We have an old Novell Server running 4.11 software with an external HP SureStore DAT8 tape drive. The tape drive developed backup problems (kept getting media errors even with new tapes).

We purchased a used (1 year warranty) tape drive that is the exact model as the one we had thinking that we could just swap them out without having to do any configuration.

We set the SCSI ID the same as the old drive. We powered off the tape drive, "downed" the server, powered the server off, and exchanged the drives. Then we powered on the new drive, and powered on the server.

The server did not see the tape drive. We tried it again after double-checking all connections and it still would not see the drive. We put the old drive back on and it was found on bootup.

Is there something more that needs to be done to make the server see the SCSI tape drive? If not, would you suspect the "new" tape drive?

Thanks...

I'd start with simple SCSI troubleshooting. Are there any LUN ID's to be set? Does the drive need any termination?

I know under Linux/UNIX, I'd check the startup messaging to see if the system saw it there. Have you tried it on another system?

I don't know what a LUN ID is. There is a jumper on the back of the tape drives where you set the SCSI ID. It is set to 3 on both the old and the new drives.

Both drives are identical, so I put the terminator from the old drive on the new drive.

If everything works as it should, can't you swap one drive with another without any configuration except making sure that the SCSI ID is the same on the new drive?

Thanks...