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Tape Library Support

Tape libraries are supported in HyperScale X using the RedHat Enterprise Linux native st and pass through sg inbox drivers for data transfer to tape drives, and the ch inbox driver for the medium changer.

Note

If tape type devices are zoned to FC cards, it is a best practice for tape and disk FC traffic to be separated by at least different physical FC ports. Ideally, disk and tape should be on different HBA's or if using a 4 port HBA; ports 0 and 1 can be tape, and ports 2 and 3 can be disk, or vice versa.

Obtaining the Device Drivers for IBM Drives

For IBM drives, the lin_tape device driver package must be custom built specifically for the nodes provided to you.

  • Contact Commvault Customer Support to escalate the ticket to Commvault development team, to build and provide the specific lin_tape device driver package. Make sure to include the current Linux kernel version in your HyperScale nodes when making the request.

  • Once the package is provided to you, follow the procedure described in Using a Linux Tape Device Driver (starting from step3 ) to install the driver.

Note

Linux tape, or lin_tape driver packages should not be confused with lin_taped daemon which is currently not supported on any Commvault Linux MediaAgents, including HyperScale.

Updating the Linux Tape Driver During OS Upgrade

The Linux Tape (lin_tape) device driver is built specifically for the running kernel version. When the kernel associated with OS is upgraded, the corresponding lin_tape driver must also be rebuilt and upgraded to prevent issues from occurring.

To update the lin_tape driver complete the following steps:

  1. Stop all media management activity to the library and clear all the reservation types.

  2. Unload all the drives.

  3. Obtain the latest version of the lin_tape drive from customer support.

    The latest version of lin_tape driver must match the new kernel version of the operating system that you want to upgrade to.

  4. Remove the existing lin_tape driver using the following command:

    rpm -e <lin_tape driver version>

  5. Upgrade the operating system and reboot the nodes.

  6. After the nodes are back online and the new kernel is loaded and running, verify the kernel version and whether the RPMs are built to run on the kernel. For example:

    # uname -r 3.10.0-1160.80.1.el7.x86_64
    # rpm -qlp lin_tape-3.0.60-1.x86_64.rpm /lib/modules/3.10.0-1160.80.1.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/scsi/lin_tape.ko /lib/modules/3.10.0-1160.80.1.el7.x86_64/kernel/drivers/scsi/pfo.ko /usr/include/sys/IBM_tape.h /usr/lib/systemd/system/lin_tape.service /usr/sbin/lin_tape /usr/share/doc/lin_tape-3.0.60 /usr/share/doc/lin_tape-3.0.60/COPYING /usr/share/doc/lin_tape-3.0.60/COPYING.LIB /usr/share/doc/lin_tape-3.0.60/lin_tape.ReadMe /usr/share/doc/lin_tape-3.0.60/lin_tape_daemon.ReadMe

  7. Install the new lin_tape driver using the following command:

    rpm -ivh <lin_tape driver version>

  8. If you are changing driver and/or SCSI reservation on a previously configured library, then complete the following steps:

    1. From the CommCell Browser, go to Storage Resources > MediaAgents.

    2. Right-click the MediaAgent the driver change occurred on, and then select Scan Hardware.

      Tail the CVMA.log file on the MediaAgent to monitor the progress of the Scan Hardware option. You will see access paths for each device followed by ‘WORKER [7021/0/0] CVMMClient API for ProcessPerformOSScanForNewDevicesRequest from completed.’ when finished.

    3. Right-click the MediaAgent, and then select Detect Devices.

      Tail the CVMA.log file on the MediaAgent to monitor the progress of the Detect Devices option. You will see access paths for each device followed by ‘Auto detect HOST:[MediaAgent Name] completed successfully. Libraries:[Number of Libraries connected], Drives:[Number of Drives connected].’ Followed by ‘CONNMGR [ ] Completed SCSI ID update.’ when finished.

    4. Right-click the library of interest, and then select Reset Library.

In the same CVMA.log file, the Reset Library action completes when the log indicates the Number of Slots, Drives, and IE Ports for the given library and you see ‘WORKER [ ] libHandlerError = 0, bStatus = 1’ when finished.

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