MSL5030 tape library remains off after power on

[MARREEL Chris_1]

Hello,

Ik have just installed and configured a new MSL5030 tape library with 2 Ultrium-tapes on a Windows2000 (Proliant) Server.
We have just tested the UPS-shutdown sequence, but I notice that the MSL5030 Tape library doesn't do an automaticaly POWER-UP if the power returns. I have to manualy touch once the front-pannel and then afterwards do a hardware-scan on Windows2000 before my tape-libaray and the 2 Ultrium-tapes are vissible to W2K.

Does anybody know how I can tell the tape-libaray he must do an automatic POWER ON if the power is returned ?

Thanks,
Chris MARREEL

[MARREEL Chris_1]

since no answer came to this question, I have investigated this a little further.

There exist an upgrade for the internal power-controller :
HA124A1#5AU : Tech Startup - MSL 5026/5030
673,46 EURO

I'm not sure what we will do (673 euro is a lot of money to correct a shortcomming of the original product).

I wanted to share this infomation with 'the community'.

Greetings,
Chris MARREEL

[David Ruska]

Lights-out power fail recovery was not considered a product requirement on the MSL5000. The power supply is common with other Compaq products that also have the same behavior. With the MSL6000 and its increased capacity, it has moved into the low end of the enterprise space, and having light-out recovery was seen as a requirement. The MSL6000 therefore has this feature. We provided a retrofit option to the MSL5000 for existing customers (which you have referred to).

[Derek_31]

Overland, the company that makes the guts of the MSL, has the same problem with their products.

I can't imagine a design rationale that would require a human to push the touch screen on an expensive tape library to turn it on after a power outage. Heck, the power switch in the back is still ON, yet you must touch a screen to really power it on.

I think no matter what you classify the library (enterpise, entry, etc.) it's extremely stupid to require a human to turn it on after a power outage. I think the retro kit should be free to correct such a glaring problem.

[MARREEL Chris_1]

David,

I can't understand your statement "Lights-out power fail recovery was not considered a product requirement on the MSL5000."
What engineer shouldn't want his equipment to turn back on-line after a power fail ?
The server and the library are both powered by a UPS, so the power to the equipment comes back on-line after the power was restored and everything except the library boots.
If this happens during the night nobody knows this happened, but the next backup-sequence fails because it cannot find the library and the tape drives. Before the system administrator has noticed this problem we are already one day further, and we don't have a backup !

To correct the problem, there is a manual intervention needed, the system admin has to go to the physical front pannel to power the library and after this he has to reboot the server to make the library and tapedrives seen by the OS.

I agree with Derek, this retro kit should be free to 'upgrade' the afected units with this essential functionality !

Any chance of receiving this for free ?

Greetings,
Chris MARREEL

[Derek_31]

Guess we can't get it for free....I'm still astonished auto-power-on was left out of the feature set and costs extra. It makes no rational sense.

[Jim Silha_1]

If anyone knows were to purchase this "add-on" it would be greatly appreciated. HP cannot even find it in their systems to order. I am also of the mind of the rest of the comments in this thread that it was stupid to omit such a needed option.

Jim Silha

[David Ruska]

Jim,

Sorry that you've had difficulty locating this add-on. It's somewhat of a special case, as it's an upgrade service and not just a replacement part.

First, to speak to the comments in this thread, I'll state again that the auto power-on feature was a product enhancement request from a few customers of the MSL5000 products. From that input, we made this a requirement for the MSL6000 product (it is included in all MSL6000s), but we also provided an upgrade service ("Auto Power On") for existing MSL5000 customers.

The product quickspecs (http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/11965_na/11965_na.html) are a bit inaccurate. They state:

---
Auto Power On: Auto-power-on is a feature that allows the library to reboot in the event of a power failure without operator intervention. This feature must be installed by an authorized service technician.

Description: Auto-Power-On for MSL5026/5052
Band/Product number: 5AU HA124A1
---

The product number is correct for the 5026/5030, however for the 5052/5060 the installation process is a bit more complicated. The correct upgrade service product number and bands are:

5026/5030: HA124A1 5AU
5052/5060: HA124A1 5AW

Contact your local HP reseller, and they should be able to provide you a quote for this upgrade service. Mention the appropriate product number and band listed above.

The quick specs will be updated to reference the correct product numbers.

[Brent Perl]

Anyone have any luck ordering this upgrade for Auto Power-on? I ordered it online using the "HA124A1 5AU" as a reference and all I apparently actually ordered was the Carepaq (Tech Startup) for it. Does anyone know what the part # of the hardware itself actually is?

Thanks.
Brent

[Jim Silha_1]

I have been trying for 6 months now to get this part. I paid CDW for it almost 4 months ago and HP still can't figure out what I need. No-one seems to know what it is or how to get it even though I email them the PDFs that show it as an option. I have had 3 techs actually come out on site with a variety of wrong parts and told me they have never heard or even seen any such part for the MSL5026 or MSL5030 and that I need to purchase a new 6000 model to get this feature.