1/8 G2 Tape Autoloader (Ultrium 920) Left Magazine and HBA

[AndreaMennini]

Hi,

two questions:

1) For the 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloader (Ultrium 920) (AH165A) is there any LEFT magazine kit availlable? I've been able to find only the RIGHT one (AH167A)

2) To connect it to a Proliant ML370G3, is it ok to use its internal HBA or should I buy a new one? Which one?

Thanks

[Wei Jung]

There are the parts.

HP StorageWorks 1/8 G2 Right Magazine Kit
435246-001 SPS-MAG RIGHT 1/8 AUTO G2
435246-001N SPS-MAG RIGHT 1/8 AUTO G2

The left ones are:
435245-001 SPS-MAG LEFT 1/8 AUTO G2
435245-001N SPS-MAG LEFT 1/8 AUTO G2

[Curtis Ballard]

The web site http://www.hp.com/go/connect doesn't list the ML370 G3 anymore but according to the specs for that server the built in HBA is suitable for use with the 920.

[Wei Jung]

The internal controller for the ML370G3 is a Ultra3 SCSI controller, for a 1/8 G2 Ultrium 920, you need a Ultra320 if you want the full performance of the drive, otherwise you will get a degraded performance with the internal controller.

This is the option that you should use for that server

64-Bit/133Mhz Dual Channel Ultra320 SCSI Adapter
268351-B21

[Curtis Ballard]

The QuickSpecs of the 920 drive list the ML370 G3 built in HBA as compatible with that drive.

If the Ultrium 920 drive is the only device on one of the channels of a built in Ultra 3 controller (160 MBps) the performance of the controller is just fine for that drive.

In general it is good to use an Ultra 320 HBA with LTO-3 drives however the throughput of a 920 is such that you won't see any performance degradation on an Ultra 160 HBA unless you have highly compressible data. The normal transfer rate of a 920 is 120 MB/s at 2:1 compression and it peaks at a sustained rate of 180 MB/s just slightly more than the available 160 MB/s of an Ultra 3 HBA. It has a burst rate of 320 MB/s but since the peak sustained is 180 MB/s and 120 MB/s is more likely an Ultra 3 HBA can come close to keeping up.

Note that according to the QuickSpecs on the ML370 G3 some of those servers have a Smart Array 6402 controller built in which is not compatible with the 1/8 G2 Autoloader.