Compaq TL891 10-Cartridge Mini-Library

[Darrell Benvenuto]

Setup Description:

I have a Compaq TL891 Mini-Library. The Library has a single DLT7000 35/70 GB tape drive in it. I have it rack-mounted. I have two 68-pin jumper cables linking Library SCSI interface 2 to DLT Drive 1 interface 1, and DLT Drive 1 interface 2 to DLT Drive 2 interface 1. A 68-pin SCSI Diff terminator occupies the final slot. A 68-pin SCSI cable connects the TL891 to a Compaq Fibre-Channel Tape Controller II. That FCTC is connected directly to a 64-bit FC HBA in a Compaq Proliant DL580 running Windows 2000 Advanced Server.

Problem Description:

Looking under the Device Manager, although the Tape Drive shows up under Tape Drives as a "Compaq 35/70 GB DLT Tape Drive (DEC TZ89)", and the Library shows up under Medium Changers as an "Unknown Medium Changer Device". Yet although I see the devices on the Device Manager, I cannot seem to access either using either the built-in Veritas Backup program that comes with Windows 2000 Server or Legato Networker.

Is this because I do not have a specific driver installed for the Medium Changer? Windows 2000 comes with Compaq drivers for the TL895, etc., but not the TL891. I've searched for them online, but have had no luck at all.

The HP site links to the following file, but it does NOT install drivers. In fact, it seems to be an upgrade to a package I don't have, and all it does is attempt a directory cleanup, then exits:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=409948&prodTypeId=12169&prodSeriesId=409937&swLang=8&taskId=135&swEnvOID=227

Faced with the wrong driver file on the HP site, and nowhere else to find it that I can find, I turned to the wizards here in the forums in the hope that you'll be able to help me get this solution running.

Any suggestions?

[Darrell Benvenuto]

Okay, all by my lonesome I found the well-hidden Library and Tape Tools Package on the HP web site and installed it. Yay! Or -- maybe yay.

When the LTT package begins rolling through its scanning process, it finds the TL891, but then the system crashes / restarts! Frustrating. I've tried different ways and means around it, but each time, the LTT causes a crash and reboot as it's rolling through the device probing. I have no idea why.

Unfortunately, the LTT package does not seem to save each scanned / probed device result as it finds it, as upon reboot and re-load of the LTT, it again wants to do the scan, as though I were starting up the package the first time again.

I also dug through the boxes here and found the Veritas Backup Exec 9.1 package that came with the tape library. After installing it, it exhibits a slightly different problem -- it scans, but apparently does not find the TL891 Library (it does not show up in the "Robotic Libraries" list) nor even the DLT7000. Yes, I've done the scan and asked it to use Veritas Drivers, done the reboot, etc., etc.

Is this because the LTT package did not scan and save the presence of the TL891? Or is the backup package not going through the LTT, but rather trying to directly access the TL891 through the NT Miniport?

I can see the TL891 in the Device Manager -- it's just showing as "Unknown Medium Changer".

I also don't see the DLT7000 drive as being accessible in any of the backup packages, even though I also see it in the Device Manager under Tape Drives.

I'm left scratching my head. This is proving to be rather frustrating.

[CA998057]

I am not a Windows user of the TL800 or anything :), but have used the H/W you are working with. One thing to try is to get the previous LT&T. I will assume you grabbed v4.x? But the slightly older v3.5x might be better. It was pretty stable for older systems which is what I believe you are workin with. Maybe try starting with it and working up to v4. later. I myself have not upgraded to v4 as I have found nothing wrong with v3.5 and nothing I need in v4. :) YMMV!

Other thoughts to consider, the FC HBA might not have the current FW. You should look in to that as well as the F/W on MDR (or FCTC). I use MDRs and not the FCTC, but I believe they are very similar.

Then, when you have LT&T running (!) you can use it to upgrade the F/W in the TL800 and DLT7000, should they need it.

Of course, baby steps are needed first.

BTW, is it possible for you to simply just connect the TL800 directly to a SCSI controller on the PC for the initial work? You can still use LT&T and then as success builds, add in the FC parts.

[Lewis Finch]

Before you run LTT you should disable all of your backup services as well the removable storage service. This will prevent crashing

[Darrell Benvenuto]

First, thanks for your help... this has been proving a lonesome and wearisome task. I really appreciate the helping hand.

I disabled Removable Storage, as well as Remote Storage. The scan still crashes the system after finding 5 devices. Are there any other services I should disable before running LTT that I am missing?

I will also try the 3.5 version of the LTT -- does anyone know where I can obtain it?

[Darrell Benvenuto]

Also -- I would just connect it directly to a SCSI card, but the card that I have in the DL580 has its port ever-so-slightly obstructed by the presence of an overhang with the hot-swap button and latch on that unit. I don't have another SCSI card to use it with, and the 5300 Array Controller doesn't do "normal" SCSI with its spare port, nor does the built-in 5100. So my option was to engage the FC HBA and the FCTC-II, which were otherwise unused.

[Darrell Benvenuto]

One more thing -- I just remembered, the TL891 is HVD SCSI -- SCSI "Diff". The SCSI card in the unit is the more current LVD SCSI style. I guess that overhang proved to be a good thing -- it's not good to plug High Voltage Differential devices into Low-Voltage ones. Fortunately the Fibre-Channel Tape Controller II is also an HVD device. And since I can see the Mini-library and its internal tape drive in the Device Manager, clearly it's working -- at least so far as reporting and identifying itself to Windows over the FC HBA during boot-up interrogation.

[Darrell Benvenuto]

Fiddling around some more...

The VERITAS Backup Exec probe can find the devices, as shown in the following log file. The problem is, even though it SEES it, it is not showing up in the "Robotic Library" list.

Gah, it's past 2:30 AM. I'm off to bed.

--------------------

02/27/06 02:10:30 Device Discovery:

Scsi Address
Prt :Bus :Tar :Lun Attributes
------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0005:0000:0000:0001 Device Name ""
Primary Inquiry "COMPAQ TL891 LIBRARY 0514"
Serial Number ""
Device Flags SCSI
Device State 1, Offline, ERROR = 0x0000007B (ERROR_INVALID_NAME)

0005:0000:0000:0002 Device Name "\\.\Tape0"
Primary Inquiry "COMPAQ 35/70GB DLT LDRV2150"
Secondary Inquiry "DEC TZ89 (C) DEC2150"
Serial Number "COMPAQ 35/70GB DLT LDRVCXA01S1604"
Device Flags SCSI, SN(TYPE 0)
Device State 3, Online

Device IDs 1005, {3332826D-DFA9-4C64-84AA-E3E8D7AEB888}
Device Name "COMPAQ 1"
Device Type 67174401, "DLT 64K (64K,10,0,HU)"
Device Features 0x00020000
Device Element 0, 0

------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

02/27/06 02:10:30 Device Discovery End:

[CA998057]

Hmmmm..., now that they have v4.0+, the "previous version" is just v4.0. I could make v3.5SR4a for Windows available if you need it.

[Darrell Benvenuto]

Wondering if any settings may have been changed, I went to the "Default" section of the Menu, and beheld two options: OVERLAND default and COMPAQ default. Well, I reset the TL891 to the COMPAQ default settings. Once it was done, oddly enough, the OVERLAND option no longer appeared in the Default menu. Well, I restarted everything, including the FCTC-II, and lo and behold -- the server hung on boot. I gave it a good half-hour. Turning off the FCTC let it continue booting. Well, I removed the "Unknown Media Changer" from the Device Manager, on the concept that it would hopefully see the TL891 now, and recognize it with Factory Defaults. But I was wrong.

The system now hangs on boot each and every time the FCTC and the TL891 are on.

After taking some long slow breaths, I turned them both off, successfully rebooted the server without them, closed up the rack and left the datacenter... intending to once again resume the battle tomorrow.

There's nothing worse than CAUSING a problem while trying to SOLVE another one. I feel like I've just taken a giant step backwards.

Any ideas on this one?