LTFS sharing not working in Win10

[LTOboy]

There is an HPE white paper on best practices that explains how to share your LTFS volume.

The right-click menu does not have the sharing/give access to option so the volume must be shared with net share commands. This appears to work. The share can be seen on the host and the network.

Attempting to connect to the share fails with the error "The device is not ready".

It even fails using //localhost in Explorer/Network.

Other vendors, such as IBM, provide proper sharing with their LTFS solutions that do have sharing options in the Explorer menu.

Why dosn't this work with HPE? The white paper says they tested it with Win10.

[ksram]

Hi @LTOboy,

Thank you for the Post.

Could you please share the Link for reference regarding the White Paper and also let us know on which Server / Unit the OS is installed.

Thank you
RamKS

[LTOboy]

@ksram 

Hi ksram,

I don't have a link to the document.

Search for "StoreOpen and LTFS Best Practices". There has been more than one version of this technical white paper over the years. I refer to the latest 2023 version. The following are reference numbers at the end of the documents.

4AA5-1230ENW, December 2018, Rev. 5

4AA5-1230ENW, Rev. 6

Windows 10 for workstations is running on a PC, but I don't think that matters at all because everything seems to work with LTFS except the sharing. Try it yourself. Only takes a few minutes.

Thanks

[LTOboy]

After further testing it seems the problem is present on both StoreOpen 3.4.2 and 3.5.0.

Re-installing 3.5.0 does not fix the problem. Still no sharing of the LTFS volume.

[Mohammed_I]

HPE StoreOpen and Linear Tape File System (LTFS) Software - Troubleshooting

1: Operating systemsHPE StoreOpen Software is supported on the following operating systems:
•Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022
•Windows 10 (x86_64)
•Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 7.x and 8.x (64-bit)
•macOS 10.12 through 11.5 

For more information refer this Link : https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docLocale=en_US&docId=a00120387en_us

[LTOboy]

@Mohammed_I 

Thanks for the link to the release notes, but how does that help? There is nothing about sharing in the release notes.

We are talking about a Win10 system with a 6250 LTO6 drive. It is supported, but it does not work properly. Are you able to help?

Thanks

[Mohammed_I]

Hi LTOboy,

I am enclosing the link : Installation and Configuration :https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docLocale=en_US&docId=c04998409 , Thank you..

[LTOboy]

@Mohammed_I Hi Mohammed_I

Why are you posting links to installation documents? This is not helpful.

Everything is installed correctly and works, except for sharing the LTFS volume.

Try it yourself. It will only take a few minutes to see the problem.

Thanks

[LTOboy]

There seems to be additional problems that may be related.

Right-click on the LTFS volume in Explorer should give a menu that includes ejecting and formatting the LTFS volume, but these items are usually missing (I saw them once)

Properties should include two additional tabs for LTFS Tools and LTFS Details and these are also usually missing (I saw them once too)

The LTFS software seems to be unreliable.

[LTOboy]

The sharing issue is a known problem HPE are aware of. There is no workaround.

The missing LTFS specific explorer tabs only occurs across a remote desktop connection. (See release notes)

[Mohammed_I]

Hi LTOboy, 

The above shared documents has all the details.

However if you are still facing the issue could you share support ticket.

We would check the logs and let you the status.

Thank you..

[dchemaly]

Good day,

I have the same issue. We cannot share the LTFS file system this is a problem.

[Mr_Techie]

---

@dchemaly wrote:

Good day,

I have the same issue. We cannot share the LTFS file system this is a problem.

---

You can give a try to below ones:

1. Ensure that LTFS is fully compatible with the version of Windows 10 you are using. Check for any updates or patches related to LTFS that might address compatibility issues with your Windows version.

2. Make sure you are logged in with administrative privileges, as sharing drives and managing shares typically require elevated permissions.

3. Ensure that the LTFS service is running. You can check this in the "Services" application. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Look for the LTFS service and make sure it is set to "Automatic" and is running.

4. Check if your Windows Firewall or antivirus software is blocking the LTFS sharing. Temporarily disable these to see if the issue persists.

5. Confirm that Network Discovery and File and Printer Sharing are enabled in your network profile. To check this, go to "Settings" > "Network & Internet" > "Ethernet" (or Wi-Fi) > "Change adapter options." Right-click on your network connection, select "Properties," and make sure "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks" is enabled.

6. Ensure that your network connection is set to a private or trusted network. Public networks may have stricter sharing restrictions.

7. When accessing the share, try using the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path directly in File Explorer. For example, \\localhost\sharename or \\yourcomputername\sharename.

8. Ensure that the LTFS volume itself is healthy. Check for any issues with the tape drive or the LTFS volume using the LTFS management tools.

9. Double-check the HPE white paper for any specific configurations or recommendations related to LTFS sharing on Windows 10. There may be additional settings or steps mentioned in the documentation.

20. Ensure that you have the latest drivers for your tape drive and the LTFS software. Check for any updates or patches that might address sharing issues.

If the issue persists after trying these steps, you may need to contact HPE support for specific assistance related to LTFS sharing on your system.

[dchemaly]

Good day,



All of these were tried already. There is physically not an option anymore
to share the LTFS







Kind Regards,

[Mr_Techie]

@dchemaly 

In that case, it's better to contact the support team for further analysis.