Problems with TL4000 Tape Drive and Netbackup 6.0 MP4

[GregJZ52]

I have installed Netbackup Enterprise 6.0 MP4 on a Windows 2003 Server x64.  Software installation went smooth as did having the server recognize the Dell TL4000 tape drive (I am using the recent Dell drivers for the device). 

The problem lays within Veritas that when using the wizard to add the tape drive, it recognizes it as a stand alone device disk and not a robot.  I have added it and deleted it multiple times.  It being a stand alone device is not the so called problem. It is when I try to configure the volumes using the wizard to discover the tapes it does not see the tape drive in order to do so.  

I have both the Server and the tape drive connected to a SAN so I am wondering if I need to add more then the 2 LUN's currently configured for the Dell Tape Device.   

Any help would be appreciated... 

[Andy_Welburn]

Has it not recognised the robot, only the tape drive(s)?

[GregJZ52]

Veritas only recognizes it as a stand alone disk drive. 

[Andy_Welburn]

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@GregJZ52 wrote:

The problem lays within Veritas that when using the wizard to add the tape drive

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Instead of the wizard, have you tried adding the robot manually & then the tape drive?

[GregJZ52]

Yeah, when I try it says no robot libraries were found on the device host.

[Andy_Welburn]

How about the OS of the Master/Media server, can that 'see' the Media Changer/Robot?

[GregJZ52]

Yes the server it self can see the device labled (IBM ULT3580-TD4)  under Tape Drives in the device manager. 

[Andy_Welburn]

Sorry, I've no direct experience of the Dell TL4000, but my understanding of NetBackup is that the Media Server will need to see both the Robot and the Tape Drive in order to correctly inventory the tape library & move/eject tapes etc.

We have an Overland Tape Library where all 4 tape drives & library controller card (robot) are FC attached. Master/media server (Solaris) + additional media server (Win2k3) are also FC attached to same switch (SSO licence being evaluated for additional media server).

All five units (robot + 4 tape drives) are visible as separate entities either via 'sgscan' on the Solaris Master/Media or via Device Manager on the win2k3 media server.

eg:

Solaris Master/Media Server

# sgscan
/dev/sg/c1tw2000*****dl0: Changer: "OVERLANDNEO Series"
/dev/sg/c1tw5001*****0l0: Tape (/dev/rmt/1): "HP Ultrium 3-SCSI"
/dev/sg/c1tw5001*****8l0: Tape (/dev/rmt/2): "HP Ultrium 3-SCSI"
/dev/sg/c1tw5001*****cl0: Tape (/dev/rmt/0): "HP Ultrium 3-SCSI"
/dev/sg/c1tw5001*****cl0: Tape (/dev/rmt/3): "HP Ultrium 3-SCSI"

Win2k3 Media Server

Device Manager:

Medium Changer - Overland Neo Series Medium Changers

Tape Drives - Hewlett Packard LTO Ultrium-3 drive (x 4)

I've had a quick look thru' the docs for the TL4000 & it appears that the connectivity for the robot is thru' the tape device? So is there a config issue there that needs sorting so that the OS can see both?

[GregJZ52]

ok I have it recognizing the library and both tape drives. 

The question I have now is when selecting the tape drives it says that the type of drives is unknown.

Does anyone know the type that I select, options are 1/4, 1/2 hcart, DLT, DFT.  This is for the TL4000.

[Andy_Welburn]

Glad to see you got your library recognised

As far as the drive type is concerned, I believe they are LTO4's in the TL4000 so it should be HCART.

HCART, HCART2 or HCART3 should be available as options - these are essentially 'tags' & so do not relate directly to whether they are LTO1, LTO2, LTO3 or LTO4 tape drives.

[Rakesh_Khandelw · Accepted solution]

In NetBackup configuration  add robot first and then add tape drives to it. you can pick any of the HCART type for these usually with LTO-4 recommendation is to use LTO as NetBackup keeps only three generation in config and that's how most of the tape drives work anyway, write enable on one generation old media and read from two generation old (total three generations).

Irrespective of which HCART type you choose make sure your when you add media or create storage unit, it should match. Bottom line, density type should be same on drive, media and stroage unit to make it work. 

[GregJZ52]

Just to let others know.

I got the back ups working completely with out any hiccups now.   The main thing is to make sure all LUNS are added to the SAN configuration and to connect BOTH fiber channel cards on the TL4000 or it will not recognize both drives.  Also the above posts are correct, the HCART is the correct selection for the TL4000.

Thanks for all the help gents. I appreciate it.