| Oracle® StorageTek SL150 Modular Tape Library System User Guide E24606-04 |
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| Oracle® StorageTek SL150 Modular Tape Library System User Guide E24606-04 |
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This chapter focuses on the procedures for configuring the SL150 tape library. After you complete the physical installation and initial configuration tasks specified in the Installation Manual (see the "Customer Documentation Library" for details), you perform the tasks described below to finish initial setup. Thereafter, you should refer to this chapter whenever you need to modify parts of the initial configuration.
During the installation of a new library, you run an initial-configuration wizard from the local operator console on the library base module (see the Installation Manual in the StorageTek SL150 Modular Tape Library System Customer Documentation Library for details). The wizard lets you specify a secure password for the default administrator account and basic network connectivity, so that you can log in to the remote user interface using a web browser. You then finish the configuration process remotely, as described in this chapter.
During initial configuration, you should perform the following tasks:
If you did not set the time from the local operator panel or if, at any point, you need to reset it, proceed as follows.
Select Settings from the menu on the left side of the interface. A set of tabbed property sheets appears.
Select the Library tab.
In the upper left corner of the tab, click on Edit.
To directly edit the date and/or time, enter text in the Date and Time text box using the format MONTHNAME dd, yyyy hh:mm:ss [AM|PM].
To select a date and time, click on the calendar/clock icon alongside the Date and Time text box. When the Select a Date and Time dialog appears, proceed as follows:
Select the current month and year from the corresponding list boxes or click the accompanying left and right arrow buttons to step through the year month-by-month.
Select a day by clicking on the calendar.
Select the hour, minute, and second using the spinner controls at the bottom of the interface, and click the AM or PM radio button.
Press the OK button to set the time and close the dialog, or press Cancel to close the dialog without changing the time.
To discard all changes, click on the Cancel icon at the top of the Library tab.
If you are configuring the library for the first time, Designate System Reserved Slots, as described below.
The System Reserved Slots field of the Library tab on the Settings screen displays the number of library slots currently reserved for the exclusive use of the SL150 library itself. Reserved slots may house cleaning and/or diagnostic cartridges. To change the number of reserved slots, proceed as follows:
Select Settings from the menu on the left side of the interface. A set of tabbed property sheets appears.
Select the Library tab.
In the upper left corner of the tab, click on Edit.
In the System Reserved Slots field, use the After Restart list control to select the desired number of reserved slots. You can reserve from 0 to 3 slots.
To commit your changes, click on the Save icon at the top of the Library tab.
To discard your changes, click on the Cancel icon at the top of the Library tab.
To activate the saved slot configuration, restart using the procedure "Restart the Library".
If you are configuring the library for the first time and do not intend to partition the library, go to Selecting a Volume Label Format for an Unpartitioned Library.
If you are configuring the library for the first time and plan to partition the library, go to "Checking and Updating Firmware".
If you are not going to partition the library and plan to use a non-standard format when labeling your tape cartridges, use the procedure below (for more information on volume label formats see Appendix A, "Accommodating Non-Standard Label Formats").
Select Settings from the menu on the left side of the interface. A set of tabbed property sheets appears.
Select the Library tab.
In the upper left corner of the tab, click on Edit.
Select a label format from the Volume Label Format list.
To commit your changes, click on the Save icon at the top of the Library tab.
If you are configuring the library for the first time, go to Checking and Updating Firmware.
You should check and, if necessary, update SL150 firmware when you first install the library. You should check the firmware periodically thereafter. Proceed as follows.
Select Settings from the menu on the left side of the interface. A set of tabbed property sheets appears.
Select the Firmware tab. The Firmware Version field displays the current firmware level.
Note the firmware level displayed in the Firmware Version field.
Next, Check/Download Firmware at My Oracle Support, as described below.
Open a web browser window, and log in to My Oracle Support at https://support.oracle.com.
Go to the Patch Search area of the Patches & Updates tab.
Click on the Product or Family (Advanced) link.
Check the Include all products in a family checkbox.
In the Product is field, enter SL, and then select StorageTek SL150 Modular Tape Library System from the list of search results.
Check the Exclude all superseded patches text box.
Press the Search button.
In the Patch Search Results table, click on the hyperlinked Patch Name of a patch that you need to download.
When the patch description appears, note the details. Then press the Download button if you want to download the file immediately or press the Add to Plan button to add it to a group of patches that will be applied together.
Follow the instructions on screen.
For installation instructions, see Update the Firmware.
In the Firmware Version field of the Firmware tab, press the Upgrade button.
The Upgrade Firmware dialog appears.
In the Firmware File field of the dialog, press the Choose File button to select the file that you downloaded in the preceding procedure.
If you accidentally choose the wrong file, press the Clear button to clear the selection field and press Choose File to make a different selection, or simply press Choose File to make a different selection.
To leave the existing firmware unchanged and exit without upgrading, press the Cancel button. When the confirmation dialog appears, press OK.
To install the new firmware, press the Upgrade button.
The upgrade dialog displays a progress meter and the estimated time required for the upgrade. Do not close this window until the installation process finishes.
When the upgrade dialog shows that the new firmware has been installed, click the Close this window link. If your browser opens a confirmation dialog, go ahead and close the window.
When you return to the Firmware tab of the Settings screen, the interface identifies the newly installed firmware and reminds you that you must restart the library to activate it.
Restart the library as described in "Restart the Library".
If you are configuring the library for the first time and need to further configure the network interfaces, see Network Administration below.
If you are configuring the library for the first time and wish to set up partitions, see "Partitioning".
Otherwise, if you are configuring the library for the first time, go to "Configuring Drive Cleaning Operations".
You administer network connectivity from the SL150 browser-based user interface. The Network tab of the Settings screen lets you carry out the following tasks:
To configure Ethernet Port 1, you can either:
Log in as an Administrator, and select Settings from the menu on the left side of the interface. A set of tabbed property sheets appears.
Select the Network tab.
In the upper left corner of the tab, click on Edit.
Move the cursor to the Network Port 1 portion of the tab.
In the DHCP field, check the Enabled check box.
To commit your changes, click the Save icon at the top of the tab.
To discard your changes, click the Cancel icon at the top of the tab.
Otherwise, if you are configuring the library for the first time, go to Enabling and Disabling Service Network Access (Port 2).
To configure a static Internet Protocol (IP) address for the library, proceed as follows:
Select Settings from the menu on the left side of the interface. A set of tabbed property sheets appears.
Select the Network tab.
In the upper left corner of the tab, click on Edit.
Move the cursor to the Network Port 1 portion of the tab.
In the DHCP field, uncheck the Enabled check box.
Enter the desired address in the IP Address text field.
Enter the netmask for the specified address in the Netmask text field.
Enter the IP address of the default internet gateway for the network in the Default Gateway field.
To commit your changes, click the Save icon at the top of the tab.
To discard your changes, click the Cancel icon at the top of the tab.
Otherwise, if you are configuring the library for the first time, go to Enabling and Disabling Service Network Access (Port 2).
On the SL150 Modular Tape Library, Network Port 2 is reserved for service use. You cannot change the IP address. But you can enable or disable the port as required.
Select Settings from the menu on the left side of the interface. A set of tabbed property sheets appears.
Select the Network tab.
In the upper left corner of the tab, click on Edit.
Move the cursor to the Network Port 2 portion of the tab.
In the Port 2 field, check the Enabled check box to enable the port or uncheck it to disable the port.
To commit your changes, click the Save icon at the top of the tab.
To discard your changes, click the Cancel icon at the top of the tab.
If you are configuring the library for the first time and wish to set up partitions, see Partitioningbelow.
Otherwise, if you are configuring the library for the first time, go to Configuring Drive Cleaning Operations.
When partitioning is enabled, the SL150 library automatically configures two equal partitions, each of which can be assigned to a different host application. Proceed as follows.
Before proceeding, make sure that all tape-cartridge magazines are latched in place and check the mailslot and drives for tape cartridges.
If the mailslot holds cartridges, either move them to their home slots or remove them from the library (see "Move Tape Cartridges Using the Browser-Based User Interface"or "Opening the Mailslot").
If a drive holds a tape cartridge, return the cartridge to its home slot (see "Move Tape Cartridges Using the Browser-Based User Interface").
Take the library offline. In the host connection state field on right side of the interface, click the Online control and select Set Library Offline. When the confirmation dialog appears, press the OK button.
Select Settings from the menu on the left side of the interface. A set of tabbed property sheets appears.
Select the Partitions tab.
Click on the Edit icon at the top of the tab.
In the Partitions field, click on the Enabled radio button.
Choose a volume label format for the tape cartridges in each partition from the Partition 1 Volume Label Format and Partition 2 Volume Label Format lists.
For an explanation of volume label formats, see Appendix A, "Accommodating Non-Standard Label Formats".
To commit your changes, click on the Save icon at the top of the Partitions tab or click on the Cancel to discard them.
Bring the library back online. On the status bar at the top right side right side of the interface, click the Library Offline control and select Set Library Online. When the confirmation dialog appears, press the OK button.
If you are configuring the library for the first time, go to Configuring Drive Cleaning Operations.
LTO tape drives are normally self-cleaning, but may, nonetheless, require occasional cleaning with a compatible cleaning cartridge. To configure drive cleaning operations, start by Selecting a Cleaning Strategy. Then either follow the appropriate procedure in "Setting Up Host-Managed Drive Cleaning" or review the process for "Cleaning Drives Using the Library User Interface". Finally, provide cleaning media, as described in "Providing the Required Cleaning Cartridges".
LTO drives sometimes need cleaning because the clearance between LTO magnetic tape media and the read/write heads is very small. When the tape is streaming past the recording heads at maximum speed, small clearances maximize data transfer. But at other times, when the tape is positioning and tensioning to accommodate slow I/O sources, tape can intermittently touch the recording heads in the drive. The tape wears heavily under these conditions, and small deposits of recording media accumulate on the recording surfaces of the drive.
LTO drives are designed to remove normal levels of contamination automatically. Small internal brushes sweep the debris away before it can build up and become a problem. So many LTO drives never require supplementary cleaning with cleaning cartridges. However, slow or intermittent data sources may not be able to provide enough data to keep a drive streaming. The drive may overrun and reposition often enough to cause unusually heavy wear to tapes and abnormally hard, heavy deposits on recording heads. In extreme cases, the internal brushes can no longer remove the buildup and read/write errors begin to increase. When the errors exceed the error correction thresholds set by the drive, the drive returns a tape alert and requests cleaning.
The SL150 user interface notifies you when LTO drives request cleaning, and most host backup and storage management applications recognize the requests as well. You can thus handle the required cleanings in either of two ways.
You can automatically manage cleaning operations using host applications like Oracle Secure Backup, Symantec NetBackup, or IBM Tivoli Storage Manager. You configure the application for Automatic, Tape Alert, or reactive cleaning, depending on the application. The application then cleans drives when the drives issue the corresponding request. See "Setting Up Host-Managed Drive Cleaning"for details.
If host application-managed cleaning is impractical, you can manage cleaning by monitoring the library's user interface for cleaning messages and responding accordingly. When a drive requires cleaning, the Library Health indicator at the top of the interface is set to Degraded, the Health Table displays the drives that need to be cleaned, and the Health property of the affected drive requests cleaning. You then make a note of the affected drive(s) and carry out the cleaning as described in "Use the Library User Interface to Clean the Degraded Drive". Since cleaning is not automatic under this option, you must monitor drives regularly and respond quickly when needed.
Note, however, that routine cleaning in the absence of an alert is emphatically NOT recommended! Cleaning cartridges are abrasive, and overuse can damage LTO drives. You should not schedule regular cleanings using a host application, nor should you perform cleanings after some specified number of mounts. Clean only when the drive tells you that cleaning is necessary.
In most cases, you want the host application that manages the library or the backup schedule to control cleaning operations. You want to set up the host application to automatically initiate cleaning when a drive requests it. This approach minimizes disruption to data operations, minimizes operator workload, and insures that cleanings are done when necessary and only when necessary.
This section summarizes the steps that you need to take in order to set up some commonly used library host applications. Note, however, that the procedures below are summaries. Always consult the host application documentation for full details and late-breaking changes!
Oracle Secure Backup can automatically initiate cleaning when a tape drive requests it. The software checks for cleaning requests whenever a cartridge is loaded or unloaded. If cleaning is required, Oracle Secure Backup loads a cleaning cartridge, waits for the cleaning cycle to complete, replaces the cleaning cartridge in its original storage element, and continues with the requested load or unload. To configure automatic cleaning, proceed as follows:
When you add each of the SL150 library's tape drives to your Oracle Secure Backup configuration, select Yes from the Auto clean list.
In the Clean interval (duration) field, enter the desired interval between cleaning cycles.
In the Clean using emptiest field, select yes to use cleaning cartridges in round-robin fashion, starting from the least-used cartridge, or no to use each cleaning cartridge until it expires, starting from the cartridge with the fewest remaining cleaning cycles (the default).
If you use the Symantec NetBackup Administration Console to add or update drive configurations, proceed as follows:
From the Administration Console, select Media and Device Management.
Select Device Monitor.
Select Drives.
In the Drive Status pane, select an SL150 drive, and open the Actions menu.
Select the Set Cleaning Frequency parameter, and set the value to 0 (zero). A frequency of zero tells NetBackup to clean drives in response to Tape Alerts.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all SL150 drives have been configured.
If you use the Symantec NetBackup administrative commandline to add or update drive configurations, set the cleaning frequency for each SL150 drive to zero, as described below (for the full, authoritative, NetBackup command syntax, consult the Symantec Commands reference for your version of the software).
If you need to add the drive to the NetBackup configuration, use the command tpconfig -add with the option -cleanfreq 0 and stop here. For example:
/usr/openv/volmgr/bin/tpconfig -add -drive -type [hcart|hcart2|hcart3] path drivepath
In the example, hcart* is the generic NetBackup media identifier that you are using for LTO media and drivepath is the path to the device file for the drive.
Otherwise, if you have already added the SL150 drives to your NetBackup configuration, run the command
/usr/openv/volmgr/bin/tpclean/tpclean -F drive_name 0
In the example, drive_name is the name that was assigned to the drive when it was added to the NetBackup device configuration and 0 is the value that turns off frequency-based cleaning in favor of reactive cleaning.
If you configure a cleaning slot, Backup Exec will automatically clean drives. Proceed as follows:
On the Backup Exec navigation bar, select Devices.
Select Robotic Libraries, and then select the robotic library for which you are setting up the cleaning.
Click Slots to display the library's slots in the right pane.
Select the slot that contains the cleaning tape.
Under General Tasks in the task bar, select Properties.
Select the Cleaning Slot option and click OK.
Make sure that the cleaning tape is located in the slot that you defined as the cleaning slot.
If you provide correctly labeled cleaning cartridges, Data Protector detects the cartridges and automatically sets up reactive cleaning. See "Providing the Required Cleaning Cartridges" and "Labeling Cartridges".
To configure as-needed cleaning in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager, proceed as follows.
To configure on-demand cleaning for a drive that has not yet been added to your TSM configuration, use the DEFINE DRIVE command.
To configure on-demand cleaning for a drive that has already been added to your TSM configuration, use the UPDATE DRIVE command.
Using the chosen command, set the drive parameter CLEANFREQuency to ASNEEDED.
EMC Networker automatically cleans drives if it is configured to receive Tape Alerts from the drive. To enable Tape Alerts, set up the Networker Common Device Interface (CDI) as follows.
In the NetWorker Administration interface, click on Devices, and select View > Diagnostic Mode.
Select Devices in the navigation tree.
In the Devices table, right-click on one of the SL150 tape drives, and select Properties from the context menu.
When the Properties window appears, select the Advanced tab.
In the Device Configuration area of the Advanced tab, under CDI settings, select SCSI Commands: Sends explicit SCSI commands to tape devices.
Repeat steps 3-5 until the Common Device Interface has been configured for all SL150 tape drives.
In the ComCell interface, right-click on the SL150 library, and select Properties from the context menu.
When the Library Properties sheet appears, select the Drives tab.
In the Enable Auto-Cleaning section of the tab, check the On sense code check box.
Press the OK button to commit the change.
How you configure your library and how you clean your drives determine the number of cleaning cartridges that you need and the locations where they have to reside. The SL150 browser-based user interface can access cleaning cartridges that are located both in reserved system slots and in ordinary cartridge slots. However, host applications cannot access cleaning tapes that reside in system slots or in partitions controlled by other hosts.
So, for example, assume that you want to have two cleaning cartridges available for use at all times:
If you have configured two reserved system slots, do not require any diagnostic cartridges, and plan to clean the drives using the browser-based user interface only, you need a minimum of two cleaning cartridges, each in a system slot.
If you did not configure reserved slots, you could place the same number of cleaning cartridges in regular cartridge slots.
If, however, you configured two reserved slots, do not require any diagnostic cartridges, plan to have host applications manage drive cleanings, and have partitioned your library, then you will need a minimum of six cleaning cartridges: two in reserved slots and two in each of the two partitions.
If you reserved one or more system slots for cleaning cartridges, provide a new cleaning cartridge for each reserved slot that you want to use for this purpose (either 1 or 2).
If you plan to let the host application clean the drives, provide at least one cleaning cartridge and reserve one storage slot for each unpartitioned library or for each partition (system slots and storage slots that are not allocated to the partition are not accessible to host applications).
Load the required number of new cleaning cartridges into the library mailslot.
Use the application to move the cleaning cartridges from the mailslot to the storage slot(s) that you have selected for holding cleaning media.
If you are planning to load cleaning cartridges into system reserved slots, you must now Load Cleaning Media Using the Library User Interface (host applications cannot access the system reserved slots).
If you have not already done so, Take the Library Off Line.
Load the required number of new cleaning cartridges into the library mailslot.
In the graphical library map, move to the mailslot and click on a cleaning cartridge.
When the context menu appears, select Move Tape. The Move Tape panel appears at the top of the screen. The Source type field should be set to Mailslot and the cartridge that you chose should be listed (you may change this selection if desired).
In the graphical library map, click on the reserved slot where the cleaning cartridge will reside. The Destination type field of the Move Tape panel should now identify the Slot location that you selected (you may change this selection if desired).
In the Move Tape panel, press the OK button to perform the move or Cancel to abort.
When the Move Tape panel shows that the move is complete, press the OK button to close the panel.
Repeat the above procedure from step 3 to step 7 until all cleaning cartridges have been loaded.
The SL150 browser-based user interface can enable and disable drive ports and configure SAN addressing. For each port that you need to configure, proceed as follows:
Select Settings from the menu on the left side of the interface. A set of tabbed property sheets appears.
Select the Drive Port Settings tab.
In the component table, select the row for the drive that you need to configure.
In the control bar above the table, click on Actions and select Configure Drive Ports from the drop menu.
Move to the Updating the Settings for ... Drive Module area at the top of the interface.
To enable or disable a port, click the Disabled or Enabled radio button in the Port ... State field.
If you disable a Fibre Channel port or both SAS ports on a drive, the SL150 user interface reports that the drive has Failed.
To disable hard port addressing on Fibre Channel drives, click the No radio button in the Hard Addressing field.
To enable hard port addressing, click the Yes radio button in the Hard Addressing field, and enter a value in the Port Loop Id text field.
Press the OK button to commit your changes or Cancel to discard them.
For information on creating additional user accounts, see "User Administration".
For information on configuring Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), see "Using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)".
Network- and password-configuration problems can keep administrators from accessing the library. For example, if you inadvertently enter an incorrect IP address, specify DHCP when no DHCP server is available, or type the intended administrative password incorrectly during installation, you lose all access to and/or control of your library. In this situation, you need to reset the library to the as-shipped, factory default configuration.
Before proceeding, take note: when you reset the library, you lose the existing configuration, including user accounts, partitions, SNMP configuration, etc. If you have to reset the defaults during initial installation, this hardly matters—not much has been done as yet. But if you are resetting an operational library, you will have to recreate the existing configuration from scratch. So do not use this procedure on an operational library except as a last resort.
That said, when you need to revert to the factory defaults, proceed as follows:
Arrange for an assistant, so that one of you can stand at the front of the library and one at the rear.
Under normal conditions, a single person cannot reach far enough to operate the controls as required.
On the front of the server, find the locator button at upper left.
At the rear of the library, find the locator button at left center on the controller/robotics assembly at the top of the library.
Push and release one of the locator buttons, either the one at the front or the one at the back.
The locator buttons light up.
Once the locator buttons are lit, simultaneously push and hold both buttons.
After 3-4 seconds, the lighted locator buttons flash slowly. After an additional 5-10 seconds, the locator buttons start to flash rapidly.
When the lighted locator buttons start flashing rapidly, release both buttons.
If either locator button is released before the light begins to flash rapidly, the reset process stops.
Otherwise, the library reverts to the factory-default configuration and shuts down.
If the library does not restart automatically, press the power button to start the library.
The power button is to the right of the locator button and the two status LEDs:
Run the installation wizard and reconfigure the library just as you would when setting up a new unit.
For initial setup instructions, see the Installation Manual in the StorageTek SL150 Tape Library System Customer Documentation Library.
For configuration instructions, see "Configuring a Newly Installed Library" and Chapter 4, "User Administration."
