Physical restore failed - read archive backup

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gpgiral - 28 May 2008 00:49 GMT

Hi everyone. We have the following:

IDS 10.00.FC5
Linux Red Hat Kernel 2.6.9-42 on an x86_64
Tape Params:
TAPEDEV /dev/nst0 # Nonrewind tape device
TAPEBLK 32
TAPESIZE 400000000

We use "ontape -s -L 0" as fifth partition of seven that the tape contains.
This works ok.

Then, the tape is positioned at top of fifth partition, and we try "ontape -
r" but get this error "Physical restore failed - restore reserved pages
failed".
The link http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21197558 suggests to
change TAPEDEV to a rewindable tape device.
Again, the tape is positioned at top of fifth partition, then we change
TAPEDEV to /dev/st0, try "ontape -r" but get this error "Physical restore
failed - read archive backup". This error arise after answer "n" to the
question "Do you want to back up the logs? (y/n)".

We have only one tape device for that reason we use "tape partitions".

Ideas ? We need your help. Regards.

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Superboer - 28 May 2008 07:59 GMT

--> The linkhttp://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21197558suggests
to
--> change TAPEDEV to a rewindable tape device.

i guess the above is the manual. afaik no nonrewindable tapes...

--> Again, the tape is positioned at top of fifth partition, then we
change
--> TAPEDEV to /dev/st0, try "ontape -r" but get this error "Physical
restore

if the backup is at offset X where X is the distance from the start to
the fith partition, do you really think that will work??
ontape expects the sys reserved pages at the beginning and it opens
the dev reads the res. pages displays the chunk info
closes the tapedev so it rewinds and starts reading again from the
start when restore is chosen.

you could dd the contents of to disk. and try and restore from there.

ex:

dd if=/dev/nst0 of=<somedirwhich allows big files and lots of space>/
somefile bs=32k

do try a restore from there so set TAPEDEV to <somedirwhich allows
big files and lots of space>/somefile
that may fail due to a 2GB limit; you could set TAPEDEV to
<yourhostname>:<somedirwhich allows big files and lots of space>/
somefile bs=32k
to try and trick ontape
otherwise

i would dd the stuff back to a new tape using /dev/st0 eq

dd of=/dev/st0 if=<somedirwhich allows big files and lots of space>/
somefile bs=32k

Superboer.

way fast=http://www.clipjes.nl/clip/nederlands/n/normaal_-
_oerend_hard.html

> Hi everyone. We have the following:
>
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> Ideas ? We need your help. Regards.

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gpgiral - 28 May 2008 21:26 GMT

Thanks for your explanation.
Restore works from tape, it's necessary to rewind for another window before
answer 'Y' to "Continue restore? Y/N"
Rgds.

>--> The linkhttp://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21197558suggests
>to
[quoted text clipped - 43 lines]
>>
>> Ideas ? We need your help. Regards.

Reply to this Message

Neil Truby - 28 May 2008 08:47 GMT

You cannot use ontape to restore directly from a no-rewind device (unless
the archive happens to be the first on the device). As I recall, I think
it's something to do with the ontape program issuing a rewind anyway after
it has presented you with the archive's header information.

Use dd to copy the archive to disk, or to Position One on a new tape, then
restore from that.

rgds

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Neil Truby t:01932 724027
Director m:07798 811708
Ardenta Limited e:neil.truby@ardenta.com

> Hi everyone. We have the following:
>
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
> Ideas ? We need your help. Regards.

Reply to this Message

gpgiral - 28 May 2008 21:04 GMT

Here the trick: "... something to do with the ontape program issuing a rewind
anyway after
it has presented you with the archive's header information..."
Please see the post from TBP.
Thanks!

>You cannot use ontape to restore directly from a no-rewind device (unless
>the archive happens to be the first on the device). As I recall, I think
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>>
>> Ideas ? We need your help. Regards.

Reply to this Message

TBP - 28 May 2008 10:21 GMT

> Hi everyone. We have the following:
>
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> Ideas ? We need your help. Regards.

Well, you could try the following :

1. Mount the tape at the "top of the fifth partition" (no idea what you mean or how you do that).

2. Start the ontape -r.

This should read in the reserved pages from the tape and then prompt :

"Continue restore? Y/N"

3. Before you reply "Y", in another window mount the tape at the "top of the fifth position", then enter "Y" in the ontape window.

HP lets you muck around with tapes even when another process has it, not sure about Linux.

P.S. How do you "position at the top of the fifth partition"? mt fsf 5???

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gpgiral - 28 May 2008 20:45 GMT

Hi TBP. Yes, we use "mt -f /dev/nst0 fsf 4". Partitions starts with 0.

We try with yours suggestions and the restore ends succesfully.

Now you can be sure that Linux uses the tapes in the same way as HP.

Thanks for your help.

>> Hi everyone. We have the following:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
>P.S. How do you "position at the top of the fifth partition"? mt fsf 5???

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