider flashing the firmware?

I can't seem to find anything for this model. It's pretty old, circa 1995.

Now. Knowing that it is NOT really an Archive Python (supported under
Solaris), perhaps this tape was built to work only on PCs?

Thanks!

Hmmm,

        I have similar experience on very old Archive 4326 drive.
        I've put these lines in /kernel/drv/st.conf and works
        well.

        Add next line to tape-config-list:
        "ARCHIVE 4326",           "Archive 4326 DDS2 DAT",             "ARCH_4326",

        Add next line to CONFIGURATION STRINGS SECTION:
        ARCH_4326         = 1, 0x2C,    0, 0x19639, 1, 0x00, 0;

        Note that "ARCHIVE 4326" in tape-config-list MUST be exacly same
        to SCSI inquiry string.
        Then reboot the system.

        I recommend you to read man st(7D) and mtio(7I) well if you wish
        to modify st.conf.

  Hope this helps.

  ###

--
                        *** Save Solaris x86 ***
  Toshio Kumagai        TK2959 / TK127-AP

Toshio,

I tried your suggestion but, unfortunatelly, it didn't work.

Thank you anyway :^)

Paio