Forum Discussion

Marianne's avatar
Marianne
Level 6
15 years ago

Firmware and driver updates

Off Topic question:

In a big SSO environment with mixed O/S media servers attached to tape and disk (via different HBA’s) – who dictates what driver/firmware versions should be used on tape drives, libraries, hba’s, switches, etc? Even to the point of O/S updates?

The NBU hardware compatibility list is very basic and list ‘tested’ versions for tape drives, not recommended.
As far as switches and HBA’s are concerned, the compatibility guide says: “Consult the hardware vendor's web site for up-to-date firmware and driver updates.”

My viewpoint is that the tape vendor should supply all these compatibilities. I’d like to know how it’s done in your environment and who initiates the whole process…

7.1.x and Earlier
Backup and Recovery
Basics
Best Practice
Compatibility
NetBackup
  • Nicolai's avatar
    Nicolai
    15 years ago

    Hi Marianne.

    Nice to meet you at Vision :-)

    In my shop we have a mixture of HP-UX and Linux.
    • On Linux boxes (SUSE) I always stick to the inbox driver, only if I can't avoid it,I uses the manufacture driver.
    • HP-UX always had very stable drivers, and I can't re-call whenever I ever had to update a HP-UX because of drivers issues.
    • Devices - tape and robot: I always follow STK/SUN/Oracle recommendations.
    OS updates may also contain driver updates, but that hasn't been source of any issues yet. We only do OS updates if we are required to do so because of stability issues or security holes (motto : if aint broke don't fix it)

    On Windows system (got two small remote media servers) we tend to look at what EMC recommend of driver versions.
  • Nicolai's avatar
    Nicolai
    Moderator
    15 years ago

    Hi Marianne.

    Nice to meet you at Vision :-)

    In my shop we have a mixture of HP-UX and Linux.
    • On Linux boxes (SUSE) I always stick to the inbox driver, only if I can't avoid it,I uses the manufacture driver.
    • HP-UX always had very stable drivers, and I can't re-call whenever I ever had to update a HP-UX because of drivers issues.
    • Devices - tape and robot: I always follow STK/SUN/Oracle recommendations.
    OS updates may also contain driver updates, but that hasn't been source of any issues yet. We only do OS updates if we are required to do so because of stability issues or security holes (motto : if aint broke don't fix it)

    On Windows system (got two small remote media servers) we tend to look at what EMC recommend of driver versions.
  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    Level 6
    15 years ago

    Thanks Nicolai - It was my pleasure meeting you! I could tell my colleagues last week that I met the author of that ACSLS-firewall-article (you are STILL my hero)!!!

    Thanks for your input on this subject. I am looking for real-life experience of fellow users. So, yes, no 100% hard & fast rule.
    It gets a bit difficult when there's a separate team for SAN management, Windows O/S, Solaris O/S, NetBackup, etc... Everyone feels that it's 'the other' team's responsibility... And to crown it all - not a good relationship with the tape/library vendor........
  • Reagan's avatar
    Reagan
    Level 5
    15 years ago

    The tape vendor should not dictate when a customer should update the tape drivers, patch their OS, update the firmware of the HBA's, or switches.

    In the event of a security flaw, then the tape vendor should noitfy customers to upgrade the tape library firmware.

    I agree that the NBU hardware compatibility list is very basic, but its better than most HCL's that I've seen.

    The main point is to get NetBackup to perform as best as possible.  Device settings for NetBackup may not work as well with other backup applications.  So, I don't think its possible for a tape vendor to specify what to use for NetBackup, since they only provide hardware support.

    It should be the customer who decides what drivers, updates, and patches to install based on what Symantec recommends that is best to use with their version of NetBackup.

  • Nicolai's avatar
    Nicolai
    Moderator
    15 years ago


    I think you got it wrong:

    Quote:

    Devices - tape and robot: I always follow STK/SUN/Oracle recommendations

    Quote end

    This mean firmware on robot and the tape devices. Not OS, HBA, FV switch or alike
  • Nicolai's avatar
    Nicolai
    Moderator
    15 years ago

    I am surprised that the article are to so much help. But glad I could help smiley

    We have the same sort of challenge when it comes to Windows (I am on *nix). Our Windows group have a very bad habit of installing NIC driver wwaayyy to old.  Even worse when it comes to fibre channel drives. I do expect to influence the company qualification process with a series of demand for the user requirement specification (GXP related).

    By the way: What vendor do you use for tape ?
  • Reagan's avatar
    Reagan
    Level 5
    15 years ago
    I was responding to the 1st thread of this discussion.

    I agree that the tape and robot firmware update should follow the Vendor recommendations regardless of what backup application is being used to manage that device.