ESXi 4.1 and HP P212 - tape drive goes off-line

Hi everyone,
Im having a problem with a tape drive going offline and I hope you guys can help me out.
I’m running ESXi 4.1.0 (348481) on a brand new HP DL380 G7 server, the server has a HP Smart Array P212 controller with a HP Ultrium 4 tape drive connected to it.
I installed 1 Windows Server 2008 R2 VM and assigned the tape drive to the server.
CA ArcServe r16 is installed for making back-ups and all latest patches and updates are installed.
It seems the drive gets set off-line during the day. Scheduled back-up at night won’t run because the drive is off-line but if I manually set the drive online I'm running a test back-up straight after it runs successful.
I have checked the CA ArcServe tape log and noticed the following errors:
[Unexpected SCSI Sense Code [ABSL:2020 CMD<TEST UNIT READY> SC:22h 34]
DRV:1 Hit HARDWARE_ERROR[61700] from TUR
JobID[0] SCSIPort Error DevType[5] LDN[1] SN[HU1113FRDN] CMD[TEST UNIT READY] Sent[13:57:01] MS Error[61700]
SetDeviceOnline::The device [1] has been set as off-line
Google shows some post about other people having some problems with the P212 controller, even though the compatibility list says its supported.
Im just wondering if anyone has seen this problem before and if the P212 controller indeed is causing problems.
Thanks in advance,
Alex

Hey I'm having the same issue on ESXi 5.5 with arcserve 16.5 sp1. Did you ever find a solution?

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system info
This is on a fresh boot. Just adding that as I've had issues with kernel modules after updating if a new kernel comes through. A fresh boot removes that potential issue.
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Linux arch_840 4.0.3-1-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Wed May 13 15:38:47 CEST 2015 x86_64 GNU/Linux
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dm_crypt 28672 2
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Figured I should check the drive. There's a lot of old age and pre-fail warnings, but this post would seem to suggest I'm okay?
# smartctl -A /dev/sdb
smartctl 6.3 2014-07-26 r3976 [x86_64-linux-4.0.3-1-ARCH] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-14, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org
=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate 0x002f 100 100 051 Pre-fail Always - 0
2 Throughput_Performance 0x0026 252 252 000 Old_age Always - 0
3 Spin_Up_Time 0x0023 090 089 025 Pre-fail Always - 3330
4 Start_Stop_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 703
5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct 0x0033 252 252 010 Pre-fail Always - 0
7 Seek_Error_Rate 0x002e 252 252 051 Old_age Always - 0
8 Seek_Time_Performance 0x0024 252 252 015 Old_age Offline - 0
9 Power_On_Hours 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 3707
10 Spin_Retry_Count 0x0032 252 252 051 Old_age Always - 0
11 Calibration_Retry_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 104
12 Power_Cycle_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 734
191 G-Sense_Error_Rate 0x0022 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 17
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0022 252 252 000 Old_age Always - 0
194 Temperature_Celsius 0x0002 064 053 000 Old_age Always - 24 (Min/Max 16/47)
195 Hardware_ECC_Recovered 0x003a 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 0
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032 252 252 000 Old_age Always - 0
197 Current_Pending_Sector 0x0032 252 252 000 Old_age Always - 0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable 0x0030 252 252 000 Old_age Offline - 0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count 0x0036 200 200 000 Old_age Always - 0
200 Multi_Zone_Error_Rate 0x002a 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 3
223 Load_Retry_Count 0x0032 100 100 000 Old_age Always - 104
225 Load_Cycle_Count 0x0032 079 079 000 Old_age Always - 214068
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# fdisk /dev/sdb
Welcome to fdisk (util-linux 2.26.1).
Changes will remain in memory only, until you decide to write them.
Be careful before using the write command.
Command (m for help): p
Disk /dev/sdb: 465.8 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x76d37b6d
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1 63 976768064 976768002 465.8G 83 Linux
Command (m for help): d
Selected partition 1
Partition 1 has been deleted.
Command (m for help): o
Created a new DOS disklabel with disk identifier 0x2cd60f13.
Command (m for help): n
Partition type
p primary (0 primary, 0 extended, 4 free)
e extended (container for logical partitions)
Select (default p): p
Partition number (1-4, default 1):
First sector (2048-976773167, default 2048):
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G,T,P} (2048-976773167, default 976773167):
Created a new partition 1 of type 'Linux' and of size 465.8 GiB.
Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered.
Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
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I had a bunch of custom options, but other Arch posts suggested just trying the default, which is what I've done here. It fails with the same error as when I try to pass a cipher, key size, etc. ("Command failed with code 5: IO error while encrypting keyslot.").
# truecrypt -v --debug luksFormat /dev/sdb1
bash: truecrypt: command not found
[root@arch_840 jwhendy]# cryptsetup -v --debug luksFormat /dev/sdb1
# cryptsetup 1.6.6 processing "cryptsetup -v --debug luksFormat /dev/sdb1"
# Running command luksFormat.
# Locking memory.
# Installing SIGINT/SIGTERM handler.
# Unblocking interruption on signal.
WARNING!
========
This will overwrite data on /dev/sdb1 irrevocably.
Are you sure? (Type uppercase yes): YES
# Allocating crypt device /dev/sdb1 context.
# Trying to open and read device /dev/sdb1.
# Initialising device-mapper backend library.
# Timeout set to 0 miliseconds.
# Iteration time set to 1000 miliseconds.
# Interactive passphrase entry requested.
Enter passphrase:
Verify passphrase:
# Formatting device /dev/sdb1 as type LUKS1.
# Crypto backend (gcrypt 1.6.3) initialized.
# Detected kernel Linux 4.0.3-1-ARCH x86_64.
# Topology: IO (512/0), offset = 0; Required alignment is 1048576 bytes.
# Checking if cipher aes-xts-plain64 is usable.
# Using userspace crypto wrapper to access keyslot area.
# Generating LUKS header version 1 using hash sha1, aes, xts-plain64, MK 32 bytes
# KDF pbkdf2, hash sha1: 996745 iterations per second.
# Data offset 4096, UUID 181fed4d-42f2-4f0f-8b70-cb7ba459e25f, digest iterations 121625
# Updating LUKS header of size 1024 on device /dev/sdb1
# Key length 32, device size 976771120 sectors, header size 2050 sectors.
# Reading LUKS header of size 1024 from device /dev/sdb1
# Key length 32, device size 976771120 sectors, header size 2050 sectors.
# Adding new keyslot -1 using volume key.
# Calculating data for key slot 0
# KDF pbkdf2, hash sha1: 1008246 iterations per second.
# Key slot 0 use 492307 password iterations.
# Using hash sha1 for AF in key slot 0, 4000 stripes
# Updating key slot 0 [0x1000] area.
# Using userspace crypto wrapper to access keyslot area.
IO error while encrypting keyslot.
# Releasing crypt device /dev/sdb1 context.
# Releasing device-mapper backend.
# Unlocking memory.
Command failed with code 5: IO error while encrypting keyslot.
Things also tend to hang with respect to the drive at this point. For example, fdisk -l spits out /dev/sda partitions immediately and then just hangs instead of printing out /dev/sdb info, then eventually quits (without ever writing it).
Any suggestions on where to look/how to troubleshoot? I found some possibly related posts, but nothing that looks promising:
- Impossible to crypt the drive using cryptsetup (fixed by rebooting)
- cryptsetup fails to open Udev cookie 0xd4d94f5 (semid 0) waiting for z (no responses; the hang after seems similar)
There's a couple odds and ends references to cryptsetup 1.6.6 having issues. I downloaded 1.6.4-1 and 1.6.5-1 and -2 from ARM to try, but wanted to post this in the meantime in case something stuck out.
Last edited by jwhendy (2015-05-29 16:01:40)

@qinohe I thought of that and the other day started formatting with mkfs.ext4; unfortunately, it was at work and I had to leave before I could let it finish. It had been chugging along a good few hours, and I was surprised it would take that long. I was able to format it with ext4 using Windows 7 (I dual boot) with the MiniTool Partition Wizard but I didn't use it like that before trying to solve the cryptsetup issue again.
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May 23 09:32:22 arch_840 systemd-udevd[7784]: inotify_add_watch(7, /dev/sdb1, 10) failed: No such file or directory
May 23 09:32:22 arch_840 kernel: usb 3-4: stat urb: status -108
### there's lots like this; like 10 in a row with various sector values listed
May 23 09:32:19 arch_840 kernel: Buffer I/O error on dev sdb1, logical block 61341696, lost async page write
May 23 09:32:19 arch_840 kernel: blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 490735616
### there's also a bunch like this, from tab #0 -> #29 (not colored red, so not sure they're errors?)
May 23 09:32:19 arch_840 kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 CDB: opcode=0x2a 2a 00 1d 07 bc 10 00 04 00 00
May 23 09:32:18 arch_840 kernel: sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 uas_eh_abort_handler 0 uas-tag 1 inflight: CMD OUT
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c1::dsk/c1t0d0 disk connected configured unknown
mpt1:scsi scsi-bus connected configured unknown
mpt1:scsi::rmt/0 tape connected configured unknown
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Hi Ivan,
Thanks for taking the time to link to this. It will probably help someone else. Yes you are correct. I believe that it is the full installer. I made this post then went and looked at the box I had. It's Retrospect Express. I probably should have been clearer on that. I believe Retrospect Express is a light edition.
I did try that installer and it doesn't look like the version I was using. For some reason I am thinking it was version 4.x or 5.x Another issue is that the version you linked to required a license. I don't recall if the version I had needed one but if it did I would have kept it with the disk in a disk box I have. It's not in the box.
I also contacted Retrospect and sent them the license and asked if they could help or make a suggestion. Their reply was "The program is not supported anymore and due to change of hands we no longer have records regarding your registration. Please buy the new product"
Another issue is that I had someone help me set it up when I first started using it. I needed to get it up and running before I actually had the time to read the documentation. Dantz' first manual was probably the most confusing manual I have ever read. (Or as my daughter would say "ever, ever, ever, ever" kind of like the way Taylor Swift sings it). ;-)
I suppose I may have to start looking for someone on Craigslist who has an old retired copy they would be willing to sell me. Then maybe I could use the version you linked to. All I need is the ability to control the tape. Read/Write/Erase. I will even forgo the index rebuilding feature for when an index get corrupted until I figure out my NAS box.

ESXi 4.1 and HP P212 - tape drive goes off-line

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