NDMP backup to tape fails with 'underrun' error

Applies to

• ONTAP 9
• Tape devices are connected to the cluster through a Fibre Channel (FC) switch
• tape.reservations is set to 'off'

Issue

• NDMP backup to tape fails.
• NDMPD.GZ reports the following message.

[kern_ndmpd:info:XXXX] [XXXX]  ERROR: DATA: Operation terminated: EVENT: I/O ERROR (for /XXXX/XXXX/)

• EMS log reports the following error.

[tape.cmd.scsiErrNullSense:error]: (EMS parameters: deviceType="Tape" deviceName="XXXX" scsiStatus="underrun" opcode="0xa")

• BACKUP.GZ shows like this.

dmp /XXXX/XXXX/(0) Error (Tape write failed.)
dmp /XXXX/XXXX/(0) Tape_close (ndmp)
dmp /XXXX/XXXX/(0) Abort (XXXX MB, XXXX secs, XXXX MBps)
dmp /XXXX/XXXX/(0) Error (DUMP IS ABORTED)