HP Storagework 8/8 SAN Switch and HP Storage work MSL4048 Tape Library

[Tonyu168]

Hello guys, I recently got assigned to a project that involves a SAN Switch and MSL4048 tape library. The problem i encounter is I am not familiar with any of these two items. The goal is to archive video data from 7 servers on a quickly basis on to the MSL 4048. Is this possible? is any additional hardware needed? Do all recorders need to connect to the SAN switch?

Your help will be appreciated.

P.S. This thread has been moved from Storage Area Networks (SAN) (Small and Medium Business) to Tape Libraries and Drives. - Hp Forum Moderator

[Johan Guldmyr]

Hi, 

7 backups writing to one tape drive at the same time is not optimal. For tape writes you want to have a streaming sequential workload to achieve best speed.

One way is to have another server be the backup server (the only one that talks with the library) and a disk cache, so that the video recorders can send their data to the backup server/disk cache and then the backup server/software writes the data to tape in an ordered fashion.

[Tonyu168]

Hello Johan, The tape library has 48 tape drives at 1.6tb each. The goal is to archive video data from all 7 server weekly in a timely fashion and save those tape as cold storage. Insert new tapes for the week to come. Can something be set on the task scheduler of each server? Also the San switch, Do the server need a physical connection to it? or only the tape library with fibre?

[Torsten.]

The library has up to 4 drives and 48 slots.

You need to connect the server to the switch and the switch to the tape drives.

[Johan Guldmyr]

Hi, comments, inline:

>Hello Johan, The tape library has 48 tape drives at 1.6tb each. The goal is to archive video data from all 7 server weekly in a t

>imely fashion and save those tape as cold storage. Insert new tapes for the week to come.

You have one or more tape drives in the library and 48 tapes.

>Can something be set on the task scheduler of each server?

Yes. Like what? Copy the files somewhere and then run backup client on the place they were copied to? This is one part of what backup software can do.

>Also the San switch, Do the server need a physical connection to it? or only the tape library with fibre?

Yes, at least one server needs to have fibre channel connectivity to the library and the tape drives.