- 1
- 2 VTL Configuration
- 2.1 Partitions
- 2.1.1 Partitions Summary
- 2.1.1.1 Tasks
- 2.1.1.2 Partition List
- 2.1.1.3 Adding a VTL Partition
- 2.1.1.4 Editing a VTL Partition
- 2.1.1.5 Deleting a VTL Partition
- 2.1.1.6 Changing Partition Mode
- 2.2 Media
- 2.2.1 Media Add
- 2.2.2 Media Actions
- 2.2.3 Media Move
- 2.2.4 Media Unload
- 2.3 Remote Host Access
- 2.3.1 Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) - Data Payload Size
- 2.3.2 Remote Host Mapping
- 2.3.2.1 Remote Host Mapping And Groups
- 2.3.2.2 Adding a Remote Host Access Group
- 2.3.2.3 Editing a Remote Host Access Group
- 2.3.2.4 Deleting a Remote Host Access Group
- 2.3.3 Remote Hosts
- 2.3.4 Targets
- 2.3.5 Target Usage
- 1
- 2 VTL Configuration
- 2.1 Partitions
- 2.1.1 Partitions Summary
- 2.1.1.1 Tasks
- 2.1.1.2 Partition List
- 2.1.1.3 Adding a VTL Partition
- 2.1.1.4 Editing a VTL Partition
- 2.1.1.5 Deleting a VTL Partition
- 2.1.1.6 Changing Partition Mode
- 2.1.1 Partitions Summary
- 2.2 Media
- 2.2.1 Media Add
- 2.2.2 Media Actions
- 2.2.3 Media Move
- 2.2.4 Media Unload
- 2.3 Remote Host Access
- 2.3.1 Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) - Data Payload Size
- 2.3.2 Remote Host Mapping
- 2.3.2.1 Remote Host Mapping And Groups
- 2.3.2.2 Adding a Remote Host Access Group
- 2.3.2.3 Editing a Remote Host Access Group
- 2.3.2.4 Deleting a Remote Host Access Group
- 2.3.3 Remote Hosts
- 2.3.4 Targets
- 2.3.5 Target Usage
- 2.1 Partitions
VTL Configuration
The VTL page allows you to configure the InfiniGuard DDE to present its storage capacity as VTL (virtual tape library) partitions that are compatible with standard backup applications. You can add virtual tape drives and storage slots to VTL partitions, as well as create and work with virtual tape cartridges. You can also map partitions to hosts.
Note
The VTL menu provides guided assistance for configuring VTL partitions.
To access the VTL page, Select a DDE and click the Configuration menu, and then click the VTL tab.
The VTL page contains the following tabs:
- Partitions
- Media
- Remote Host Access
Partitions
The Partitions page allows you to manage VTL partitions on the InfiniGuard DDE. Use partitions to allocate the DDE virtual tape drives and storage elements to separate partitions that can be accessed by different host systems.
To access the Partitions page, on the VTL page, click the Partitions tab.
The Partitions page contains the following tabs:
Partitions Summary
The Partitions Summary page allows you to view information about existing partitions. You can also add or edit partitions, and delete partitions.
To access the Partitions Summary page, on the Partitions page, click the Summary tab
Partitions Summary Page
TasksUse the Partitions Summary page to perform the following tasks:
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Partition List
The Partition List section displays the following information for all VTL partitions on the DDE:
Available Partitions | The number of partitions that have been added to the system and the maximum number of partitions that can be added. |
Available Virtual Tape Drives | The number of virtual tape drives that have been added to the system and the maximum number of drives that can be added. |
Name | The name of the partition. |
Mode | The current mode of the partition (Online or Offline). |
Model | The library model emulated by the partition. |
Drive Model | The tape drive model emulated by the virtual drives in the partition. |
Drives | The number of virtual tape drives in the partition. |
Host Mapping | The current state of host mapping for the partition (Yes or No). If no hosts have been mapped, click Map to map hosts to partitions (see Remote Host Mapping). |
Media | The number of virtual tape cartridges in the partition. If no cartridges have been created, click Create to add media (see Media Add). |
Slots | The number of storage slots in the partition. |
Deduplication | The data deduplication state of the partition (Enabled or Disabled). |
Auto Export | Auto export state (Enabled or Disabled). |
Replication | The current state of replication for the partition:
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Targets | The targets the partition is configured to replicate to. |
Note
- Click a column heading to sort the rows in the table by that column. Click the column heading again to reverse the sort order.
- Click the Information button [i] next to a partition to display detailed information about the partition and recent replication activity.
Adding a VTL Partition
Add a VTL partition to present the storage capacity of the DDE as a VTL partition that is compatible with standard backup applications. You can add up to 64 partitions. When you add a partition, you must specify the type of physical library to emulate and configure virtual tape drives and storage slots.
The number of virtual tape drives (VTDs) totaled across all configured partitions must not exceed 512 VTDs.
Additional Information
- The maximum number of virtual tape drives allowed per VTL partition is 512VTDs.
- The maximum number of active VTDs active at one time is 512 VTDs
- A virtual tape drive is considered active if a cartridge is loaded in the VTD. Make sure to configure the backup application software so that the maximum number of active VTDs is not exceeded at any time.
- Exceeding the maximum number of active VTDs may cause backup jobs to time out.
If you plan to replicate partitions to another InfiniGuard DDE, make sure that every partition name and barcode number on each DDE is unique. There cannot be duplicate partition names or barcode numbers on the DDE or on a DDE receiving a replicated partition
Caution
To add a VTL partition:
1. Click Add.
The Add VTL Partition & Replication Settings page displays
Add VTL Partition & Replication Settings Page
2. Under Partition Settings, enter information about the partition:
Name | Enter the name of the VTL partition. |
Library Model | Select the library model emulated by the partition. The library model determines the inquiry string returned to the host by the InfiniGuard DDE. (The library model does not restrict the number of slots or drives in a partition because library emulation is not a representation of a physical library.) Note: Infinidat recommends that you set the library model to Infinidat IBA B4260 DDE for best compatibility. If your backup application does not support the DXi6900 inquiry string, select a different library model. Check the backup application software compatibility guide to verify what library models are supported. |
Number of Storage Slots | Enter the number of storage slots in the partition (up to 9,000). Note: One I/E slot is created for each storage slot up to a maximum of 240 I/E slots. |
Virtual Tape Drive Model | Select the tape drive model emulated by the virtual drives in the partition. All virtual tape drives in a partition must be the same model. |
Number of Virtual Tape Drives | Enter the number of virtual tape drives in the partition. Note: If all tape drives are currently assigned to other partitions, you must remove one or more tape drives from an existing partition to make them available for use in a new partition. |
Enable deduplication | Select the check box to enable data deduplication. Infinidat recommends that you enable data deduplication to optimize disk usage. Note: Data deduplication is enabled by default. You cannot enable or disable data deduplication after the partition is added. If data duplication is disabled, then data compression is also disabled. |
Enable Auto Export | Select the check box to enable Auto Export. When a tape is exported by the backup application, it is placed in a virtual I/E slot. After this, one of the following actions occurs:
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3. (Optional) Under Replication Settings, specify replication settings.
For more information about configuring replication for a partition, or to set up replication for the partition at a later time, see Replication.
4. Click Apply.
After you add a partition, you must add media and map drives to a host before the partition can be used for backups (see Media Add and Remote Host Mapping).
Editing a VTL Partition
Edit a VTL partition to modify the settings for the partition, for example, to change the emulated library model or the number of storage slots and virtual tape drives.
To edit a VTL partition:
1. Select the partition and click Edit.
The Edit VTL Partition & Replication Settings page displays.
Edit VTL Partition & Replication Settings Page
2. If the partition is online, click Offline to take the partition offline. To edit a partition, it must be offline.
3. Under Partition Settings, enter information about the partition:
Note
4. (Optional) Under Replication Settings, specify replication settings.
For more information about configuring replication for a partition, or to set up replication for the partition at a later time, see Replication.
5. Click Apply.
6. Click Online to return the partition to an online state.
Deleting a VTL Partition
Delete a VTL partition if it is no longer needed. When you delete a partition, all data stored on the partition is lost.
Note
To delete a VTL partition:
- If the partition is online, select the partition and click Offline to take the partition offline. To delete a partition, it must be offline.
- If there are tape cartridges in any of the tape drives in the partition, move the cartridges to storage slots (see Media Move). To delete a partition, all drives must be empty.
- Select the partition and click Delete.
Note
You can select multiple partitions to delete at once.
4. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
If the partition contains tape cartridges, they are exported from the partition before it is deleted.
Changing Partition Mode
Change the mode of a VTL partition to take it online or offline. To make backups to a partition, it must be online. To edit or delete a partition, it must be offline.
- To change the partition mode to online, select the partition and click Online.
- To change the partition mode to offline, select the partition and click Offline.
Note
Taking a partition offline might disrupt backup operations.
Media
The Media page allows you to manage virtual tape cartridges in VTL partitions on the InfiniGuard DDE. Backup applications can write data to virtual tape cartridges just as they would to physical media.
To access the Media page, on the VTL page, click the Media tab.
The Media page contains the following tabs:
Media Add
Use the Media Add page to add a contiguous range of virtual tape cartridges to a VTL partition. You can specify the initial location, starting barcode, media type, and media capacity. After the cartridges are created, they are available for backing up data.
Note
To access the Media Add page, on the Media page, click the Add tab
Media Add Page
To add virtual tape cartridges to a partition:
- In the Partition drop-down box, select the partition where the media will be created.
- Under Add Contiguous Media, enter information about the media:
Initial Location | The initial location for cartridges after they are created (Storage Slot or I/E Slot). Note: You cannot create more cartridges than the number of available slots in the initial location. For example, if 50 I/E slots are available, you cannot create more than 50 cartridges if the |
Number of Media | The number of cartridges to create in the partition. |
Starting Barcode | The first barcode number in the cartridge sequence. |
Media Type | The media type of the cartridges. Note: The available media type options are determined by the type of tape drive selected when the partition was created (see Adding a VTL Partition). |
Media Capacity | The capacity of the cartridges. Select an option:
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3. Click Apply.
Media Actions
Use the Media Actions page to perform actions on virtual tape cartridges. You can import, export, and remove cartridges from VTL partitions. You can also configure cartridges to be write protected to prevent access.
To access the Media Actions page, on the Media page, click the Actions tab
Media Actions Page
To perform actions on virtual tape cartridges:
1. In the Partition drop-down box, select the partition that contains the cartridges to work with.
Note
Select UNASSIGNED to work with cartridges that are not assigned to any partition. The table displays the following information for all virtual tape cartridges in the partition:
Barcode | The barcode number of the cartridge. |
Type | The cartridge type (LTO or SDLT). |
Partition | The partition where the cartridge is located. |
WP | The write protect status of the cartridge (Write Enabled or Write Protected). |
State | The state of the cartridge:
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Used (%) | The percentage of the tape cartridge that is used. Caution: The Used (%) value is not updated while the media is mounted. Because of this, the displayed Used (%) value may be different from the real value for mounted media. |
Capacity | The total capacity of the tape cartridge. |
Additional Information
- Click a column heading to sort the rows in the table by that column.
- Click the column heading again to reverse the sort order. Click the Information button [i] next to a cartridge to display detailed information about the cartridge.
2. In the Action drop-down box, select the action to perform:
Delete | Deletes a cartridge from the *UNASSIGNED partition. The cartridge must be in the exported state. |
Export | Removes a cartridge from the virtual media changer and places it in an exported state. Perform this action if an export cannot be performed from the backup application. The cartridge must be in the vaulted, scratch, or virtual state. |
Recycle | Recycles (erases) a cartridge so it can be reused by the partition. |
Write Protect (WP) | Enables or disables write protection for the cartridge. |
Import Media | Imports cartridges into the currently selected partition. Cartridges that are in the exported or vaulted state can be imported from another partition with the same media type and data deduplication settings. |
After you select an action, the table is updated to show only the cartridges that support the selected action. Select Show All Media in the Action drop-down box to see all cartridges.
3. (Optional) To reduce the number of cartridges displayed in the table, enter a barcode or barcode range in the Barcode Filter box and click Apply Filter.
Use a hyphen (-) to indicate a range, and use an asterisk (*) to indicate a wildcard. Separate multiple entries with commas, and do not use spaces.
Example: Enter AAA* to display all cartridge barcodes beginning with AAA. Or enter AAA010-AAA020 to display all barcodes in the specified range. Click the Quick Tip icon [?] for additional examples.
4. Select the cartridges to perform the action on. The action is performed only for selected cartridges on the current page. Or select the check box in the table heading row to perform the action on all cartridges in the partition.
If necessary, use the controls at the bottom of the table to navigate between multiple pages of results.
Select the number of rows to display in the Show drop-down box.
5. Click Apply.
Media Move
Use the Media Move page to move a virtual tape cartridge from a source location (drive, storage slot, or I/E slot) to a destination location (drive, storage slot, or I/E slot). The location and destination must be in the same partition.
Note
Caution
To access the Media Move page, on the Media page, click the Move tab
Media Move Page
To move a virtual tape cartridge:
- In the Partition drop-down box, select the partition that contains the cartridge to move.
- If the partition is online, click Offline to take the partition offline. To move media, the partition must be offline.
- In the Source Location drop-down box, select the type of location you want to move a cartridge from (Drive, Storage Slot, I/E Slot).
- (Optional) If you are moving a cartridge from a drive, select the Force Unload (Virtual Tape Drives) check box to force the drive to unload the cartridge before ejecting it.
- (Optional) To reduce the number of cartridges displayed in the table, enter a barcode or barcode range in the Barcode Filter box and click Apply Filter.
Use a hyphen (-) to indicate a range, and use an asterisk (*) to indicate a wildcard. Separate multiple entries with commas, and do not use spaces.
Example: Enter AAA* to display all cartridge barcodes beginning with AAA. Or enter AAA010-AAA020 to display all barcodes in the specified range. Click the Quick Tip icon [?] for additional examples.
6. Select the cartridge to move from the source location.
Note
If necessary, use the controls at the bottom of the table to navigate between multiple pages of results. Select the number of rows to display in the Show drop-down box.
7. In the Destination Location drop-down box, select the type of location you want to move the cartridge to (Drive, Storage Slot, I/E Slot).
8. Select the destination location to move the cartridge to.
Note
The destination section displays empty drives, storage slots, and I/E slots. Offline drives are not displayed. A drive might be offline if it has not been mapped to a host (see Remote Host Access).
9. Click Apply.
10. Return the partition to an online state (see Changing Partition Mode).
Media Unload
Use the Media Unload page to perform a bulk unload of virtual tape cartridges from drives or I/E slots.
Note
If you do not create and associate a host access group with a partition, the virtual devices are not visible from the host, and drives cannot be destinations for move operations (see Remote Host Access).
Caution
If you unload a virtual tape cartridge from a drive while a backup to that drive is in progress, the backup job will fail.
To access the Media Unload page, on the Media page, click the Unload tab
Media Unload Page
To unload virtual tape cartridges:
- In the Partition drop-down box, select the partition that contains the cartridges to unload.
- If the partition is online, click Offline to take the partition offline. To unload media, the partition must be offline.
- In the Show Location drop-down box, select the type of location you want to unload cartridges from (Drive, I/E Slot).
- (Optional) If you are unloading cartridges from a drive, select the Force Unload (Virtual Tape Drives) check box to force drives to unload the cartridges before ejecting them.
- (Optional) To reduce the number of cartridges displayed in the table, enter a barcode or barcode range in the Barcode Filter box and click Apply Filter.
Use a hyphen (-) to indicate a range, and use an asterisk (*) to indicate a wildcard. Separate multiple entries with commas, and do not use spaces.
Example: Enter AAA* to display all cartridge barcodes beginning with AAA. Or enter AAA010-AAA020 to display all barcodes in the specified range. Click the Quick Tip icon [?] for additional examples.
6. Select the cartridges to unload.
Note
If necessary, use the controls at the bottom of the table to navigate between multiple pages of results. Select the number of rows to display in the Show drop-down box.
7. Click Apply.
Cartridges are moved to a previous storage slot if available. Otherwise, they are moved to the first available storage slot.
8. Return the partition to an online state (see Changing Partition Mode).
Remote Host Access
The Remote Host Access page allows you to configure virtual media changers and tape drives on the InfiniGuard DDE to communicate with Fibre Channel hosts (initiators). You can add, edit, and delete hosts as well as view Fibre Channel target ports on the DDE.
If you do not create and associate a host access group with a partition, the virtual devices are not visible from the host, and drives cannot be destinations for move operations.
Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) - Data Payload Size
The Fibre Channel HBAs used on the InfiniGuard DDE have a maximum data payload size per frame of 2048 bytes. The Fibre Channel specification allows a maximum data payload size of 2112 bytes per frame. Fibre Channel HBAs used on backup hosts should be configured to use a maximum data payload size of 2048 bytes per frame. Failure to match the backup host maximum data payload size to the DDE maximum data payload size may result in stalled data transfers.
To access the Remote Host Access page, on the VTL page, click the Remote Host Access tab.
The Remote Host Access page contains the following tabs:
Remote Host Mapping
The Remote Host Mapping page allows you to view information about existing host access groups. You can also add or edit groups, and delete groups.
Host access groups allow backup hosts to access virtual devices on a InfiniGuard DDE. A host access group is associated with a partition, a host (a Fibre Channel initiator on the SAN), and a target (a Fibre Channel port on the DDE). This association allows the host to access one or more devices in the partition using different host LUNs on the port. To allow multiple hosts to access devices that belong to the same partition, you must create separate host access groups for each host.
To access the Remote Host Mapping page, on the Remote Host Access page, click the Remote Host Mapping tab
Remote Host Mapping page
Tasks
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Remote Host Mapping And Groups
The Remote Host Mapping And Groups section displays the following information for all host access groups on the DDE:
Group Name | The name of the group. |
Remote Host | The host (initiator) associated with the group. |
Target Port | The Fibre Channel port (target) associated with the group. |
Partition Name | The VTL partition associated with the group. |
Devices | The number of virtual media changers (VMCs) and virtual tape drives (VTDs) associated with the group |
Note
Adding a Remote Host Access Group
Add a host access group to associate a VTL partition with a host (a Fibre Channel initiator on the SAN) and a target (a Fibre Channel port on the DDE).
To add a host access group:
- Click Add.
The Map Remote Hosts, Define Groups page displays.
2. Enter information about the host access group:
Group Name | Enter a name for the group. |
Partition | Select the partition to associate with the group. |
Remote Host | Select the host (initiator) to associate with the group. |
Target | Select the target (port) to associate with the group. |
3. (Optional) Select the Use CCL check box to use the Command and Control LUN.
Note
The CCL (Command and Control LUN) is not used in most environments. This option is recommended for host access groups that contain an HP-UX host. It can also be used if hosts that are not assigned to any host access group exist in the SAN. The CCL is accessible to hosts only through LUN 0.
Caution
If you are not sure if you should use CCL, contact Infinidat Customer Support before you enable this option.
4. Select the check boxes for the media changer and tape drives to add to the host access group.
The LUN assignment displays next to the device.
5. Click Apply.
Remote Host Access Group page
Editing a Remote Host Access Group
Edit a host access group to change the CCL setting. You can also add or remove virtual media changers or tape drives.
To edit a host access group:
- Select the group and click Edit.
The Edit Remote Host Mapping page displays
Note
Edit Remote Host Mapping Page
2. (Optional) Select the Use CCL check box to use the Command and Control LUN.
Note
The CCL (Command and ControlLUN) is not used in most environments. This option is recommended for host access groups that contain an HP-UX host. It can also be used if hosts that are not assigned to any host access group exist in the SAN. The CCL is accessible to hosts only through LUN 0.
Caution
If you are not sure if you should use CCL, contact Infinidat Customer Support before you enable this option.
3. Select the check boxes for the media changer and tape drives to add to the host access group.
The LUN assignment displays next to the device.
4. Click Apply.
Deleting a Remote Host Access Group
Delete a host access group if it is no longer needed.
To delete a host access group:
1. Select the group and click Delete.
Note
2. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
Remote Hosts
Use the Remote Hosts page to discover and add Fibre Channel hosts to the available host list for the InfiniGuard DDE.
Note
You must configure a host before you can assign it to a new host access group (see Adding a Remote Host Access Group).
Caution
If you are connecting the InfiniGuard DDE directly to a host without using a Fibre Channel switch, you must know the WWPN connecting to each DDE port. If you do not specify this information, the virtual medium changer and tape drives will not display on the device manager.
To access the Remote Hosts page, on the Remote Host Access page, click the Remote Hosts tab.
To add a host:
1. Click Discover Remote Hosts to list all hosts that are known to the InfiniGuard DDE.
A host is made known to the InfiniGuard DDE if you enter the host ID on this page, or if the host logs on to one or more Fibre Channel target ports.
If you do not see the world wide name (WWN) of the host, make sure the host is connected to a Fibre Channel port on the DDE and click Discover Hosts again.
2. Enter information about the host:
Remote Host WWPN | Enter the World Wide Port Name (WWPN) of the host. (This value is entered automatically by the system.) |
Alias | (Optional) Enter a descriptive alias for the host. |
3. Click Apply.
Note
To delete a host that is no longer needed, click Delete next to the host. You cannot delete a host of it is currently assigned to a host access group
Targets
Use the Targets page to view the current target (Fibre Channel) configuration.
To access the Targets page, on the Host Access page, click the Targets tab.
The Targets page displays the Target Port and WWPN for the currently configured targets.
Select one or more targets and click Reset Target(s) to initiate a Fibre Channel reset on the selected ports. A reset causes the ports to go through LIP (Loop Initialization Protocol).
Target Usage
Use the Target Usage page to view current target and device mappings for the InfiniGuard DDE.
To access the Target Usage page, on the Host Access page, click the Target Usage tab
Each target Fibre Channel port is displayed, along with the partition and virtual media changer and tape drives (VMC and VTDs) mapped to the port
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