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Manual Tape Library Installation

Manual tape library installation involves creating, on the controller node, a device file for the tape library media changer. This media changer device file is a handle used by DPX to identify the hardware address of the media changer. It thereby allows communication with the media changer. Once that communication is established, the tape library driver controls the media changer.

This chapter explains how to manually install the media changer device file. This procedure is required if you are setting up your tape library using Manual Setup (Process B).

The manual installation procedure for the media changer device file varies according to the operating system installed on the controller node. To see specific installation instructions for a particular operating system, refer to the topic that applies to the controller node of your tape library:

Important. DPX support for some of the documented operating systems has been discontinued.

Furthermore, if you are using third-party software no longer supported by the vendor, Catalogic Software Data Protection Technical Support may be limited for functions dependent on that software. To address certain issues, the analyst may recommend you upgrade the relevant software.

Tape Library Installation on Windows

This procedure explains how to install a tape library for a Windows controller node. Before you begin, make sure the tape library is in random mode (not sequential or stacker mode) and that the media changer is not claimed by the operating system. See Tape Library Setup.

DPX supports both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows.

To install the media changer device file on your controller node, run detect -i at the command prompt. This will automatically generate media changer device files of the form sync_saX, where X is a non-negative integer starting with 0.

Device files are placed in the bin\JB folder. detect -i also creates a symbolic link for each sync_saX device, allowing it to be used as a native Windows device name.

Warning! Running detect -i will overwrite existing device files created by previous runs of install or detect.

Sample output for detect -i follows:

SCSI Devices found:

------------------

Device       Adapter     Target            Device

ID           ID      BUS ID     LUN STATUS Type                     String

------------ ------- --- ------ --- ------ ------------------------ -------------

\\.\Tape0    2       0   0      2   0      Sequential Access Device SONY    SDX-500C

\\.\Tape1    2       0   0      5   0      Sequential Access Device HP      Ultrium 1

\\.\sync_sa0 2       0   1      3   0      Media Changer Device     BHTi    216

\\.\Tape2    2       0   1      1   0      Sequential Access Device QUANTUM DLT8000

Device                    Serial / Unique                                    

ID                        Number / Id              World Wide Name           Auto

------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------- ----

\\.\Tape0                 0000902585               20 0 0 50 13 b0 78 94     Yes

\\.\Tape1                 0000911832               20 0 0 50 13 b0 78 94     Yes

\\.\sync_sa0              216B10                                             Yes

\\.\Tape2                 PXB34P3669               20 0 0 50 13 b0 78 94     Yes

This concludes the installation of the tape library media changer device file under Windows. To test the installation, proceed to Tape Library Verification. Use the media changer device file name (for example, sync_sa0) as the argument for the tape library interface test program (JItest).

Tape Library Installation on Linux

This procedure explains how to install a tape library for a Linux controller node. You need to have Linux release 2.2.14 or later. The procedure below is for Linux on Intel-compatible architectures.

For Linux, device files of the media changers are generated by the operating system and are located in /dev/sgX, where X is a non-negative integer starting with 0. Device files of the tape drives are located in /dev/stX or /dev/nstX where X is a non-negative integer starting with 0. The tape drives must be set to no rewind and variable block size, which are commonly not the default. For more information, see the man pages for “st” and “stinit” in addition to consulting the drive manufacturer.

The following is the procedure for tape library installation on Linux:

  1. On your controller node, run detect -q at the command prompt. detect -q displays the file names and other information about all SCSI devices accessible by the node on which you are running detect. If everything was connected properly, you will see a media changer device that represents your tape library. Sample output follows:

SCSI Devices found:

-------------------

Device       Adapter     Target            Device

ID           ID      BUS ID     LUN STATUS Type                     String

------------ ------- --- ------ --- ------ ------------------------ -------------

/dev/nst0    2       0   0      2   0      Sequential Access Device SONY    SDX-500C

/dev/nst1    2       0   0      5   0      Sequential Access Device HP      Ultrium 1

/dev/sg1     2       0   1      3   0      Media Changer Device    BHTi    216

/dev/nst2    2       0   1      1   0      Sequential Access Device QUANTUM DLT8000

Device                    Serial / Unique                                    

ID                        Number / Id              World Wide Name           Auto

------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------- ----

/dev/nst0                 0000902585               20 0 0 50 13 b0 78 94     Yes

/dev/nst1                 0000911832               20 0 0 50 13 b0 78 94     Yes

/dev/sg1                  216B10                                             Yes

/dev/nst2                 PXB34P3669               20 0 0 50 13 b0 78 94     Yes

  1. If you do not see any devices, ensure that the kernel has generic SCSI support and tape drive support installed. For more information, see the man pages for “sgen” and “mtx.”

  2. If necessary, run detect -i from the bin/JB subdirectory to create any additional device mappings.

This concludes the installation of the tape library media changer device file under Linux. To test the installation, proceed to Tape Library Verification. Use the media changer device file name (for example, /dev/sg1) as the argument for the tape library interface test program (JItest).

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