VMware ESXi 5.5 sees tape drive but not autoloader

[dwm_1]

I have a HP StoreEver 1/8 G2 LTO-4 Ultrium 1760 SAS Tape Autoloader connected to a HP Smart Array p421 controller inside an HP DL380p server.   VMware ESXi 5.5 is installed on the server.   The ESXi host can see the p421 controller and the Tape Drive attached but is unable to see the AutoLoader.

I installed a Windows 2008 R2 server with Symantec Backup Exec 2012 and it only sees the tape drive.

Researching the problem I came across an HP knowledge base that states that the Tape autoloader uses a single SCSI id and two logical units to control the tape drive and autoloader.   The HP Smart Array Controller must be able to provide multiple LUNs.   When I bought these products HP said that the p421 controller works with the Tape Autoloader.

What do I have to do to get the VMWare host to recognize both the tape drive and autoloader?

[Torsten. · Accepted solution]

Check the link from the quickspec

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/productbulletin.html#spectype=worldwide&type=html&docid=12630

SAS Host Bus Adapters The 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloader is certified with a number of HP SAS Host Bus Adapters. For the most current list of supported SAS HBAs, please see the HP Storage EBS (Enterprise Backup Solutions) Compatibility Matrices document and EBS Design Guide located at: www.hp.com/go/ebs.

For more information on SAS HBAs, please see Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters at: http://h18006.www1.hp.com/storage/saninfrastructure/hba.html.


The recommended controller is this:

HP SC44Ge SAS Host Bus Adapter
NOTE: Recommended for Proliant G5 SAS tape automation connect.
416096-B21

[dwm_1]

OK thanks,   HP reps. recommended this part, so I guess they sold me the wrong thing.

[Torsten.]

According to your controller specs

http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/productbulletin.html#spectype=worldwide&type=html&docid=14229

the combination is supported.

Maybe a vmware limitation?

[Miguel_Leal_PT]

There is one solution, i just put it to work.

This took me 1 week of testing, and it works great.

[jmarcano]

Please share how you resolved this issue.  I am running into the exact same problem.

Thanks

[Shahzad_Khan]

Please Share how you solve this problem. i have almost same problem...

i Connect my HP Auto Loader with my power edge R720 Server, My windows server 2008 R2 detect the Tape and and even my Symantec backup 2014 and 2012 detect but give me error no Media ... please share your knowledge with us. thanks.

[TODD SMITH]

Hello

How did you get the autoloader to work with ESX server?

Just got a new autoloader and card trying to configured it.

[Datenverarbeitung]

Hello,

for my knowledge there are two ways: PCI Passtrough or ESXi- HBA- driver. But PCI Passtrough is broken since 5.5 for some Proliant´s and HBA´s.

In the past I where successful with the following, maybe this is also a way for newer adapters:

old LSI1068e, mptsas

esxcfg-scsidevs -a
esxcli storage nmp satp rule add --satp VMW_SATP_LOCAL --driver="mptsas" --description="Rule for local path of LSI-Controllers"

LSI SAS2308 H222, mpt2sas

esxcfg-rescan vmhba2
grep "ScsiScan" /var/log/vmkernel.log
vmhba2  mpt2sas           link-n/a  sas.500605b005xxxx                    (0:7:0.0) LSI Logic / Symbios Logic HP H221 Host Bus Adapter

esxcli storage nmp satp rule add --satp VMW_SATP_LOCAL --driver="mpt2sas" --description="Rule for local path of LSI-Controllers"

2014-05-04T08:52:06.545Z cpu5:8772)ScsiScan: 1373: Add path: vmhba1:C0:T0:L1
2014-05-04T08:52:08.964Z cpu2:8774)ScsiScan: 888: Path 'vmhba2:C0:T0:L0': Vendor: 'HP      '  Model: 'Ultrium 4-SCSI  '  Rev: 'U61W'
2014-05-04T08:52:08.964Z cpu2:8774)ScsiScan: 891: Path 'vmhba2:C0:T0:L0': Type: 0x1, ANSI rev: 5, TPGS: 1 (implicit only)
2014-05-04T08:52:08.969Z cpu4:8774)ScsiScan: 1373: Add path: vmhba2:C0:T0:L0
2014-05-04T08:52:08.969Z cpu13:8378)ScsiScan: 888: Path 'vmhba2:C0:T0:L1': Vendor: 'HP      '  Model: '1x8 G2 AUTOLDR  '  Rev: '4.20'
2014-05-04T08:52:08.970Z cpu13:8378)ScsiScan: 891: Path 'vmhba2:C0:T0:L1': Type: 0x8, ANSI rev: 5, TPGS: 1 (implicit only)
2014-05-04T08:52:08.973Z cpu13:8378)ScsiScan: 1373: Add path: vmhba2:C0:T0:L1

After that you can simply add changer and tape drive to one VM.

Hope that helps a little bit.

Mathias