Confusion on device topology (robot + standalone)

[yadda123]

 So, I finally got my media server setup(thanks to Mouse!). The media server can view available_media, etc. But, as I went through the configure devices wizard, I noticed that my master server has a robot(tld0) for the storage unit, but my media server is set as 'standalone'. I have a Dell ML6000 w/ a 5u control module with 1 robot and 2 tape drives(directly connected to the master via fibre), and a 9u expansion module connected to the 5u module with 1 tape drive(directly connected to the media server via fibre). I was expecting to see all 3 tape drives off of the 1 robot(but I do understand that I can only access the two tape drives connected to the master from the master, and the one tape drive directly connected to the media server from the media server).

In my tape library config, I have all tapes and all drives allocated to one partition. And both the master and media server can view all the inventory via available_media.

So, before I go ahead and do some testing with a backup on the media server, is what I am seeing(robot on master, and standalone on media) correct? What's a good test for me to perform to ensure my media server can view tapes already written by the master(and vice versa)?

[yadda123]

And can someone let me know what their topology looks like? Any similiar configs? 1 library, 3 drives, 1 robot. 2 servers(1 master, 1 media), one with 2 drives, the other with the remaining drive?

[Mouse]

Just zone your SAN properly.

If NBU scans and founds only tape drive it's simply not aware about existance of robotic device.

So, show your robotic device to your media server.

Good luck with that

[yadda123]

 I think I know my issue.  I have one partition in the library, one robot, 3 tape drives(2 drives to one, 1 drive to the other server). The control path is via one of the tape drives. I have the servers directly connected to their respective tape drives. So, the 2nd server with the 3rd tape drive does not see the robot. So, it looks like I would need to create two partitions, each with their own control path, their own slots, , and have a master netbackup server for both partitions, etc. I prefer not to go this route.

So, it seems I would need a FC switch, connect the tape drives and the servers to this FC switch, and then setup the zoning correctly so the servers can see the same robot and all 3 tape drives and all slots. Is this correct? I can get a FC switch installed ASAP, but is there a licensing issue here? 

To be a little redundant, what I want:

1 partition with all slots, the robot, and all tape drives to be able to write and read the same tapes, have the same catalog, etc. I would have one server as a master/media and the second server as a media netbackup server.

[yadda123]

 Looking up some info in the backup sw world in general, I assume this is a 'shared storage option'(SSO), correct? Does netbackup have this, and is this something that I need to get a new license for? Also, any gotchas or any info others can provide on it? And note, I am on 6.0MP4.  If there are other options builtin into 6.5, I can upgrade to that if they are compelling reasons to.

[Mouse]

you are not quite right... actually you can show your tape library to both servers and use 2 drives at one server and 1 drive at another.

just zone your devices such a way

[Mouse]

SSO is useful if you want dynamically share those drives: i.e. at one moment assign 2 drives to one host, or all three to another at another point in time.

however, if you just want to assign two tape drives to one host and one to another, just zone it this way. do not forget to zone a robot to both hosts.

[yadda123]

 I got you. So, I can keep the one partition in my library, and have all tapes and slots allocated to that one partition and have both servers be able to use it, as long as I zone the correctly on the fc switch? So no new license - awesome. 

[mph999]

.. if I've understood correctly, all you need to do is this ....

Zone the robot and say 3 drives to the master.
Zone other 2 drives to media
Run device config wizard, select both servers at the same time and run thru the steps.

NBU will assign the master as the robot control host along with it's drives, and will assign the other drives to the media server, but, will understand that media server drives are in the robot controlled by the master.

WHen the media wants a tape loaded into one of it's drives, the master will instruct the robot to load it, on behalf of the media.

Martin

[Mouse]

if you have these two drives dedicated to one server and one to another and your configuration is static, there is no need in an additional license at all.

Once you zone it properly, just run Device configuration wizard and create two storage units.

Basically that's it.