Topic: error 256 on tape backup report -Newbie Here

[terrim505]

Here's the email from the backup.  Had some other error 256 before, rebooted the server and it started working.  It hasn't worked now for over a week.  We have an sme 7.0 server with travan 20/40 tape drive.  I know some of dos, came from novell servers, so the Linux is a bit new.  If I knew how to read this output,  I'm sure it would jump out and say HERE's the problem.  So I'm asking the seasoned linux folks for any assitance.  What line is telling me the problem to fix?  Thank you

Subject: Cron <root@server> /sbin/e-smith/do_backup


flexbackup version 1.2.1 (http://flexbackup.sourceforge.net)
/etc/flexbackup.conf syntax OK

 $keyfile not found in config: default=00-index-key
 $buffer_fill_pct not found in config: default=75
 $buffer_pause_usec not found in config: default=100
|------------------------------------------------------------
| Checking 'buffer' on this machine... Ok
| Checking /bin/sh on this machine... bash1
|------------------------------------------------------------
| Trying "mt defblksize" instead of "mt setblk"
| Doing level 0 backup of set all using tar
| All sets = full (1 tapes)
| Rewinding & erasing tape...
| Found index key 200701022100, next file is 2
| Deleting record for 200701022100 file 0
| Deleting record for 200701022100 file 1
|------------------------------------------------------------
| Creating index key 200701032100
| Backup set "full" (/)
| Tape #0
|------------------------------------------------------------
SCSI 2 tape drive:
File number=1, block number=0, partition=0.
Tape block size 512 bytes. Density code 0x48 (Quantum SDLT220).
Soft error count since last status=0
General status bits on (81010000):
 EOF ONLINE IM_REP_EN
|------------------------------------------------------------
| File number 1, tape index 200701032100
| Backup of: /
| Date of this level 0 backup: Wed Jan 03 21:00:21 2007
| Date of last level 0 backup: the epoch
|------------------------------------------------------------
| cd "/" && /tmp/collectexit.4293.sh find . -depth -xdev ! -type
s ! -regex
\
|   "news/articles" ! -regex ".*~"$ -print0 | /tmp/collectexit.4293.sh
tar \
|   --create --null --files-from=- --ignore-failed-read --same-permissions \
|   --no-recursion --totals --label "level 0 / Wed Jan 03 21:00:21 2007 \
|   tar+gzip from server" --sparse --atime-preserve -b 64 --file - | \
|   /tmp/collectexit.4293.sh gzip -4 | /tmp/collectexit.4293.sh buffer -m \
|   20m -p 75 -s 32k -t -u 100 -B -o "/dev/nst0"
| [ ! -e /tmp/exitstatus.4293 ]
|------------------------------------------------------------
buffer (writer): write of data failed: Input/output error
bytes to write=32768, bytes written=-1, total written    8881120K

ERROR: non-zero exit from:
buffer -m 20m -p 75 -s 32k -t -u 100 -B -o /dev/nst0
gzip -4
tar --create --null --files-from=- --ignore-failed-read --same-permissions -
-no-recursion --totals --label level 0 / Wed Jan 03 21:00:21 2007 tar+gzip
from server --sparse --atime-preserve -b 64 --file -
find . -depth -xdev ! -type s ! -regex news/articles ! -regex .*~$ -print0


ERROR: exiting
|------------------------------------------------------------
| Backup start: Wed Jan 03 21:00:21 2007
| Backup end:   Wed Jan 03 23:12:40 2007
|------------------------------------------------------------
SCSI 2 tape drive:
File number=-1, block number=-1, partition=0.
Tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x0 (default).
Soft error count since last status=0
General status bits on (10000):
 IM_REP_EN
|------------------------------------------------------------
| Rewinding...
| Compressing log (all.0.200701032100.gz)
| Linking all.latest.gz -> all.0.200701032100.gz
|------------------------------------------------------------
Backup terminated: backup failed - status: 256

[terrim505]

Searched through the forums, saw something about retensioning the tape, which I did yesterday, and here's the backup report (below) from last night.  Still failed with error 256.  Can anyone explain to me how to read this output to identify the offending error I should be looking at, please?  Thank you, Terri  

Subject: Cron <root@server> /sbin/e-smith/do_backup



flexbackup version 1.2.1 (http://flexbackup.sourceforge.net)
/etc/flexbackup.conf syntax OK

 $keyfile not found in config: default=00-index-key
 $buffer_fill_pct not found in config: default=75
 $buffer_pause_usec not found in config: default=100
|------------------------------------------------------------
| Checking 'buffer' on this machine... Ok
| Checking /bin/sh on this machine... bash1
|------------------------------------------------------------
| Trying "mt defblksize" instead of "mt setblk"
| Doing level 0 backup of set all using tar
| All sets = full (1 tapes)
| Rewinding & erasing tape...
| Found index key 200701212100, next file is 2
| Deleting record for 200701212100 file 0
| Deleting record for 200701212100 file 1
|------------------------------------------------------------
| Creating index key 200701222100
| Backup set "full" (/)
| Tape #0
|------------------------------------------------------------
SCSI 2 tape drive:
File number=1, block number=0, partition=0.
Tape block size 512 bytes. Density code 0x48 (Quantum SDLT220).
Soft error count since last status=0
General status bits on (81010000):
 EOF ONLINE IM_REP_EN
|------------------------------------------------------------
| File number 1, tape index 200701222100
| Backup of: /
| Date of this level 0 backup: Mon Jan 22 21:00:21 2007
| Date of last level 0 backup: the epoch
|------------------------------------------------------------
| cd "/" && /tmp/collectexit.24310.sh find . -depth -xdev ! -type
s ! \
|   -regex "news/articles" ! -regex ".*~"$ -print0 | \
|   /tmp/collectexit.24310.sh tar --create --null --files-from=- \
|   --ignore-failed-read --same-permissions --no-recursion --totals --label
\
|   "level 0 / Mon Jan 22 21:00:21 2007 tar+gzip from server" --sparse
\
|   --atime-preserve -b 64 --file - | /tmp/collectexit.24310.sh gzip -4 | \
|   /tmp/collectexit.24310.sh buffer -m 20m -p 75 -s 32k -t -u 100 -B -o \
|   "/dev/nst0"
| [ ! -e /tmp/exitstatus.24310 ]
|------------------------------------------------------------
buffer (writer): write of data failed: Input/output error
bytes to write=32768, bytes written=-1, total written    8942432K

ERROR: non-zero exit from:
buffer -m 20m -p 75 -s 32k -t -u 100 -B -o /dev/nst0
gzip -4
tar --create --null --files-from=- --ignore-failed-read --same-permissions -
-no-recursion --totals --label level 0 / Mon Jan 22 21:00:21 2007 tar+gzip
from server --sparse --atime-preserve -b 64 --file -
find . -depth -xdev ! -type s ! -regex news/articles ! -regex .*~$ -print0


ERROR: exiting
|------------------------------------------------------------
| Backup start: Mon Jan 22 21:00:21 2007
| Backup end:   Mon Jan 22 23:13:36 2007
|------------------------------------------------------------
SCSI 2 tape drive:
File number=-1, block number=-1, partition=0.
Tape block size 0 bytes. Density code 0x0 (default).
Soft error count since last status=0
General status bits on (10000):
 IM_REP_EN
|------------------------------------------------------------
| Rewinding...
| Compressing log (all.0.200701222100.gz)
| Linking all.latest.gz -> all.0.200701222100.gz
|------------------------------------------------------------
Backup terminated: backup failed - status: 256

[CharlieBrady]

 What line is telling me the problem to fix?  Thank you

...

|------------------------------------------------------------
buffer (writer): write of data failed: Input/output error
bytes to write=32768, bytes written=-1, total written    8881120K

...

I would guess either the tape or the tape drive is faulty.