Tape Library & Tape Drive Management

Nodeum Tape Library Management

Nodeum provides native support for managing Tape Libraries, compatible with three main connection types:

• SCSI: Utilizes Fiber Channel and SAS (Serial Attached SCSI).

• ACSLS: Integrates with the Oracle StorageTek ACSLS protocol for managing Oracle StorageTek tape libraries.

Supported Connection Types:

Nodeum supports tape library connections through Fiber Channel and SAS, both using SCSI protocols. It is fully compatible with SCSI-driven tape libraries.

Library Management with ACSLS:

The Oracle StorageTek ACSLS protocol is supported for managing tape libraries via an ACSLS server, ensuring efficient library management.

Supported Operations:

Nodeum automates tape library operations including mounting and unmounting tapes during read-write tasks.

Tape Drive Generations:

The system supports LTO tape drives from LTO5 to LTO9, handling automated functions like tape and LTFS mounting/unmounting.

Tape Library Management

Hardware Maintenance

• Replace a Tape Drive Follow these steps to safely replace a tape drive in your library.

• Change the Bridge Allocation Instructions to update the bridge allocation, ensuring optimal performance.

• Upgrade Firmware Step-by-step guide to upgrade the firmware for both the tape library and tape drive.

Tape Drive Management

Tape Drive Maintenance Mode

When Nodeum detects an issue with a tape drive, it activates Maintenance Mode for the affected drive, ensuring continuity of tasks on other drives.

Examples of Maintenance Mode Activation:

• Frequent mounting errors detected in the drive.

• An unrecognized tape is loaded into the drive.

Steps to Restore Drive Functionality:

1. Correct the identified issue with the drive.

2. Stop and restart Nodeum services.

Procedure to Replace a Tape Drive

When a tape drive needs replacement in the Tape Library, follow these detailed steps:

1. Navigate to the Tape Library Configuration Panel.

   • Deselect the drive to be replaced and save the configuration.

2. Stop Nodeum Services.

3. Physically replace the tape drive in the Tape Library.

4. Reboot the Nodeum System.

5. Return to the Tape Library Configuration Panel.

   • Select the newly installed drive.

6. Restart Nodeum Services.

Detailed procedure

1. Go to the Tape Library Configuration Panel. (Tape Library Configuration) and unselect the drive you need to replace.

2. Stop Nodeum Services

3. Replace physically the tape drive by the new one

4. Reboot the Nodeum's system

5. Select the new drive in the Tape Library Configuration Panel

6. Restart Nodeum Services

Changing Bridge Drive Allocation

Description: If the Drive Bridge encounters an error or fails, the Tape Library will also experience errors, hindering proper access by Nodeum. In such cases, you need to reallocate the drive bridge to a different drive.

Procedure: To change the Bridge Drive allocation, follow the steps below using an Oracle SL150 Tape Library as an example:

1. From the Drive Panel, identify which Tape Drive is the Bridge Tape Drive.

2. In the Tape Library Configuration:

   • Select Configure Library Settings.

   • Change the Library Bridged Drive.

3. Reboot the Nodeum system to correctly update the new SCSI address of the Tape Library.

Tape Library & Tape Drive Firmware Upgrade

Start the upgrade of the Firmware in a Tape Library or a Tape Library need to be performed carefully.

It is also important to take into account that during this operation Nodeum cannot use the tape library or the selected tape drive.

Once the firmware upgrade is operated from the Tape Library itself, it is important to proceed with these following steps:

Go into the Nodeum interface and follow this procedure :

• Check in the Configuration panel of Tape Drive and save the new parameters. Visualize the Firmware Revision number.

  
• Restart the Nodeum server to verify the SCSI device setup.