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Re: Fibre-Channel 4/40 library question

 
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Vincent Farrugia
Honored Contributor

Fibre-Channel 4/40 library question

Hello,

We are in the process of upgrading a 4/40 tape library with 4 DLT8000 drives from SCSI to Fibre Channel connection. We ordered 2 fibre channel cards for the 4/40, one per floor. These fibre channel cards will be connected to 2 separate fibre-channel switches.

The problem is this. Some servers have access (connected) to only 1 switch, some others are only connected to the other switch. I understand that the library controller card is situated in the lower floor of the 4/40, connected to one drive in the lower floor. The same drive will also be connected to the fibre-channel card, and other drive as well (to a separate port).

Now, the upper floor drives will only be connected to the fibre-channel card on the upper floor. They won't be connected to the library controller.

So, the question is, can the servers connected only to the upper floor (seeing only 2 drives) communicate with the controller and picker to get tapes in and out of the drives?

Thanks for your replies in advance!

Vince
Tape Drives RULE!!!
2 REPLIES 2
Leif Halvarsson_2
Honored Contributor
Solution

Re: Fibre-Channel 4/40 library question

Hi,
I think this depends on the application you use. OmniBack, for example uses indirect library control. I have one FC-connected 2/20 library with a HP-UX host as library controller. For the other FC-connected hosts i have used SAN-masking in the HBAs, this hosts can see nothing but the two drives and this works without problems.
Another solution is to cross-connect the two switches.
Vincent Farrugia
Honored Contributor

Re: Fibre-Channel 4/40 library question

Thanks very much.
Tape Drives RULE!!!