Re: onlog -d [device] gives "bad tape: tape format not recognized"

TheBiggestPotatoeYouHaveEverSeen <TBP@Nospam.Nothere.Co.Uk> wrote in message news:<0F5Sb.13066$JL4.106295@newsfep4-glfd.server.ntli.net>... > Jonathan Leffler wrote: > > ron wuthrich wrote: > > > >> Am trying to use the informix onlog utility to read log files from a > >> tape. > >> I've tried different approaches, but here's a typical: > >> > >> ism_op -unmount /dev/rmt/0cbn #to unmount > >> mt -f /dev/rmt/0cbn rewind # to rewind > >> onlog -d /dev/rmt/0cbn # to read tape> >> > >> onlog prompts to mount the tape, then gives the error listed in the > >> subject. informix storage manager and onbar logs both indicate > >> successful writes to the tape for the logical logs, so I believe it is > >> being written to ok. using onbar to create logs. working in informix > >> 7.34 dynamic server on solaris intel. tape device agrees with the > >> LTAPEDEV parameter in onconfig. LTAPEBLK set to 1024. > > > > > > > > Is that a non-rewind device? Bad idea...Informix programs open the > > device, read the first block, close it (expecting it to rewind), reopen > > it and complain when they don't get the same data again. That's why > > you're told to use a rewind device. > > > > OK - actually, I don't know that this is your problem. Nevertheless, it > > could be. > > > > > It is true that having TAPEDEV and / or LTAPEDEV set to a on-rewind > device can cause issues. > > However, ism requires the devices to be non-rewind and that is probably > why you went that route. > > Still, reading the logs backed up using onbar is ... apparently a > feature request ;)) Call support and quote Bug 115798, they should be > able to tell you how to do it. fyi, informix support indicates that the onlog utility is designed for use with ontape. Onbar, which uses a storage manager, does not create logical log tape archives with the same method. Therefore, tapes created with onbar are not readable by onlog. informix did offer that you can use onbar -P ### to read a specific log file from the tape. If the ### is not found on the tape, then the error msg will be sent to the bar_act.log file. Running onbar -P ### with a legitimate log number on that tape will pull the log data back from the tape. You can also run onbar -P ###-### to get a series of logs, also provided that all of the logs included in the range are on the tape volume. not quite the functionality we were looking for, but it will do. thanks for the help.