MSL 2024 tape library and non-HP brand drives?

[muclab]

Hi,

I was wondering whether I could also install a Fujitsu LTO drive in my MSL2024 or whether it will only accept HP drives. It is my understanding these drives are more or less identical and manufactured by the same company and then branded one way or the other. But of course, different firmware might interfere...

Thanks!

[SanjeevGoyal]

Hello,
  
You can install Fujitsu LTO drive but this drive may or may not work in HPE MSL2024.

Hence I would suggest you use only the HPE tape drive in HPE MSL 2024 for better performance or avoid any data loss after taking the data backup.

If you feel this was helpful please click the KUDOS! thumb below and accept the solution.
Regards,

[Barry_Reider]

Muclab, All HPE tape libraries will reject non-HP/HPE drives. The drive will not power on. The HPE drives have a canister around them that fits into the HPE libraries, these canisters are installed and aligned on the drive at the factory, removing a drive from a canister voids the warranty and will most likely cause issues due to improper alignment. 

[muclab]

Barry,

Thanks for your comment.

I am not sure what you mean by "canister".  But if you look at these pictures:

The first one is the Fujitsu, the second one is the HP. 

If I get what you mean with "canister", I would say that the Fujitsu comes in its own canister and I would not need to remove it from that in order to insert it into the HP Library (as the canister looks identical to the HP one and I bet that it would physically fit).

So in my (admittedly laymen's) view, it comes down to the firmware of the drive and of the library which may or may not reject the other side.

(On another forum, a member confirmed that he had used the opposite combination, i.e. HP drive in a Fujitsu Library, successfully in the past. Obviously, that does not need to mean anything for my question, but it does give me hope that you see I am reluctant to let go...)

Thanks

[SanjeevGoyal]

Hello,
 
You can install Fujitsu LTO drive but this drive may or may not work in HPE MSL2024.

 If you feel this was helpful please click the KUDOS! thumb below and accept the solution.
Regards

[muclab]

Thank you.

But that is my question: Will it work or not?

So the answer that it might work or not is not what I was hoping for...

I ended up buying a HP drive to be one safe side.

So for everyone who was also interested in this (there have been quite a few views): Unfortunately, we still don't know.

[Torsten.]

>> we still don't know.

Exactly.

But probably it will not work, because of the non-HP firmware and personality of the drive.