Setting up a MLS2024 with fiber connections

[Paul Bertino]

We received a MLS2024 with fiber connections and I want to use it on our new server and share it with some others. I have never done this before and I could use some help. Thanks.

[Curtis Ballard]

There are two basic methods of sharing the device.

Connect the MSL2024 directly to the server and use your software application to share the library. That usually means transmitting data over the network and poor backup performance for the systems backing up over the network.

The best method is to connect the MSL2024 to a fibre channel switch such as the HP StorageWorks 4/8 SAN Switch http://h18006.www1.hp.com/storage/saninfrastructure/switches/sanswitch48/index.html

You then connect all of your hosts to other ports on the switch. You have to have software that understands sharing or be extremely careful about setting up non-overlapping backup windows and media pools.

With the MSL2024 we strongly recommend using the switch to zone the library so that only hosts that will use the library for backup are allowed access.

Note that when you connect the library there are two ports on the drive. Only one can be used at a time and in most cases only one is connected. If you have software that supports multiple paths for failover such as Data Protector you could connect both ports but that is an advanced configuration best done by an experienced SAN administrator.