c7000, HP StorageWorks 1/8 G2, HP ProLiant DL320s with LSI Adapter SAS.

[DmitrySh]

Good day !

I have a few questions in theory.

At the moment I have:

415900-421 - HP ProLiant DL320s with Smart Array P400 with 512 MB and 12x1TB SATA drives.

In the server is installed LSI Adapter SAS 1068E.

HP StorageWorks 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloader is connected to the server SAS cable.

As there is a BladeSystem c7000 Enclosure G2 c HP B-series 8/12c SAN Switch BladeSystem c-Class and connected SAN via FC.

questions :

1. What do I need to buy that would connect the HP StorageWorks 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloader to the server ProLiant BL460c G7 ( 603569 -B21) in BladeSystem c7000?

I suppose that I need HP 6Gb SAS BL Switch Dual Pack (BK764A), right?

Do I need to just buy HP P700m Smart Array Controller 512MB 508226 -B21 in the server or enough built-in controller (400i)?

2. I know that the remaining server 415900-421 - HP ProLiant DL320s with Smart Array P400 I can connect on iSCSI. But whether there be any possibility to join this server as a storage (DAS) to any server of the BladeSystem c7000 by SAS cable ?

Thank you in advance for your reply!

[Torsten.]

I could be a better idea to upgrade the autoloader from SAS to FC (new drive).

[DmitrySh]

Torsten, thank you very much for the idea!

Are there any articles on the upgrade procedure? (like P2000G3 to MSA 2040)

Is there any idea on my second question?

[Torsten.]

You just need to swap the drive.
Once done, you can configure (zone) each server you want to the autoloader (assuming the server has fibre HBAs).

[DmitrySh]

Unfortunately option to transfer to FC for me is not acceptable because we used VMware ESX / ESXi.
And as it says here: http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1016407

Limitations:
Fiber connected tape devices are not supported.

So back to the beginning.
I would be grateful for answers to both questions!

[Torsten.]

You saw the limitation ragarding RAID controllers in this document too?

I'm not sure what you want to do, but if you backup the systems to a backup server via network and this backup server (or media agent) controls the library, you will not be limited that way.

This is what almost every backup solution does.

For example, see

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetPDF.aspx%2F4AA3-5594ENW.pdf

[DmitrySh]

VMWARE starting with version 5 is not officially supported tape drives directly attached to the VMWARE host.

But there are informal ways of connecting.

Torsten, thank you very much!