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L180 LTO2 Drives Upgrade to L500 LTO4 w/ NetBackup

PML
Level 1
Partner Accredited

We are looking at upgrading a customer from an old StorageTek L180 with LTO2 SCSI drives to a SL500 with LTO4 FC drives. We are planning on supplying a drive conversation kit so that they can connect a couple of the old LTO2 SCSI drives for reading the old tapes if needed.

Is there anything we need to consider, any other migration methodology? Straight swap out is our thinking and if ever we need to read the tapes just slot them in, inventory and theoretically NBU will just recognise all the tapes?

Thanks

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Accepted Solutions

Marianne
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

The only problem I can foresee is the way the new robot will probably read barcodes - older robots only read the first 6 characters, newer robots read 8 chars. NBU stores the last 6 chars. This will cause a media id mismatch when restores are are required.

Best is to configure Media ID Generation rules before the 1st inventory is done one the new robot:

When starting Inventory, select Advanced Options, select 'Media ID Generation' tab.
Specify Robot number, Barcode length (8) and Rule - 1:2:3:4:5:6 to read 1st 6 chars as the old robot did.

 

Please remember to delete the old robot and tape drives in NBU before shutting down and disconnecting. Deleting the robot will automatically move the robotic media to standalone.

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4 REPLIES 4

AmolB
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

First check if the hardware is compatible with the version of NBU that is installed.

Secondly make sure that OS detects the device. If OS detects and NBU does not detect then you 

will have to jump NBU services.

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

Hi,

 

I have moved this to the correct forum...the experts here can assist...

Marianne
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

The only problem I can foresee is the way the new robot will probably read barcodes - older robots only read the first 6 characters, newer robots read 8 chars. NBU stores the last 6 chars. This will cause a media id mismatch when restores are are required.

Best is to configure Media ID Generation rules before the 1st inventory is done one the new robot:

When starting Inventory, select Advanced Options, select 'Media ID Generation' tab.
Specify Robot number, Barcode length (8) and Rule - 1:2:3:4:5:6 to read 1st 6 chars as the old robot did.

 

Please remember to delete the old robot and tape drives in NBU before shutting down and disconnecting. Deleting the robot will automatically move the robotic media to standalone.

Seth_Bokelman
Level 5
Certified

You don't need to keep those old drives around if you only need to read the old tapes, and never write to them.  LTO4 drives will read LTO2 tapes just fine.  I happened to move from an L180 to an SL500 with the exact configs you mentioned, and, as I was creating a new master server, I just imported the couple dozen LTO2 tapes I needed to keep long-term, no problems.