FC Switch Configuration for Tape Library to NetBackup Device

The Cisco 3750 or 3850 are LAN switches, and as far as I know cannot do SAN FC.

SANs don't have VLANs.  SANs can have VSANs, and you'll have to read up on that - but I doubt very much you will need VSANs - as these are typically used in much larger installatons.

Most Brocade SAN switches have zero port contention, i.e. all SAN switch ports can Tx/Rx at full speed at all times with zero bandwidth contention.  AFAIK, many Cisco SAN switches have port group contention.

Most Broacde SAN switches have feature called 'cut through routing' which can be just great for storage as it completely and utterly eradicates any concept of packet latency.  AFAIK, no Cisco SAN switches have this feature.

Need a link for cut-through routing?

My recommendation is a Brocade SAN switch.  Not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

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I think what you might be "missing" is just how easy SAN "zoning" really is, once you get your head around it.

Collect the FC HBA WWPNs from the appliance.  These are your initiator WWPNs.

Collect the FC Tape Drive WWPNs from the tape library.  These are you target WWPNs.

Here's an example for Brocade to zone the two appliance FC HBA ports to four FC tape drives:

$ alicreate AL_APPLIANCE1_HBA1_PORT1, "nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn"

$ alicreate AL_APPLIANCE1_HBA1_PORT2, "nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn"

$ alicreate AL_TS3200_TAPE1, "nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn"

$ alicreate AL_TS3200_TAPE2, "nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn"

$ alicreate AL_TS3200_TAPE3, "nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn"

$ alicreate AL_TS3200_TAPE4, "nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn"

$ zonecreate ZN_APPLIANCE1_HBA1_PORT1, "AL_APPLIANCE1_HBA1_PORT1; AL_TS3200_TAPE1; AL_TS3200_TAPE2"

$ zonecreate ZN_APPLIANCE1_HBA1_PORT2, "AL_APPLIANCE1_HBA1_PORT2; AL_TS3200_TAPE3; AL_TS3200_TAPE4"

$ cfgadd CFG_FAB_A, "ZN_APPLIANCE1_HBA1_PORT1; ZN_APPLIANCE1_HBA1_PORT2"

$ date

$ cfgsave

$ date

$ cfgenable CFG_FAB_A

$ date

$ exit

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The above assumes you have a 'config' named 'CFG_FAB_A' that already exists.  If it's a new bare bones SAN switch and no pre-existing config, use the 'cfgcreate' command instead of 'cfgadd'.

(BTW - there are other things that you should do first when configuring a new SAN switch - so you'll have to read the guides on that).

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With the above, you will have created two zones, each with a single initiator, and each with two targets (tape drives).

After this, on the appliance, re-set the HBAs.

Then on the tape library management GUI - present the robot control and tape drives as LUNs to the required WWPN "initiators" (which should auto-popup in the tape library management GUI).

Back on the appliance scan for tape.

Run the device configuration wizard in the NetBackup GUI.

And you should be good to start using the NetBackup 'storage unit' for the tape library (and NetBackup will know that the storage unit has four tape drives).

HTH.