So... I had initially made a thread regarding this:
http://communities.vmware.com/message/1122019
To sum it up, I was trying to find a backup solution that involved writing TAR to a tape, thereby eliminating proxy software (beyond TAR of course).
Debated between continuing with that thread, or starting up a new one... as you can see, I elected to start a new thread.
I have RPMed mt and mtx to control my HP Storageworks 1/8 G2 Ultrium 920 tape drive... and here's what happens:
1) Load the tape:
mtx -f /dev/sg1 load 4 (load tape 4)
2) Ensure that the drive has the tape
mt -f /dev/st0 load
3) Lock the drive door
mt -f /dev/st0 lock
4) Ensure that the tape is loaded
mt -f /dev/st0 status
5) Since it's st0 and not nst0, rewind the tape
mt -f /dev/st0 rewind
6) Write my test tar file to tape
tar -cvf /dev/st0 -b 64 /vmfs/volumes/Systems/test
Here's what happens...
/\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\/
root@esx01 root# mtx -f /dev/sg1 load 4
root@esx01 root# mt -f /dev/st0 load
root@esx01 root# mt -f /dev/st0 lock
root@esx01 root# mt -f /dev/st0 status
SCSI 2 tape drive:
File number=0, block number=0, partition=0.
Tape block size 32768 bytes. Density code 0x44 (no translation).
Soft error count since last status=0
General status bits on (41010000):
BOT ONLINE IM_REP_EN
root@esx01 root# mt -f /dev/st0 rewind
root@esx01 root# tar -cvf /dev/st0 -b 32768 /vmfs/volumes/Systems/test/
tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
vmfs/volumes/Systems/test/
vmfs/volumes/Systems/test/testfile
tar: /dev/st0: Wrote only 0 of 16777216 bytes
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
root@esx01 root# cat /var/log/messages
<truncated to remove ssh logins and su to root>
Dec 16 16:00:52 esx01 kernel: st0: Error be0000 (sugg. bt 0x0, driver bt 0x0, host bt 0xbe).
/\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\/
I've done all sorts of differnt searches in google and in local search engines... and the error message in my /var/log/messages gives me nothing to work with... does anyone know where I can look to find out what be0000 means?
