HP Ultrium 460 drivers

[Pippo_9]

Good morning,

on an AIX system I see an HP Ultrium 460 device as UNCLAIMED. I think that it needs drivers but I cannot find it anywhere (in this world!!!)
Where can I find drivers for HP Ultrium 460 for AIX O.S.? Veritas Netbackup 4.5 is the backup application.

From link below seems that I can find drivers for several operating systems but no on AIX:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DriverDownload.jsp?pnameOID=238679&locale=en_US&taskId=135&prodSeriesId=238671&prodTypeId=12169

And on Veritas site there is how to configure Media on several operating systems but no on AIX too, see below:

http://ftp.support.veritas.com/pub/support/products/NetBackup_DataCenter/255216.pdf

But Ultrium 460 on AIX is fully supported, see below:

http://www.hp.com/products1/storage/compatibility/tapebackup/software/index.html

Then why is this HP device fully supported on AIX but I cannot find drivers on HP sites for AIX platforms?

Helps would be appreciated...and they will earn 10 points!

Kind regards,
Juan

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi,
Does driver for IBM Ultrium drives work ?

[Pippo_9]

No, it doesn't.
Anyway device is an HP device and HP MUST PROVIDE drivers for its devices! Do you agree?
However....thanks Leif!

It is unbelievable that on HP sites I cannot find drivers for that device....

I hope to get other hints!
Juan

[Leif Halvarsson_2]

Hi,
Yes, of course I agree. If the drive needs a specific driver of an OS HP must provide that driver if they shoold call the drive "supported".

I don't know much about AIX but my idea was if the drive used a "standard" tape driver which is default in the OS. In that case HP perhaps not need to provide an own driver.

For example, in HP-UX the Ultrium drives uses the general stape driver (which also is used for DLT and DDS drives). No specific Ultrium driver is needed. I thought there prehaps was a similar, general SCSI-tape driver in AIX.

[Cheryl Griffin]

The driver would be located at http://h20180.www2.hp.com/apps/Lookup?h_lang=en&h_cc=us&cc=us&h_page=hpcom〈=en&h_client=S-A-R163-1&h_tool=software&h_query=ultrium+460

But I have checked many of these links and don't see a driver. I agree that it seems impossible to find the driver. In reading the product specs I see some unit come with a driver cd/disk.

In order to get further help, use the "Contact HP" link at the top left of the page. Let them know your AIX version and 460 product number. Someone should reply and let you know where the driver is.

Best Wishes,
Cheryl Griffin

[Cheryl Griffin]

Also I found this compatiblity link which you might find useful
http://www.hp.com/products1/storage/compatibility/tapebackup/software/detail/17-0099-0090.html

[Pippo_9]

Thanks for your experience Leif, anyway AIX doesn't recognize that driver because HP Ultrium 460 is "UNKNOWN" and "UNCLAIMED", it is the exact condition when operating system doesn't see driver for a device.

Thanks Cheryl for the suggestion.

Juan

[Bob_196 · Accepted solution]

Juan,

which version of Veritas Netbackup 4.5 (MP5, 4,3,2,1 FP6,5,4,3,)?

See here for compatibile versionw
http://ftp.support.veritas.com/pub/support/products/NetBackup_BusinesServer/251709.pdf

See here for driver listing
http://support.veritas.com/dsl/lists/nbu_device_ddProduct_NETBACKUPBS_prod1_NBUBS45_vendor_HP.htm


StorageWorks Ultrium 460 (LTO)
Firmaware Rev = F32D
AIX = 4.3.3, 5.1, 5.2 (I assume this is either driver info or version info )

StorageWorks Ultrium 460 (LTO) FC
Firmware Rev = K45U
AIX = 4.3.3, 5.1, 5.2


For configuration see (and open the IBM AIX section)
http://h200002.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/lpg28833/lpg28833.pdf

***one of the things that doc stresses is do not choose the 4mm2gb on setup

upon searching IBM, HP and Veritas I have not had any mention or download of any drivers - I will continue to check but I hope what I have listed helps

Cheers
Bob

[ remember the points :-) ]

[Pippo_9]

Hi Bob,

when informations are useful then points MUST BE assigned!

http://h200002.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/lpg28833/lpg28833.pdf

This link clears that on AIX drivers are not needed, I think this because drivers are included in O.S. and, maybe first of all, WE CANNOT FIND THEM ANYWHERE!

Anyway thanks!

Good points for you!
Juan

[David Ruska]

> This link clears that on AIX drivers are not needed, I think this because drivers are included in O.S. and, maybe first of all, WE CANNOT FIND THEM ANYWHERE!

On unix platforms, the OS provides a generic tape driver that usually works on just about any SCSI tape device, although it might require some configuration (i.e. device file) tweaks. The generic tape drive is used for native tape functions (e.g. tar, cpio, dd) and any native backup utilities (e.g. fbackup on hp-ux, or backup on AIX).

The unix platforms also provide a SCSI generic (or SCSI passthrough) driver that ISV backup apps typically use to access the tape devices. This functionality is build into the app, so you don't see these as separate drivers.

If you are using Veritas Netbackup, then it should provide the specifics on how to configure the devices on the host platform.

[Pippo_9]

Hi David,

thank you for your useful informations.
In your last post in the my forum question you wrote that "additional drivers are USUALLY not needed" on unix-types OSes. Then USUALLY for me was not enough to clear my doubt. Bob's link clarified the question, together with your useful hints.

For you too, good points!

Kind regards,
Juan

[David Ruska]

> In your last post in the my forum question you wrote that "additional drivers are USUALLY not needed" on unix-types OSes. Then USUALLY for me was not enough to clear my doubt.

I could have said "Not needed", but then someone would dig up an exception :-)