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Re: Can Ultrium 960 (Q1595A) be installed into MSL6030 0 Drive Library (AD597A)

 
Elena Okulova_1
New Member

Can Ultrium 960 (Q1595A) be installed into MSL6030 0 Drive Library (AD597A)

Hi,
I want to sell my client Ultrium 960 tape (Q1595A). With further growth I want them to migrate to MSL6030 1 Ultrium 960 Drive FC Tape Library.

Does any kind of conversion kit exist with which we can take Ultrium 960 (Q1595A) and place it into empty MSL6030 0 Drive Library (AD597A) in order to get MSL6030 1 Ultrium 960 Drive Tape Library. FC card can be added - I checked.
7 REPLIES 7
Andrzej Kowalik
Honored Contributor

Re: Can Ultrium 960 (Q1595A) be installed into MSL6030 0 Drive Library (AD597A)

Hmm, short answer is no. No exist any upgrade or conversion kit between stand alone and library drives.
Other question - is this possible or not? LTO drives are different firmware revision for libraries/stand alone drives.
I think, but I never check that, that it is possible (but you must have canister for this drive, you cannot buy it from HP).
How I wrote, answer is no, and remember, no one will be responsible for servicing such solution...
regards,
Andrzej
Elena Okulova_1
New Member

Re: Can Ultrium 960 (Q1595A) be installed into MSL6030 0 Drive Library (AD597A)

That's what I was afraid of. I did not find any conversion kit. :(
I wonder if any HP representatives can comment on why not introduce such option for customer's investment protection. Right now it looks like we'll have to throw away one Ultrium 960 and purchase another Ultrium 960 that will fit in MSL 6000.
Kurt Beyers.
Honored Contributor

Re: Can Ultrium 960 (Q1595A) be installed into MSL6030 0 Drive Library (AD597A)

Elena,

An upgrade is possible. The following is found on the questions&answers at http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/storageworks/msl6000/qa.html

question & answer 4
question: "Can I install Ultrium 960 and SDLT 600 into my current MSL5000 or MSL6000 chassis? "
answer: "Yes. With the MSL6000 drive upgrade kits, the Ultrium 960 can be installed into existing MSL6030 or MSL6060. To achieve maximum performance, the Fibre Channel Router should be the e1200-160.
The SDLT 600 drive upgrade kits can be installed into existing MSL5026 or MSL5052 tape library. To achieve maximum performance, the Fibre Channel Router should be the e1200-160."

The following upgrade kit "AD612A" is found in the MSL specifications:

HP MSL6000 Ultrium 960 Drive
NOTE: For use in the MSL5000 and MSL6000 Ultrium libraries.

best regards,
Kurt


Andrzej Kowalik
Honored Contributor

Re: Can Ultrium 960 (Q1595A) be installed into MSL6030 0 Drive Library (AD597A)

Helena,
you can upgrade your MSL library to use LTO3 technology, BUT
you must buy other type (other than Q1595A) of LTO drive - how Kurt quoted from MSL specification.
Library drive come with special canister that enable possibility to hot replace them from working library.
regards,
Andrzej
Elena Okulova_1
New Member

Re: Can Ultrium 960 (Q1595A) be installed into MSL6030 0 Drive Library (AD597A)

Kurt, Andrzej,

I know about
The whole point was in achieving investment protection with already purchased standalone Ultrium 960 by getting some kind of conversion kit for it to fit into an empty MSL 6030. AD612A is another instance of the same Ultrium 960 and costs another $7000 and no investment protection is happening this way in our case.

I was trying to make a point to HP that it would be great to introduce such kit, if they happen to read through this forum.
Frank Van Riet
Advisor

Re: Can Ultrium 960 (Q1595A) be installed into MSL6030 0 Drive Library (AD597A)

Hi Elena,

The library drive is also physically different. It has to be modified in order to be able to accept tapes being loaded/unloaded by the robot.

So, no you can't use a standard drive with a library.

Regards,

Frank Van Riet
PM Commercial Storage
HP Belgium
Elena Okulova_1
New Member

Re: Can Ultrium 960 (Q1595A) be installed into MSL6030 0 Drive Library (AD597A)

Thanks to all for participation.
What cannot be done - cannot be done.
We'll be hoping for more universal approach in this area from HP in the future.