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Manual Tape Library Configuration

This chapter provides an overview of how to manually configure a tape library for DPX after the media changer device file is installed. The detailed instructions can be found in Chapter 12: Configuring Devices in the DPX 4.9.x Reference Guide. Manual configuration is not needed for tape libraries that were successfully set up using Automatic Setup (Process A). However, Automatic Setup does not configure media pools, assign media, or define backup jobs, all of which are also summarized at the end of this topic.

All the manual configuration steps are performed from the management console.

Defining Tape Libraries and Tape Drives

The following steps are required if you set up your tape library by using Manual Setup (Process B):

  1. If you have not already defined your Enterprise, do so now.

  2. If you have not already added your controller node(s) and device server nodes to your Enterprise, do so now.

See also.

in the DPX 4.9.x Reference Guide

Adding Tape Library and Tape Drives to the Enterprise

The following steps are required if you set up your tape library by using Manual Setup (Process B):

  1. Add the tape library to your Enterprise. Use the Adding a Tape Library function in the management console. You need to supply information about the controller node. Follow the instructions in Adding a Tape Library.

  2. Assign the tape drives to the tape library.

Note. Although the media changer controller node must be running one of the operating systems specified in Tape Library Setup, tape drives can be attached to any device server (client node) or NDMP node in your Enterprise, either directly or via a SAN. Tape library tape drives do not need to connect to the same node as their media changer (the controller node).

To add the tape drives, use the Adding a Tape Library Device function in the management console. Follow the instructions in Adding a Tape Library Device.

You need to supply information about the Device ID of the tape drive and the Device Number of the drive bay. See the following section for a discussion about Device ID and Device Number mappings.

Determining Device Number and Device ID

Each tape drive in a tape library resides in a unique drive bay. The tape library drive bay is designated by the Device Number and the tape drive driver is designated by the Device ID.

This mapping between the drive bay and tape drive driver is critical for proper tape library operation.

Note. DPX requires that the first drive bay is designated with the number 0, not 1. If your tape library has only a single drive bay, the Device Number is 0.

Generally, the first drive bay (Device Number 0) is mapped to the first tape drive. So for Windows, the mapping would be as follows:

\\.\Tape0 is mapped to Drive Bay 0 (Device Number 0) \\.\Tape1 is mapped to Drive Bay 1 (Device Number 1) etc.

Similarly, for Solaris, the mapping would be as follows:

/dev/rmt/0cn is mapped to Drive Bay 0 (Device Number 0) /dev/rmt/1cn is mapped to Drive Bay 1 (Device Number 1) etc.

To confirm this, configure the tape drives in this manner, then try to load and unload a tape.

If you determine that it is not the case that the drive bays are mapped to the tape drives in order, do the following to manually map the device bays to the tape drives:

  1. Find out how the tape library numbers the drive bays internally. For example, top down, bottom up, or other. Consult the tape library documentation or manufacturer.

  2. Load the tape drives with tapes (preferably scratch tapes).

  3. Use the tapedump utility to acquire one of the tape drives and unload the tape. For example:

    $ ./tapedump tape /dev/rmt/0cn open rdonly unload

  4. Look inside the tape library and determine which tape ejected. Make note of:

    • The tape library drive bay number (Device Number) of the tape that physically ejects.

    • The Device ID you used to acquire this tape drive (/dev/rmt/0cn in our example)

    • The device server node for this tape drive.

  5. Quit tapedump and cycle through the device drivers on this and other device servers to map the tape library in its entirety.

Note. After opening a tape drive, you will have to quit tapedump to try another device driver. If the open operation fails, there is a rudimentary problem communicating with the tape drive via the device driver or the device driver is not valid. If necessary, consult the hardware manufacturer of the tape drive or Catalogic Software Data Protection Technical Support.

Media Configuration

The following steps are required regardless of whether you set up your tape library using Automatic Setup (Process A) or Manual Setup (Process B):

  1. Before backups can be performed using the tape library, media pools (also called tape pools) for the tape library must be created. Use the Adding a Media Pool function in the management console. Media pools should be set up in a way that makes sense for your Enterprise. Follow the instructions in Adding a Media Pool.

  2. Associate media volumes (tapes) with the media pools and label the media volumes. You usually want to add tape volumes in sets of consecutively named volsers. DPX provides several methods for assigning media volumes to media pools and labeling media volumes.

Follow the instructions in Adding a Media Volume or Writing a Label in the DPX 4.9.x Reference Guide.

Backing up Data to the Tape Library

Now that DPX recognizes your tape library, tape drives, and media and is able to control the tape library media changer, you are ready to perform backups to media associated with your tape library. For details about defining, scheduling, and running backups and restores, see the Backup and Restore sections.

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