Sun StorageTek T10000 tape drives running specific firmwares can experience 501D permanent read error(s) and/or 3B0C SNO condition.

Asset ID:	1-73-1021012.1
Update Date:	2010-08-19
Keywords:

Solution Type FAB (standard) Sure

Solution 1021012.1 : Sun StorageTek T10000 tape drives running specific firmwares can experience 501D permanent read error(s) and/or 3B0C SNO condition.

Impact

Sun StorageTek T10000A and T10000B tape drives running specific microcode can experience the two separate issues listed below:

Issue 1 - causes 501D permanent read error(s).
Issue 2 - causes 3B0C SNO condition.

Contributing Factors

The first issue impacts Sun StorageTek T10000A and T10000B Tape Drives running 1.44.106/206 microcodes.

The second issue impacts Sun StorageTek T10000A and T10000B Tape Drives running 1.44.x06 microcodes.

Symptoms

Sun StorageTek T10000A and T10000B tape drives that are running 1.44.106/206 Microcodes are exposed to a rare but possible Legacy Read failure that presents itself as 501D permanent read error(s) on a very low percentage of customer tapes. These tapes must have been written on prior code versions, and written with a combination of both full capacity (all wraps written) and a tape writing efficiency of less than 99%. To-date Sun has only seen two such reported tapes at two different T10K customer sites.

There has been a second 1.44.x06 failure mode identified as 3B0C SNO which once again is a very low possibility and requires a specific drive/tape combination. Previous versions of code are not exposed.

Root Cause

The exposure to the 3B0C SNO was unintentionally introduced in the 1.44.x06 codes as part of the new functionality called the 'high performance feature'.

The fix is incorporated in 1.44.108/208 Microcode released via Engineering Changes 001373 and 001374 as of September 30, 2009.

Corrective Action

Workaround:

1) The 501D tapes do not experience this issue with codes prior to, or higher than, 1.44.x06. If the account is running all drives with 1.44.x06 code(s), the way to recover is to load a down-level version of T10000 code onto one T10000 drive and have the customer copy the data from the 501D failing tape to a different tape. The failing tape can then be scratched and re-used as a different vol-id.

2) The 3B0C tapes do not experience this issue with codes prior to, or higher than, 1.44.x06.

Resolution:

Download T10000 1.44.108/208 Microcode. These codes replace 1.44.x06 code(s) and will resolve both issues described above.

These codes can be found on the Uniform Software Repository via the below URL;

https://dlrequest-zn-dlapps1.sfbay.sun.com/usr/search

Once there search for "T10000" and select the appropriate microcode as follows;

1.44.108 for Sun StorageTek T10000A
1.44.208 for Sun StorageTek T10000B

Comments

None.

References:

ECO: 001373, 001374
Related URL(s): https://dlrequest-zn-dlapps1.sfbay.sun.com/usr/search

For information about FAB documents, its release processes, implementation strategies and billing information, go to the following URL:

http://tns.central/fab

For Sun Authorized Service Providers go to:

http://tns.central/SPE/fab/

In addition to the above you may email:

[email protected]

Internal Contributor/submitter
[email protected]

Internal Eng Responsible Engineer
[email protected] Responsible Manager: [email protected]

Internal Services Knowledge Engineer
[email protected]

Internal Eng Business Unit Group
NWS (Storage)

Internal Sun Alert & FAB Admin Info
02-Oct-2009: Completed draft and sent to Extended Review.
08-Oct-2009: Ext Rvw feedback incorporated into FAB - sending to Publish.

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