How to present MSL 8096 in Vmware Vsphere 4.1

[Maiky]

Hi,

I want to present a library MSL 8096 to work in Vsphere 4.1. Can anyone say to me the required steps to do it (if it is possible).

Thanks in advance

[Johan Guldmyr]

Hi, to see if it's possible or not, check out the EBS matrix:

http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/storageworks/ebs/index.html

There used to be limitations with VMWare and FC Tape Libraries.

How to do it technically depends on if it's MSL8096 SAS, SCSI or FC.

There is a User and Service guide here:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?contentType=SupportManual〈=en&cc=us&docIndexId=64179&taskId=101&prodTypeId=12169&prodSeriesId=3936307

[Jan Soska]

As mentioned in previous post, FC connected libraries are not supported with ESX. I is a shame, HP blames Vmware and vice versa (other vendors like Dell, IBM the same).
So if you have such model, it is time to cry.

Anyway, we tested it with ESX3.5 and MSL6030, it hanged so badly that only option was rebooting ESX... :(
But - one our vendors swear on his live he saw working FC library with working MA unde ESX... I consider it rumors... :)

Jan

[Maiky]

Thanks for the responses. But I read that is possible to do it via VCB proxy server. Can anyone help me about it?

Thanks in advance

[Uwe Zessin]

The VCB proxy is running Windows OS and can indeed drive FC libraries ;-)

But VCB is being phased out and should not be used in new projects.
It has been replaced by a new API.

[Maiky]

OK,

Thanks.

Anyone with real experience can explain me what is the best solution and the steps to do it.

[Marino Meloni_1]

There may be the need of a new way to think about backup with virtual machine, there are several docs and white paper in the HP site related to this argument, you may found the right solution for you here:
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/storageworks/ebs/ebs123-3.html

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01116446/c01116446.pdf

[Oscar_Maimó]

I presented a MSL 5000 to a linux virtual machine in an ESXi host.
1-Configure your storage router (In tape libary) to present the tape drives to the ESX hosts (mapping configuration).
2-Configure a zone with MSL and host ports
3-Rescan your HBAs
4-You should see the Drives and Tape Library.

To see it in a virtual machine perform a rescan of scsi bus.
echo "- - -" /sys/class/scsi_host/host0/scan (RHEL)

Greetings
Oscar

[Maiky]

Hi Oscar,

Interesting solution but I read this:

SAN tape devices (FC and iSCSI) are not supported directly by VMware ESX host

So the solution is implementing the dataprotector integration. Anyone has implemented this solution?

Thanks in advance

[Oscar_Maimó]

What do you want to do with MSL attached to an ESX(i) server, backup virtual machines???

[Maiky]

VM are not supported too.

Read HP StorageWorks EBS Compatibility Matrix.

VMware says the next:

VMware vStorage API for
Data Protection -> FC SAN and shared tape devices are limited to a physical Windows backup server.

[Jan Soska]

Hello all,
very interesting hint by Oscar with trying VM as media agent, I'll definitelly try it, but for sure not supported... :)

If this not work, you still need transfer your data via network to nearest media agent and go to SAN. It doesn't matter what typu of backup you use.

jan

[Oscar_Maimó]

Jan:
Follow this vmware KB.
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1016407

I didn't setup my backup software on the virtual machine because I was only playing with virtual machine pass-trough functionality with the library. But, it may work...

Maiky:
As Uwe said you need VMware Consolidated Backup. It is replaced with Vmware Data Recovery. Data Recovery doesn't support tape devices as destination. You may try configure backup agent inside virtual machine and permorm backup/restore of the deduplication store or if you use CIFS or NFS for deduplication store, configure the backup agent inside the storage providers. I never had tried this, but may work...

Greetings
Oscar

[Uwe Zessin]

VCB is (in my opinion) not replaced by VDR - that is a different solution.
The true VCB replacement is the vStorage API.