stackable tape drive

[Chushia]

I have a server rp5430 with Ultrium 230m tape array. It takes one tape at one time. One must chnage the tape before next backup. Does anyone know if HP has something like a stackable tape drive that can automaticly load/unload a tape from a stack ?

Thanks,
Chushia

[A. Clay Stephenson]

You seem to be describing an autoloader though my preference is actually a tape librtary. When combined with backup software like Data Protector, restores then become simply point and click. The correct tape is automatically selected and backups can automatically spill over onto the next available tape.

http://h18006.www1.hp.com/storage/tapestorage/index.html?psn=storage

[Chushia]

Thanks A. Clay!

I think it should be an autoloader.

I need it to do different backups on weekends when no one is around to change the tapes.

[OldSchool]

as Clay stated, Tape Libraries are preferable, as these can include multiple drives, and will have robotics to change tapes automatically.

Second choice would be an autoloader (or "stacker").

[Torsten.]

Hi,

you need an autoloader (like this http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/storageworks/18autoloader/index.html ) or a tape library (like this http://h18006.www1.hp.com/storage/tapestorage/business_class/index.html ).

Of course you can have them much bigger:

http://h18006.www1.hp.com/storage/tapestorage/enterprise_class/index.html

The autoloaders and the small libraries (e.g.MSL2024) are providing a "sequential" mode:

"Sequential mode is used when the backup software is NOT robotics-aware or was designed for standalone drives only. In Sequential mode, the library automatically loads and unloads tapes from the drive. The operator determines a tape to load by loading the desired tape into the tape drive using the operator control panel.
When a tape is full or unloaded for any reason, the library automatically removes the tape from the drive, puts it in its original slot, then loads the next available higher numbered slot."

But it has much more advantages to use a library aware backup software.

[Bill Hassell]

Once you have a tape loader, you can use the mc command to change tapes, read barcodes on the tapes, and eject the tapes. fbackup is the only built-in backup program that can run an autoloader script after each tape is filled.

[Chushia]

Thanks for all your help. Now I know what are available. I'll look at the information you provided to find the right one.

Thanks,
Chushia

[Sp4admin]

Hi,
It sounds to me like you need to invest in a backup system line netbackup or some thing. What are you backup up? it this like an ignite backup or something.

sp,

[Chushia]

I have located a "1/8 G2 Ultrium 232 autoloader". Because we have a bunch of Ultrium 200GB tapes, I choose the tape drive Ultrium 232 that can read the old tapes.

Now, this is going to replace the old tape drive. Bill said only fbackup works with autoloader. So I need to change the backup script. Software wise what else do I need to do to make the new tape drive work. New configuration?

Thnaks,
Chushia

[Bill Hassell]

fbackup has the ability to change tapes when you specify a change script in the optional config file. Any backup (tar, cpio, etc) can talk to the tape drive in the changer -- that does not change. However, there will be a separate SCSI passthrough device file that the mc (media changer) command uses to manipulate the tapes. The config file would look something like this:

blocksperrecord 4096
records 64
checkpointfreq 4096
readerprocesses 6
maxretries 5
retrylimit 5000000
maxvoluses 200
filesperfsm 2000
chgvol /usr/contrib/chgtape.sh

Store the above in a file, say /etc/fbackup.cfg and include the file on the command line something like this:

fbackup -i / -v -c /etc/fbackup.cfg -f /dev/rmt/whatever

The changer script in it's simplest form would just be something like:

#!/usr/bin/sh
export PATH=/usr/bin
export LIBRARY=/dev/scsi/whatever
mc -d D1 -s S1
mc -s S2 -d D1

Now this is a trivial example and assumes that the drive is D1 and the empty slot for the first tape is S1. It will put the tape back in S1 and move the tape in S2 to the drive D1. It's a good idea to play with the mc command a bit to get a sense on what it can do. (man mc)

Note that the above script only works with one more tape and they must be loaded as shown. A more sophisticated script would read the barcodes on each tape (using mc -r DS) and determine if this is the prior to running fbackup (then load first tape), and at each additional invocation, pick the next correct tape.

I have attached a script that will read and summarize the changer for you using the mc command. Be sure to set the LIBRARY variable to the SCSI pass-through device file. NOTE: Be sure that the changer is given a new address or you remove the old device files with rmsf and then attach the new changer so all the device files will be created.

[Chushia]

Bill, thanks a lot for your help.

I don't have this loader yet. So I can't play with the mc command. I look at "man mc", I can not figure out how I achieve the following:

Fully load 8 tapes on Monday, and do two backups every day to Thursday at 14:00 and 22:00. On every other day, take out the two backup tapes from the day before for off-site.

Could you show me a simple script with mc for the above senario?

Thanks,
Chushia

[Bill Hassell]

> Fully load 8 tapes on Monday, and do two backups every day to Thursday at 14:00 and 22:00. On every other day, take out the two backup tapes from the day before for off-site.

> Could you show me a simple script with mc for the above senario?

This is definitely not simple. The changer script is going to do a lot of tape management that requires a lot of thought. For instance, your fbackup script (NEVER run fbackup without a script) needs to determine the day of the week and which time of day it is, then remember the two tape slots for this backup, verify that the right tape is in the right slot and when the changer script runs, it needs something to tell it which is the next tape to use. If you're not experienced in script writing, I would find a good consultant to work on this project.

The alternative is to purchase HP's Data Protector which has tape changer management built-in to the product. Using fbackup is a good strategy but you have more work to do to handle the many backup steps. So you are trading a low cost solution for a lot of scripting and testing. Or you get Data Protector and it handles everything. Note that no matter what solution you use, you want barcode labels on all the tapes. Writing notes in a book or on a paper label for each tape is very unreliable. Data Protector will prevent mistakes and track the contents of all your tapes.

[Chushia]

Thanks a lot, everyone.

With your help, I found the loader that suits our situation and I figured out how to script for using it. Because our backups can all fit into one 200GB tape, I can change the tape first and then issue the backup command.


Chushia