The SCSI DLT Tape Expert Tool provides low-level tape functions to test and examine a tape drive in depth. The SCSI DLT Tape Expert Tool is fully interactive.
CAUTION: The SCSI DLT Tape Expert Tool contains commands which can destroy data or impair the functioning of the tape if used improperly.
To use the SCSI DLT Tape Expert Tool safely, you should be trained and knowledgeable about SCSI DLT tape drives.
The SCSI DLT Tape Expert Tool allows low-level access to SCSI tape devices by issuing SCSI commands.
Although this tool uses the term "SCSI", the real name for the protocol is SCSI-2. SCSI-2 is a popular standard protocol for a class of devices such as disks and tapes. SCSI-2 includes:
If you experience problems, consult the Troubleshooting help topic.
To run the SCSI DLT Tape Expert Tool on a device:
The following procedure is one possible method for troubleshooting drives. The idea is to perform quick tests first to find easy problems then to perform more time-consuming tests to find less obvious problems.
To troubleshoot a suspect drive:
If you run into problems, see the Troubleshooting help topic.
Consult the Failure Log (for failures) and the Test Activity Log.
Make sure the device is connected, powered on, and on-line.
The SCSI DLT Tape Expert Tool offers the following seven category of commands:
Use the Save command to save the contents of the Tool's main window. (Only the most recent 200 lines can be saved.)
Use the Print command to print the contents of the Tool's main window. (Only the most recent 200 lines can be printed.)
Use the Exit command to leave the SCSI DLT Tape Expert Tool and return to the main STM prompt.
The View Log commands display information from the drive's internal logs. This log records the occurrence of events such as data errors and hardware faults. Available logs include:
The Clear Log commands clear the drive's maintenance log, resetting the error counters within the drive mechanism. Available logs which can be cleared include:
The Data Compression Log cannot be cleared separately. To clear the Data Compression Log use the "ClearAllLogs" command.
CAUTION: Clearing the logs will permanently delete service-related information from the drive.
The Describe command displays the following information for the selected DLT drive:
Running this command is a quick way to check if the drive is responding.
The DriveInfo command displays the following information for the selected DLT drive:
The Selftest command starts the internal power-on and write/read functionality selftests for the selected device. Tests are device-dependent and are described in the support documentation for each drive.
The Validate command verifies the data on the tape media. This command performs a read of the tape media starting from the Beginning-of-Partition (BOP) to the End-of-Data (EOD) or until an error condition is encountered. Upon completion this command will display the total number of bytes read, and total number of filemarks and setmarks encountered. If a read error is encountered, the sense data will be displayed.
The LoadTape command performs a load sequence for the drive.
The Unload command unloads the tape media from the drive.
The Rewind command rewinds the tape media to the beginning of the partition.
The TapeCopy command performs a tape to tape copy of the content on the source tape media.
After selecting the command, you are queried to enter the hardware path of the target device. The hardware path of the target device must be different than the current (source) device which you are running the Expert Tool on.
CAUTION: The Tape Copy command will destroy all user data on the target tape media! If you want to preserve data on the target tape, choose "Cancel" to cancel the command.
The Tape Copy command can take a long time to execute. The time required for the Tape Copy command depends on the capacity and content of the source tape media.
The TestUnitReady command causes the drive to perform a SCSI TUR (Test Unit Ready) command to see if the drive is ready to accept commands which access the tape media.
The DataCompression command retrieves the Data Compression mode page.
The ControlModePage command allows configuration of the Control mode page.
The DataCompression command allows configuration of the Data Compression mode page.
The DeviceConfig command allows configuration of the Device Configuration mode page.
The ErrorRecovery command allows configuration of the Error Recovery mode page.
The EEROMVendorUniq command allows configuration of the EEROM vendor unique mode page.
The PreventRemoval command disables the eject button on the drive.
The AllowRemoval command enables the eject button on the drive. Allowing the tape media to be unloaded.
The displayInterpreted command causes internal status data or logs to be displayed or printed in an interpreted (ASCII) format.
The displayHex command causes internal status data or logs to be displayed or printed in a hexadecimal format.
The displayBoth command causes internal status data or logs to be displayed or printed in both an interpreted format and a hexadecimal format.
The Help command displays online help for the SCSI DLT Tape Expert Tool.
For help on STM as a whole, run the Help command at the main STM prompt.
The Version command displays version and copyright information for the SCSI DLT Tape Expert Tool.