HP SDLT 600e User guide

getting started guide

hp StorageWorks

SDLT tape drive

external model

SDLT 600e

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1 2

External drives - contents

Pre-Installation

Before you start page 3

Backup software and drivers page 5

Usage models page 7

Using the CD-ROM page 9

Installing the tape drive

Step 1: Check the SCSI connection page 11

Step 2: Check the drive’s SCSI ID page 13

Step 3: Attach SCSI cable page 15

Step 4: Attach power cable page 17

Step 5: Install drivers and verify installation page 19

Using the tape drive

Your HP StorageWorks SDLT 600 tape drive page 21

Use the correct media page 23

Register your tape drive page 25

Using HP OBDR page 27

Diagnostic tools page 29

Optimizing performance page 30

Troubleshooting page 32

Understanding the LEDs page 37

Problems with cartridges page 39

Other sources of information page 41

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Copyright © 2004 by Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

January 2004
Part Number: AA985-90902

Hewlett-Packard Company makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material,
including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose. Hewlett-Packard shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for
incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use
of this material.

This document contains proprietary information, which is protected by copyright. No part of
this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another language without
the prior written consent of Hewlett-Packard. The information contained in this document is
subject to change without notice.

Microsoft
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

UNIX

DLTtape, the DLTtape logo, Super DLTtape and the Super DLTtape logo are trademarks of
Quantum Corporation registered in the U.S.A. and other countries.

Alpha and OpenVMS are registered trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Development Company,
L.P.

Hewlett-Packard Company shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions
contained herein. The information is provided ”as is” without warranty of any kind and is
subject to change without notice. The warranties for Hewlett-Packard Company products are
set forth in the express limited warranty statements for such products. Nothing herein should
be construed as constituting an additional warranty.

Printed in the U.K.

®, MS-DOS®, MS Windows®, Windows® and Windows NT® are U.S.

® is a registered trademark of The Open Group.

Product Details

Write your tape drive details here so you can find them easily if you need them. The model name is on the

front of the drive and the product and serial numbers are on a label on the bottom of the drive.

Model (type of drive):

Model (number):

Serial (number):

Date purchased/installed:

SCSI ID:

2

Before you start

The HP StorageWorks SDLT 600 tape drive is a high-capacity, high-performance streaming
tape drive. Before starting to install your tape drive, you should consider the following.

Which operating systems are supported?

HP StorageWorks SDLT 600 drives can be connected to servers running under Windows®,
NetWare, UNIX, Tru64, OpenVMS and Linux. Refer to the “HP StorageWorks Tape Software
Compatibility” topic on our World Wide Web site (
information about the operating system versions that are supported.

How do I use the tape drive with my system?

Check the usage models on page 7. This shows how the HP StorageWorks SDLT 600 tape
drive can be used in different system configurations; direct attach, network attach and storage
area network.

How do I connect the drive to my server?

Your tape drive is supplied with a 68-pin, wide, VHD-to-HD SCSI cable to attach to the host
server.

You will need a properly installed and configured SCSI host bus adapter (HBA) or a built-in
SCSI controller on your server with a spare LVDS SCSI port with a 68-pin, very high density
(VHD), wide SCSI connector.

For optimum performance your tape drive should only be connected to an Ultra 3 (160) or
Ultra 4 (320) host bus adapter or SCSI controller and it should be the only device on the SCSI
bus. Do not connect more than two tape drives per SCSI controller. Do not attach the drive to
the same SCSI bus as your disk drive or RAID controller.

See also Table 1, “supported SCSI bus types,” on page 11.

www.hp.com/go/connect) for more

Why is the SCSI bus type important?

The SCSI bus type determines the speed at which data can be transferred between devices on
the bus and the maximum length of cable that can be used. HP StorageWorks SDLT 600 tape
drives are high performance Ultra 3 SCSI devices with a maximum burst transfer speed of
160 MB/second. To benefit from this level of performance, it is important to ensure that the
drives are connected to a SCSI bus of a similar or higher specification. This means that you
need:

• An Ultra 3 (160) or Ultra 4 (320) SCSI bus. Ultra 160 SCSI supports the maximum bus speed

of 160 MB per second, Ultra 320 SCSI exceeds this.

• LVD-rated SCSI cabling and terminators. The LVD interface enables the data to be

transferred at the drive's maximum rate and provides a maximum cable length of 12 meters.

If you attach the drive to a lower specification SCSI bus, it may still work, but data will not be
transferred as quickly. For example, on a single-ended (SE) Ultra 160 SCSI bus the maximum
burst transfer speed of the drive is 40 MB/second and the maximum cable length is restricted
to 3 meters. See also Table 1, “supported SCSI bus types,” on page 11.

Note The drives are not compatible with high voltage differential (HVD) SCSI devices.

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How can I check the SCSI bus type?

For most operating systems you can install HP Library & Tape Tools, directly from the web site
at www.hp.com/support/tapetools or from the link on the HP StorageWorks Tape
CD-ROM, and run the “Install Check” to check your server’s current SCSI configuration (see
page 29). This will provide information about the SCSI bus and the SCSI IDs in use.

Do I need additional items for installation?

• If you do not have a VHD, wide SCSI connector on your server, you will need to purchase
and install a VHD-to-HD adapter or use an HD-to-HD cable instead of the supplied cable.

• If the tape drive is the only or last device on the bus, you must attach a multimode terminator
to one of the SCSI connectors on the rear of the tape drive (see “Step 3: Attach SCSI cable”
on page 15). If the tape drive is not the only or last device on the SCSI bus, you must ensure
that the bus is terminated with a multimode terminator.

• If you do not have a spare, suitably rated SCSI connector on your server, a new HBA (also
known as a SCSI card) will be required. We recommend that a 64-bit Ultra 3 (160) HBA is
used. For specific details relevant to your server model please refer to

connect

expansion slot within your server before installing your tape drive. (The kit can also be
installed in a 32-bit PCI expansion slot, but performance may be degraded.)

Refer to our World Wide Web site for recommended products, configurations and ordering
information:

. You will need to purchase and install the new HBA into an unused, 64-bit PCI

www.hp.com/go/connect or www.hp.com/support.

www.hp.com/go/

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Backup software and drivers

Backup software

For optimum performance it is important to use a backup application that is appropriate for
your system’s configuration. In a direct attach environment, where the tape drive is attached to
a standalone server, you can use backup software that is designed for a single server
environment. In network configurations you will need backup software that supports enterprise
environments. HP, Veritas, Legato, Yosemite and Computer Associates all provide suitable
products. Further details about these and other products that may be appropriate can be
found on our connectivity web site.

1 Go to our connectivity web site: www.hp.com/go/connect and select tape backup.

2 Select software compatibility.

3 Select your combination of operating system and tape drive model in the table. A list of

supported backup applications is displayed. This will also tell you whether your configuration
is compatible with HP One-Button Disaster Recovery, HP OBDR.
(All HP StorageWorks SDLT 600 tape drives support HP OBDR. However, you can only use this
feature. if your system configuration and backup application also support it. See “Using HP
OBDR” on page 27.)

4 Make sure you have a backup application that supports HP StorageWorks SDLT 600 tape

drives and download any upgrades or patches, if required.

Drivers

Windows users

After you install the tape drive, insert the HP StorageWorks Tape CD-ROM and follow the link
to download the HP driver from our web site:
accompanying README file for specific installation instructions for Windows NT, Windows
2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 drivers.

Note: We recommend that you install drivers from the CD-ROM rather than the Windows
Hardware Installation Wizard, as you can also use software on the CD-ROM to verify that
your installation is correct (see “HP Library & Tape Tools” on page 29). If you do not have
internet access, you can also download drivers directly from the HP StorageWorks Tape
CD-ROM, but these may not be the latest versions available.

www.hp.com/support. Refer to the

UNIX and OpenVMS users

The recommended backup applications use the operating system’s standard, built-in device
drivers. To upgrade drivers we recommend that you patch to the latest version of the operating
system, following the instructions in the patch documentation.You will also find information
about configuring device files in the Configuration Guides on the CD-ROM.

IA64 users

If you are installing on IA64 system, such as an HP Integrity server, check www.hp.com/

go/connect

and drivers.

for the latest information on the availability of backup application upgrades

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tape
drive

server

Direct attach - SCSI Network attach - SCSI

Figure 1: usage models

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Usage models

The tape drive is directly attached to a VHD SCSI connector on the server. It can be used in a
stand-alone (direct attach) or network environment. In a network environment it is attached to
a network storage server.

This guide describes how to connect the tape drive to the VHD SCSI connector on the server.
The instructions are appropriate for all environments, but network users may need to take
additional steps to ensure that their system is configured for optimum performance. See
“Optimizing performance” on page 30.

Direct attach

The tape drive is directly attached to a single server via a SCSI link.

Network attach (LAN)

The tape drive is directly attached to a network storage server that can be accessed by a
number of clients or workstations. As with the direct attach model, the connection is via a
SCSI link to the storage server.

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HP Product
Registration

Drivers

User
Documentation

HP Library &
Tape Tools

CD-ROM Guide

Figure 2: the

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HP StorageWorks Tape

CD-ROM

Using the CD-ROM

The HP StorageWorks Tape CD-ROM contains drivers, useful utilities and information to help
you install and use your tape drive. Before installation, users of most operating systems can
use the link to HP Library & Tape Tools software to check SCSI ID information on the SCSI
bus. UNIX users may like to print off the UNIX configuration guide.

Drivers

For detailed information about drivers, refer to the appropriate README file in the DRIVERS
directories on the HP StorageWorks Tape CD-ROM. There is a separate sub-directory for each
operating system.

HP Library & Tape Tools

HP Library & Tape Tools software provides diagnostic and troubleshooting utilities. It allows
you to identify your product correctly, check SCSI ID information on the SCSI bus, run tests,
carry out firmware upgrades and, if necessary, generate comprehensive troubleshooting
information for support calls. For further details see page 29.

User documentation

Refer to the “User Documentation” topic on the HP StorageWorks Tape CD-ROM for a UNIX
Configuration guide and an online User’s Guide that provides more detailed information
about using your HP StorageWorks SDLT 600 tape drive.

Refer to your backup application’s documentation for instructions on how to back up and
restore data.

CD-ROM guide

The CD-ROM guide provides an overview of the CD directory structure and information about
the languages in which the contents of the CD-ROM are available. It also contains a set of
URLs and links for further information.

HP product registration

To register your new tape drive electronically via the web, use the “Product Registration” link
on the HP StorageWorks Tape CD-ROM.

9

10

connecting to an
HBA card in the
server

Figure 3: checking the SCSI connection

Step 1: Check the SCSI connection

Use the following questions to help you check your SCSI connection. Most users can use HP
Library & Tape Tools to check the SCSI bus type, see page 29. If you answer ‘Yes’ to all these
questions, you are ready to install your tape drive. If you answer ‘No’, you will probably need
to purchase and install additional items. For product details, go to

connect

.

www.hp.com/go/

1 Is there a spare SCSI port on your

server?

Yes

2 Is the SCSI bus type correct for the

SCSI specification of the device?

Yes

3 Will the tape drive be the only

device on the bus? This is the
recommended configuration. Do
not connect to a RAID controller or
the same SCSI bus as your disk
drive.

Yes

4 Does the HBA/controller have a

VHD SCSI connector?

No

No

No

No

Purchase and install one of the recommended
HBAs into an unused 64-bit PCI expansion
slot. (The HBA can also be installed in a 32­bit PCI expansion slot, but performance may
be degraded.)

See table below. If the SCSI bus differs from
the recommended specification for the drive,
performance of either the drive or the bus may
be impaired. Consider replacing your card
with one of the recommended HBAs.

If you have an Ultra HBA, performance may
be impaired. Consider installing (if you have
a spare PCI slot) or replacing your card with
an Ultra3 (160) or Ultra4 (320) HBA. Make
sure the last device on the bus is terminated.

Purchase and install a VHD-to-HD adapter or
use an HD-to-HD cable instead of the supplied
VHD-to-HD cable.

Yes

5 You are ready to install the device.

SCSI Bus Type Transfer Speed Supported

Ultra 3 (160) LVD Up to 160 MB/s Yes. This is a recommended configuration.

Ultra 4 (320) LVD Up to 320 MB/s Yes. This is a recommended configuration.
Ultra 2 LVD Up to 80 MB/s Yes, but this is not recommended
Ultra single-ended,

wide
High Voltage

Differential

Up to 40 MB/s Yes, but this is not recommended as it will restrict

performance. Do not connect to a narrow SCSI bus.

Up to 40 MB/s No. The drive will not work and you may damage

the drive or controller

table 1: supported SCSI bus types

11

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Figure 4: checking the SCSI ID