Media density

[jlunden1]

**** Moved to new discussion from https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/hcart-confusion  ****

We are using LTO4 tapedrives with density of hcart2 and is going to change to LTO6 drives.

My question is do we have to use the density hcart2 to be able to read the LTO4 tapes in the new LTO6 drives?

[Andy_Welburn · Accepted solution]

(Added this comment to the original discussion *just* as it was being moved!)

Unless you're intending to keep the LTO4 (hcart2) drives then your new LTO6 drives will also need to be hcart2 in order for NetBackup to recognise the fact that there are suitable (hcart2) drives available to allow them to be mounted.

If your LTO4 media is likely to be phased out &/or only be utilised infrequently for restores, it may be worth having the new LTO6 drives at a different 'density' (hcart3) & only changing one as & when there is a restore requirement. This will ensure there is absolutely no likelihood of an LTO4 tape being mounted in an LTO6 drive for the purposes of a backup.

[jlunden1]

Thank you Andy!

I think we will go with using a different density like hcart3 because we want to phase out the LTO4 media and also until that is finnished there is going to be one LTO4 drive left to handle restores of LTO4 tapes.

Say I do as above, and later want to write all the remaining LTO4 tapes to LTO6, is it possible for netbackup to read from LTO4 drive and density hcart2 and write to a LTO6 drive with density hcart3?

[Manjunath_Rajan]

drive supports the LTO Generation 6 media ..can read and write LTO Ultrium 5 cartridges and read only LTO Ultrium 4 cartridges.
 

[Andy_Welburn]

No problem. Just duplicate original images/media to a storage unit/volume pool that houses your LTO6 media.

***EDIT***

Once you have your LTO6 drives set up & working ok, you could always do a little test or three to make sure you've got the procedure down for when you really want/need to do it......

[jlunden1]

Manjunath,

Yes i am aware of that.

[Marianne]

...  is it possible for netbackup to read from LTO4 drive and density hcart2 and write to a LTO6 drive with density hcart3?

Yes. when you duplicate, the source media and tape drives (hcart2) can be different density to that of destination media and drives (hcart3).