Summary
This article describes how to manually erase/format a tape.
Resolution
To erase the label on a previously used tape, you can use the tapedump command-line utility. The tape must have an Empty status or not be defined in the DPX catalog. You must delete the volser from the DPX database if you perform this procedure on an Empty tape.
WARNING: You will not be able to restore previously backed up data from this tape if you perform this procedure. The data will be unrecoverable through DPX.
NOTE: The procedure is insufficient to completely erase all of the data on the tape, if this is your ultimate goal. In other words, the data may be recoverable by third party vendors who reconstruct the required tape format, at a very high cost. For top secret/confidential information where recovery of the data must be impossible, you should consult your tape vendor and request a method to completely erase all data on the tape. Alternatively, we will be able to assist you with a more complicated procedure, contact DPX technical support.
- Use the DPX GUI to load a tape into a tape drive if using a library.
- Obtain the tape device ID to be used.
- For UNIX and Windows, adjust the tape device name appropriately.
Notes:
- On UNIX, change to the directory where tapedump is located (BackEx/bin) and issue ./tapedump.
- On Novell, load sys:backex\tools\tapedump from the command console.
All other commands are the same for Windows, UNIX.
A sample Windows session is provided below. Go to the DOS command prompt and enter the following:
cd backex\tools
tapedump (issues the following from tapedump)
tape \\.\tape0 (adjusts the tape device accordingly)
open rdwr (opens read/write)
rewind
wfm 2 (writes 2 filemarks)
rewind
read (reports filemark 1)
read (reports filemark 2)
read (reports ERROR, no more data rc=0)
rewind
quit
Use the DPX GUI to unload the tape to the appropriate slot if applicable. Continue formatting tapes as needed.
A sample tapedump initialization session is captured below. Note that the session is also captured in the *.tpl log in backex\logs.
========= Sample tapedump initialization session ===========
C:\backex\tools>tapedump
tp log file is (C:\backex\logs\0000007d.tpl) msg file is (C:\backex\bin\snbmsg.txt)
Fri Aug 08 13:34:13 2003 SNBGEN1110I LogFile(C:\backex\logs\0000007d.tpl) opened by Module(tapedump)
Fri Aug 08 13:34:13 2003 SNBGEN1111I Module Build ID:[arch(winnt) ver(2.1.5) bui
ld_time(16:27:47) build_date(Nov 19 2002)]
Fri Aug 08 13:34:13 2003 SNBGEN1113I Process Info:[pid(124) user(gsokolowsky) cmdline(tapedump)]
Fri Aug 08 13:34:13 2003 SNBGEN1112I Env:SSPRODIR(C:\backex)
Fri Aug 08 13:34:13 2003 SNBGEN1112I Env:SSICMAPI(-winm -sbs 65535 -tnd -lcl no)
Fri Aug 08 13:34:13 2003 SNBTPS5877I Using NT Tape Driver io
Fri Aug 08 13:34:13 2003 SNBTAP1279I TAPEDUMP : Nodename (DUDE), OS (Windows_NT)
Release (5.0), Machine (DUDE), Architecture ()
Enter command to execute , enter (help) for help , (quit) for quit
tape \\.\tape0
Fri Aug 08 13:34:24 2003 SNBTAP1279I cmd CHTAPE \\.\tape0
Fri Aug 08 13:34:24 2003 SNBTAP1279I end cmd CHTAPE
Enter command to execute , enter (help) for help , (quit) for quit
open rdwr
Fri Aug 08 13:34:36 2003 SNBTAP1279I cmd OPENDEV \\.\tape0 rdwr
open opt is (RDWR)
Fri Aug 08 13:34:36 2003 SNBTAP1279I end cmd OPENDEV
Enter command to execute , enter (help) for help , (quit) for quit
rewind
Fri Aug 08 13:34:39 2003 SNBTAP1279I cmd REWDEV \\.\tape0
Fri Aug 08 13:34:39 2003 SNBTAP1279I end cmd REWDEV
Enter command to execute , enter (help) for help , (quit) for quit
wfm 2
Fri Aug 08 13:34:55 2003 SNBTAP1279I cmd WFMDEV \\.\tape0 2 times
Fri Aug 08 13:35:05 2003 SNBTAP1279I end cmd WFMDEV
Enter command to execute , enter (help) for help , (quit) for quit
rewind
Fri Aug 08 13:35:08 2003 SNBTAP1279I cmd REWDEV \\.\tape0
Fri Aug 08 13:35:23 2003 SNBTAP1279I end cmd REWDEV
Enter command to execute , enter (help) for help , (quit) for quit
read
Fri Aug 08 13:35:26 2003 SNBTAP1279I cmd READDEV \\.\tape0 cur bufsize 65536
Fri Aug 08 13:35:30 2003 SNBTAP1279I **** Block : 0 read => filemark
Fri Aug 08 13:35:30 2003 SNBTAP1279I end cmd READDEV
Enter command to execute , enter (help) for help , (quit) for quit
read
Fri Aug 08 13:35:33 2003 SNBTAP1279I cmd READDEV \\.\tape0 cur bufsize 65536
Fri Aug 08 13:35:33 2003 SNBTAP1279I **** Block : 0 read => filemark
Fri Aug 08 13:35:33 2003 SNBTAP1279I end cmd READDEV
Enter command to execute , enter (help) for help , (quit) for quit
read
Fri Aug 08 13:35:36 2003 SNBTAP1279I cmd READDEV \\.\tape0 cur bufsize 65536
Fri Aug 08 13:35:36 2003 SNBTIO1025E Error reading from file <NULL>, rc=0
Fri Aug 08 13:35:36 2003 SNBTIO1104S No more data is on the tape.
Fri Aug 08 13:35:36 2003 SNBTAP1279I Error Reading \\.\tape0
Fri Aug 08 13:35:36 2003 SNBTAP1279I end cmd READDEV
Enter command to execute , enter (help) for help , (quit) for quit
quit
Fri Aug 08 13:35:48 2003 SNBTAP1279I cmd QUITDEV
Fri Aug 08 13:35:48 2003 SNBTAP1279I end cmd QUITDEV
tapedump quit: out_fd (4), tape_fd(116)
tapedump : closing out file
tapedump : closing tape file
tapedump : unlocking tape file
tapedump : free buffer