LTO3 Tape drive error

[Sheridan]

I've got a Windows 2003 Server with Backup Exec and a Quantum LTO3 HH drive in it.Recently this is failing during backups and the event viewer was showing an error on the SCSI card that the tape drive is attached to (i.e The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Scsi\adpu160m1) so I replaced the Adaptec 29160 SCSI card with a brand new Adaptec 29320 card and put the latest drivers on.

Backups still fail - same error except now saying the error is on controller \adpu320.

I've run the quantum diagnostics on this driver (using their XTalk console) and it fails with an error:

LTO Write Read Error Rate Test
Determining the drive type...
ULTRIUM 3 HH detected

Fetching the drive serial number...
SN: QD0724AM44

Loading Tape...

Determining the tape type...
ULTRIUM 3 tape detected
GB to Process: 18.180

Rewinding...

Disabling Compression...

Setting to Fixed Block Mode...

Clearing Counters...

Write operations in process...
Number of Blocks Written Mismatch Error Detected.
Sense: CC: CC ASC: CC ASCQ: CC = "No Sense Available for this condition"
Write operations error detected. Aborting operations.
Problem Detected

But when I run the same diagnostics on a different server (but exactly the same type of server) it passes the diagnostics. When I attach a known working LTO2 drive to this server it also fails the diagnostics. I've changed the cables, SCSI card and drivers but it seems to always fail.

I can't understand where the error is occuring now, the SCSI card is new, the tape drive effectively works elsewhere so I'm a bit stuck as where to look next.

Obviously the fault lies with the server somewhere, not the tape drive or SCSI card, but I'm not sure where - anyone got any ideas?

[Heebeejeebee]

I had a similar problem with an LTO3 autoloader once and it turned out it was due to a faulty SCSI terminator. Not sure what the original error code was though but it was definitely a 'Block Written Mismatch Error'.

HBJB

[Sheridan]

I've used the same cable on a different server and it works fine though - and the dodgy server fails on two seperate LTO2 drives using different cables!

[Patrickv]

Hmm, I am think it might be motherboard related. If you swapped it out with a new one and it still not working then it must be the connection point on the motherboard to SCSI card. I don't have experience with SCSI but that's what I would guess.

[Sheridan]

Its not part of the motherboard in this case. The original SCSI card was an Adaptec PCI card, and the replacement was a PCI-E Adaptec card so it even used different card slots!

I've even managed to update the tape drive firmware using the scsi card - so it must have a half decent connectin. I then ran a full backup using NT Backup which worked without any errors!

Now its time to completely remove Backup Exec (and its ropey drivers) and try something else!

[Patrickv]

I am glad you solved your problem. why not use ntbackup which come with windows. Just a suggestion.