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MSL2024 FC direct Linux

 
chahawk
Occasional Collector

MSL2024 FC direct Linux

Hi all,

 

We have a MSL2024 FC been sitting at the corner for long time now trying to ustilize it. I know similar question has been asked for windows. I have no exp with this so not sure if it works for linux as well. We have the fibre cable already and is a FC card all we need? Do we need to install some hp specific software on linux as well? Planning to plug into a dell server.

 

There is another connection option metioned by hp that is SAN, guess it meant fc san here. I am really not familar with fc and  I knew and tried plugging it in a  linksys switch with fc adapter is not going to work. But just want to hear from someone else.

 

Any advise will be appreciated!

 

chahawk

3 REPLIES 3
Johan Guldmyr
Honored Contributor

Re: MSL2024 FC direct Linux

Hello!

Should work fine to connect the library directly to an FC card in your server. For SCSI/SAS libraries HP are quite picky about what card you can use in the server. I don't think this applies to the FC but may be worth doing a bit of digging about. Maybe http://www.hp.com/products1/storage/compatibility/tapebackup/index.html or the "EBS Matrix" on http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/storageworks/ebs/ can be of assistance.

You'll need to set the MSL and the HBA to loop mode or whatever it's called. The mode that is not for connecting either to fabric.

I'd recommend installing HP's Library and Tape Tools on the linux server, this is good for diagnostics. You may want to investigate a backup software as well if you haven't already ;)

I presume HP means FC SAN as well, there are other connectors on the library but they are for management.
chahawk
Occasional Collector

Re: MSL2024 FC direct Linux

 

Hi Johan,

 

Thanks for pointing out some directions to me.

 

A local hp supplier suggested 81Q PCI-e FC HBA (AK344A). I am not quite sure about the virtualization support mentioned in http://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA2-9615EEW.pdf - does it mean the tape library can be shared between VMs on that hyperviser with fc card installed ( we are using vmware)? Hence each VM can backup directly to tape? This way, we might be able to avoid backup to linux then to tape.

 

Thanks,

 

Johan Guldmyr
Honored Contributor

Re: MSL2024 FC direct Linux

Hey, it should be possible. I believe I've seen other posts on this forum about backups in vmware.

From the EBS matrix:
"SAN tape devices (FC and iSCSI) are not supported directly by VMware ESX host. VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB) and vStorage API for Data Protection
use a backup server and virtual machine software snapshots to allow FC and iSCSI backups."

In the same matrix it says that FC SAN is not supported to a VMWare Guest VM.

The virtualization in the HBA card refers to NPIV. Meaning you can have the card in a virtual machine host and then each VM running could get its own unique WWN.