BL860c tape storage blade

[ASOEASTGEOGRAPHY]

Can a tape blade, in a c7000 chassis, attached to a BL860c server blade, be used to make an Ignite UX backup without using an Ignite server?

The customer doesn't want to use an Ignite server, and needs an Ignite solution.

[Torsten.]

IIRC the tape blades are (not yet) supported with the BL860c. I may be wrong, but you should read the quick specs to be sure.

[Torsten.]

This is what I found:

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12729_div/12729_div.HTML

"...
BladeSystem c-Class compatibility

Compatible with the following BladeSystem c-Class server blades:

HP ProLiant BL c-Class (HP BladeSystem)

ProLiant BL460c Server Blade
ProLiant BL465c Server Blade
ProLiant BL480c Server Blade
ProLiant BL680c Server Blade
ProLiant BL685c Server Blade
..."

[Shane Seymour · Accepted solution]

See this white paper:

http://www.docs.hp.com/en/5992-2904/5992-2904.pdf

starting on page 10. Blades do not support native tape boot, but should support dual media or two step recovery (booting from DVD then recovering from tape).

Important: When using dual media recovery the DVD you boot from MUST be built with the same version of Ignite-UX as was used to create the tape. It's is NOT supported to used mixed versions (i.e. the version of Ignite-UX on the DVD is different to the version used on the tape). Doing so will almost definitely fail (usually spectacularly and some times subtly with a syntax error complaint).

That means that you are going to have to have minimal boot media (see make_media_install) for each version of Ignite-UX that you create tapes with and keep them safe until you no longer need to use those tapes.

[ASOEASTGEOGRAPHY]

Thanks for the information.

Last question. Would it be possible to create an Ignite server within the Blade enclosure itself, isolated from the customers network and use that Blade server as an Ignite server for the rest of the HPUX blades in the environment?

Thanks for your help!!

[Torsten.]

Of course, why not?

Ignite does not know if you have blades ;-)

IMHO an ignite server will be the best solution.

[ASOEASTGEOGRAPHY]

With the dual media boot solution, to make the initial tape, will I boot from the install DVD, somehow tell Ignite to use the USB tape device as the backup media and then Ignite will run an Ignite backup like normal?

Likewise, on the restore, boot from install DVD media and point the restore to the USB tape device?

I want to be sure I have the procedure correctly, as I will have to explain it to my customer in a couple of days.

Thanks.

[Torsten.]

usb tape drives are not supported in hp-ux.

[Yatzek]

Just the HP website and it looks like the BL860c can use 2 tape drives in c7000 chasis:
Ultrium 448c tape blade and SB920c tape blade.
http://h71016.www7.hp.com/dstore/ctoBases.asp?oi=E9CED&BEID=19701&SBLID=&ProductLineId=450&FamilyId=2601&LowBaseId=&LowPrice=

Did anyone ever try to connect either one and create the Golden Image?

Thanks,

[Torsten.]

There is probably new content on the website

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12729_div/12729_div.HTML

Compatible with the following BladeSystem c-Class server blades:

HP ProLiant Server Blades

ProLiant BL460c Server Blade
ProLiant BL465c Server Blade
ProLiant BL480c Server Blade
ProLiant BL680c G5 Server Blade
ProLiant BL685c Server Blade


HP Integrity Server Blades

HP Integrity BL860c Server Blade


Maybe you need some new firmware for the components.