IT36602: WRITE TO TAPE DRIVE FAILS WITH MESSAGE, "ANR8302E I/O ERROR ON DRIVE <DRIVE> ... ERROR NUMBER=12"

IBM Spectrum Protect Server V8.1 Fix Pack 13 (V8.1.13) Downloads

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• When using the Spectrum Protect Passthru driver, a READ or WRITE
  operation to a drive fails with message:
  
  ANR8302E I/O error on drive <DRIVE> (/dev/tsmscsi/<device>) with
  volume <VOLUME> (OP=<operation>, Error Number=12, CC=0, rc =
  2863, KEY= FF, ASC=FF, ASCQ= FF,~SENSE=**NONE**
  
  'Error Number=12' is a Linux system error meaning 'out of
  memory'
  
  
  Support/Customer diagnostics:
  
  
  The Spectrum Protect device driver uses the Linux generic SCSI
  driver (sg driver). The sg driver requires kernel memory for
  each tape I/O operation. If the sg driver does not obtain enough
  reserved kernel memory for I/O,  then the operation will fail
  with an out-of-memory error. The message written to the activity
  log should be clarified so the end user knows it is the reserved
  size parameter for the sg driver that is insufficient, and not
  total system memory.
  
  Platform/Version affected:
  
  IBM Spectrum Protect server on all supported versions of Linux
  

Local fix

• Increase the value of the
  /sys/module/sg/parameters/def_reserved_size parameter and rerun
  the  failed operation.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * All IBM Spectrum Protect server users of passthru driver.    *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * See error description.                                       *
  *                                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  * Apply fixing level when available. This problem is currently *
  * projected to be fixed in level 8.1.13.                       *
  * Note that this is subject to change at the discretion of     *
  * IBM.                                                         *
  * ANR7826E The request failed because an insufficient buffer   *
  * size was defined for the Linux SCSI generic device driver    *
  * (sg).                                                        *
  *                                                              *
  * Explanation                                                  *
  * The device driver uses a kernel memory buffer for each SCSI  *
  * command. The size of this buffer is determined by the        *
  * def_reserved_size parameter in the /sys/module/sg/parameters *
  * directory. If the buffer size in the command exceeds the     *
  * buffer size in the parameter, the request fails with a Linux *
  * operating system error  such as ENOMEM or Errno 12. These    *
  * errors indicate that memory cannot be allocated.             *
  *                                                              *
  * SystemAction                                                 *
  * The input/output operation fails.                            *
  *                                                              *
  * UserResponse                                                 *
  * To resolve the issue, increase the value of the              *
  * def_reserved_size parameter.                                 *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• This problem was fixed.
  Affected platforms for reported release:  Linux.
  Platforms fixed:  Linux.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  TSM SERVER

• Fixed component ID

  5698ISMSV

Applicable component levels

• R81L PSY

     UP

• R71L PSY

     UP