How to configure a tape drive


This document covers the software steps to configure a tape drive.


Step 1:	Power down the system and connect the new drive.


Step 2:	Verify a tape adapter is present  using hwstat or devcfg:

	# hwstat

	I/O Configuration:  Bus0: HVME  Bus1: (none)  Bus2: (none)  Bus3: (none).
	5 Devices Configured:
	Device                    Major/Minor     Bus   Bus I/O Addr  Std I/O Addr
	========================  ==============  ====  ============  ============
	IE       0  Ethernet      (    7, 91   )  Bus0    0x97100000    0x00000000
	RTC      0  RT Clocks     (   38, 0    )  Bus0    0x9C000000    0x00000000
	HSA      0  Disk     0/0  (  101, 0    )  Bus0    0xCA040000    0x00000000
	IS       0  Disk     0/0  (  101, 28672)  Bus0    0x97200000    0x00000000
	IS       0  Tape     5/0  (  103, 29952)  Bus0    0x97200000    0x00000000


Step 3:	Verify the proper entry in the /etc/conf/node.d/gt file reflects the drive
you are configuring:

	#ident	"@(#)kern-nh:io/scsi/gt/gt.cf/Node	1.1"
	#
	#Name  Node      Type  Adapter  Adapter#   Ctlr  Dev  Usr  Grp  Mode  Level
	#----  ----      ----  -------  -------    ----  ---  ---  ---  ----  -----
	# example:
	#gt     mt/0       T     hsa      0         5     0    0    3   0666    1
	gt     mt/0       T     is       0         5     0    0    3   0666    2


We show adding drive 1 to the adapter by adding the following line:

	gt     mt/1       T     is       0         4     0    0    3   0666    2

The adapter number must match the one shown in the hwstat output.


Step 4:	Create the device special files of the tape drive being configured using
the /etc/bin/idmknod command:

	# /etc/conf/bin/idmknod -M gt

The special device files are created in the /dev/rmt and /dev/mt directories and
the tape device should now be accessible.


Step 5:	Once the tape drive is configured, the output of the hwstat command
should show the new device:

	# hwstat

	I/O Configuration:  Bus0: HVME  Bus1: (none)  Bus2: (none)  Bus3: (none).
	6 Devices Configured:
	Device                    Major/Minor     Bus   Bus I/O Addr  Std I/O Addr
	========================  ==============  ====  ============  ============
	IE       0  Ethernet      (    7, 91   )  Bus0    0x97100000    0x00000000
	RTC      0  RT Clocks     (   38, 0    )  Bus0    0x9C000000    0x00000000
	HSA      0  Disk     0/0  (  101, 0    )  Bus0    0xCA040000    0x00000000
	IS       0  Disk     0/0  (  101, 28672)  Bus0    0x97200000    0x00000000
	IS       0  Tape     4/0  (  103, 29953)  Bus0    0x97200000    0x00000000
	IS       0  Tape     5/0  (  103, 29952)  Bus0    0x97200000    0x00000000

Note: The system may require a reboot for this information to become active.


Step 6:	The file /etc/default/tape may need to be updated to reflect the new
tape drive configuration. It contains an entry similar to:

	device = /dev/rtm/0ms


Step 7:	The file /etc/default/tar may also need updating to reflect the new tape
drive configuration:

	#ident	"@(#)tar:common/cmd/tar/tar.dfl	1.1.3.5"
	#ident "$Header: /sms/sinixV5.4es/rcs/s19-full/usr/src/cmd/tar/tar.dfl,v 1.1 9\
1/02/28 20:11:52 ccs Exp $"
	#       device            block    volume size(Kbytes)
	archive0=/dev/rmt/0m      20       0
	archive1=/dev/rmt/0mn     20       0
	archive7=./tarfile         1       0
	#
	# The default device in the absence of a numeric or "-f device" argument
	archive=/dev/rmt/0m       20       0

For more information see gt(7), Node(4), idmknod(1), mt(1) and tar(1).