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LTO3 & LTO4 tapes together.

Morten_Wiingr1
Level 3

Hi,

Using NBU 7.0.1 with an IBM TS 3100 tapestation. Normally I use 12 tapes in the tapestation every week.

I normally use LTO3 tapes with a label like 000001L3, they are media type HCART3 in NBU, wich also the tapestation is, and this works great.

Now I got some new LTO4 tapes, wich the tapestation also is able to write on.

How should I label theese new tapes, so that they will work together with the LTO3 tapes (just giving me more storage space) I allready use.

I would like to be able to mix the tapes in the tapestation.

 

Hope you can point me in the right direction.

 

Best regards

Morten Wiingreen

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Mark_Solutions
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

LOL Martin - I am happy to join in!!

The IBM TS 3100 tapestation is a simple autoloader type library that has either 1 or two drives

I am guessing in this case it has one and he does say : "Now I got some new LTO4 tapes, wich the tapestation also is able to write on" so i am guessing that combined with "I only have one drive wich is a LTO4 drive"

That being the case he doesn't need to do anything! Just let all tapes be the same density in NBU and it will use which ever one it picks, regardless of the bar code.

But then we haven't heard from him for a couple of days so maybe he is worried about what he has started

Always happy to join in a good debate!

Hope this helps

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Marianne
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Now I got some new LTO4 tapes.....

What about LTO4 tape drives?

You need LTO4 or LTO5 tape drives to use the new LTO4 tapes.

The LTO4 drives and tapes need to have a different density (NBU default is hcart for LTO4) and you need to have a different Storage Unit for this new density. 
Next, change backup policies that you want to use the new drives and media to this new STU.

You can also add the two STUs to a Storage Unit Group and decide on selection criteria (details in NBU Admin Guide I) and then change all policies to use the STUG instead of specific STU.

Hope this helps!

 

Morten_Wiingr1
Level 3

***You need LTO4 or LTO5 tape drives to use the new LTO4 tapes.

I allready have a LTO4 tape drive. My LTO4 tape drive is in NBU set as a HCART3 device.

But now I only use LTO3 tapes, because I allready have theese tapes.

 

Now I have got some new LTO4 tapes. Can they coexist with the old LTO3 tapes, if I label them just as my LTO3 tapes? Will the tape drive recognize the LTO4 tapes and be able to store more data on it?

 

/morten

 

Marianne
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If all drives and media is configured as hcart3, NBU will try to mount LTO4 tapes in LTO3 drives.
The tape library should prevent that and return a mount error. NBU will probably DOWN the drive.

You will need to separate the LTO3 and LTO4 drives and media into different densities to ensure LTO4 tapes are only mounted on LTO4 drives.

Morten_Wiingr1
Level 3

I only have one drive wich is a LTO4 drive.

Marianne
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Then you can use your LTO4 tapes in the one LTO4 drive only. You need to separate LTO3 and LTO4 drives and media.

No other way.

Your hardware vendor will confirm this.

Nicolai
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Marianne - I disagree with you one this one - But I understand the background why you saying this.

You can write in "format-1" density. So a LTO4 tape drive will be able to write in both LTO4 and LTO3 density. I have used this trick to "brake" LTO5 tape drives using LTO4 tapes to avoid shoe shining.

You can continue labeling the new LTO4 tapes with bar codes of the LTO3 series as long as the tape drives in LTO4. However the tape usage will be unpredictable because of the capacity difference.

At some time you will have to split tapes into LTO4 and LTO3 - so why not do it now. Do you want to go thru the time consuming process of  finding expired LTO4 media,  replacing barcode and performing label operation process in Netbackup?

I recommend splitting tape up (Just like Marianne did).

If you had two tape drives you cold have one tape drive in each density (LTO3/LTO4) - now you have to choose.

Hope it make sense.

Best Regards

Nicolai

Marianne
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Nicolai, my concern is about the LTO4 media when all drives and all media is configured as hcart3.
Majority of drives in this environment is still LTO3 with only one LTO4 drive.

You will agree with me that NBU will try to mount any media in any of the drives. 
We all agree that LTO4 media cannot be mounted in LTO3 drives, right?

RonCaplinger
Level 6

Morten, I think the confusion is on how many tape drives you have total...it sounds like you have just one tape drive, and it is an LTO4 drive, correct?  You don't have any other tape drives in the IBM Tapestation?

mph999
Level 6
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I'm keeping out of this ...   ;0)

Nicolai
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But he has only one tape drive - and it's a LTO4 (as I read it).

Marianne
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LOL! You're probably right Nicolai! For some reason I thought the OP had a mix of LTO3 and LTO4 drives......

Mark_Solutions
Level 6
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LOL Martin - I am happy to join in!!

The IBM TS 3100 tapestation is a simple autoloader type library that has either 1 or two drives

I am guessing in this case it has one and he does say : "Now I got some new LTO4 tapes, wich the tapestation also is able to write on" so i am guessing that combined with "I only have one drive wich is a LTO4 drive"

That being the case he doesn't need to do anything! Just let all tapes be the same density in NBU and it will use which ever one it picks, regardless of the bar code.

But then we haven't heard from him for a couple of days so maybe he is worried about what he has started

Always happy to join in a good debate!

Hope this helps

Nicolai
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Morten - I think the final conclusion we all agree on is you can use the LTO4 tapes with  LTO3 bar codes in the current configuration without modification. Just be aware of the upcoming difference in tape usage.

Bets Regards

Nicolai (Søborg,DK)

Morten_Wiingr1
Level 3

Hi everybody,

I have been reading all the posts with great interesse.

And I am pleased with the conclussion. I do have just the one tape drive and a mix of LTO3 & LTO4 tapes.

I will continue with the LTO3 barcodes on both tape types, and be aware that total capasity will differ along with the amount of each type of tapes I use.

Thanks for all comments, it has been much appreciated.

Best Regards,

 

Morten Wiingreen, Odense DK.

Mark_Solutions
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

Glad you have been following - if you are happy with the answers then please choose the one you feel helped the most and use the  "mark as solution" option to close the thread off - this helps others searching for a similar issue in the future - thanks