Tape Library Management

Nodeum manages natively Tape Library, three main types of connections are compatible:

  • SCSI (Fiber Channel - SAS)

  • ACSLS

  • RoS (REST over SCSI API) -> coming soon

The associated generation LTO Tapes Drives are compatible, from LTO5 to LTO9.

Tape Library Management

Type of connections

SCSI (Fiber Channel - SAS)

Nodeum supports Tape Library connected within Fiber Channel or SAS connections. Both type of connectivities support SCSI protocols. Nodeum Tape Library manager is compatible with SCSI driven Tape Libraries.

Library Management : ACSLS

The second supported protocol is the Oracle StorageTek ACSLS protocol. This is about managing Oracle StorageTek tape libraries managed by ACSLS server.

RoS (REST over SCSI API)

The last type of Tape Library Management is RoS, which means managing the Tape Library automation through REST API.

Supported Operations

The different Tape Library movement operations are supported and embedded in the product to provide tape automation during the task execution.

This means that when workflow has to read-write data to Tape(s), the process will automatically take care of the tape mounting and unmounting.

Tape Drive Management

Tape Drive Generation

The following LTO Generations are supported, LTO5 to LTO9 included. All the function of tape mounting, LTFS mounting and unmounting functions are automated too.

Tape Drive Operations

Maintenance Mode

When Nodeum detects an issue with a Tape Drive, Nodeum puts the drive in Maintenance Mode to allow the other tasks to run on the alternative drives.

Example

Drives can be set in Maintenance Mode for example:

  • When too many errors are detected to mount a tape in this drive

  • If a Tape unrecognized by Nodeum is mounted in the drive

To restore the functionality of the drive with Nodeum, you need :

  • to correct the issue detected on the drive

  • stop and restart Nodeum services.

Manage a Tape Library Hardware Maintenance

  • Replace a Tape Drive

  • Change the Bridge allocation

  • Upgrade Tape Library and Tape Drive firmware

Replace a Tape Drive

When a drive needs to be replaced, here is the detailed procedure to follow. It' imperative to make these actions before to change the tape drive in the Tape Library :

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

  2. Stop Nodeum Services

  3. Now you can replace physically the tape drive in the tape library,

  4. Reboot the Nodeum's system

  5. Go to the Tape Library Configuration Panel. (Tape Library Configuration) and select the new drive you have just placed in the tape Library

  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

Change Bridge Drive allocation

Description

If the Drive Bridge is in error or failed, the Tape Library as well will be in error and will be not accessible properly by Nodeum.

In this case, you need to change the drive bridge allocation to a different drive.

Process to be followed

If you need to change the Bridge Drive allocation, here is the detailed procedure to follow:

Example with the Oracle SL150 Tape Library:

From the Drive Panel, locate which Tape drive is the Bridge Tape Drive.

In the Tape Library Configuration

Select Configure Library Settings and change the Library Bridged Drive:

Once done, you have to reboot Nodeum's system to update correctly 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's Server to validate the SCSI device configuration.

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