Quantum PATHLIGHT VX 2.4.0 User Manual

Release Notes

Product: Pathlight® VX 2.4.0
Date: February 2006

Contents

Page Topic

1 Purpose of This Release
2 New Features and Enhancements
4 Compatibility Matrix
6 Resolved Issues
10 Known Issues
13 Documentation
13 Contacting ADIC

Purpose of This Release

Pathlight VX 2.4.0 includes several new features and enhancements that extend its capabilities. These
release notes describe these new features and enhancements, as well as currently known issues and
issues that were resolved for this release of the product. These notes also provide auxiliary firmware
compatibility information. Visit www.adic.com
releases.

for additional information about Pathlight VX and previous

© February 2006, ADIC
ADIC is a registered trademark of Advanced Digital Information Corporation. All other product,
company, or service names ment ioned herein are the property o f their respective owners.

®

6-01032-17 Rev A

New Features and Enhancements

The Pathlight VX now includes the following new features and enhancements.

• ADIC Scalar i500 Library Support - Pathlight VX 2.4.0 supports the ADIC Scalar i500 library as
an attached physical library and as an emulated virtual library.

• 500 GB Disk Support - Pathlight VX 2.4.0 supports the use of 500 GB drives in the RAID
component, increasing the available disk capacity of the RAID.

• Enhanced Virtual Media Realization Process - In Pathligh t VX 2.4.0, users can export and realize
virtual media without having to export the media’s physical counterpa rt. This enhancement enables
Pathlight VX customers to use an attached physical library as a vault.

• Enhanced System Backup Functionality - In Pathlight VX 2.4.0, users can configure the time
when the system backup starts. This enhancement provides Pathlight VX users with the ability to
control their backup infrastructure and back up more data in less time.

• Enhanced Virtualization Functionality (New Notification) - In Release 2.4.0, Pathlight VX
functionality has been improved to notify users when virtualization operations are complete. This
enhancement provides users with a specific notification when they can use their backup application
to import the virtualized media, instead of waiting an unknown period of time and guessin g wh en
the virtualization operation has finished.

• Synchronizing Pathlight VX Time with NTP - In Pathlight VX 2.4.0, users can synchronize the
system time with Network Time Protocol (NTP), so it is no longer necessary to manually set this
parameter. This enhancement prevents clock drift in the Pathlight VX.

• New Option to Reclaim Space on Disk Extension Media - Pathlight VX 2.4.0 offers new
functionality to reclaim space on Disk Extension media and track the amount of wasted space on
Disk Extension media in the Disk Extension Space Usage Report. Over time, Disk Extension media
develops wasted space as it is used in the Pathlight VX. Wasted space is a normal by-product of
using Disk Extension media, and it is automatically reclaimed when virtual media are re cycled and
as backups expire. This functionality has been added to enable users to reclaim wasted sp ace
immediately, instead of waiting for automatic reclamation. To access the reclamation process,
navigate to Operations > Media > Physical > Disk Extension on the Pathlight VX User Interface.
To view the Disk Extension Space Usage Report, navigate to Reports > Disk Extension Space
Usage on the Pathlight VX User Interface.

• Enhanced E-mail Notification Functionality - In Pathlight VX 2.4.0, e-mail notification
functionality has been improved to add an option to send a test e-mail to the ADIC Technical
Assistance Center (ATAC) and verify that the e-mail notification is received and working as
expected.

• New Option to Cancel Media Import Operation - Pathlight VX 2.4.0 enables users to cancel a
media import operation. This functionality is useful if a user loads physical media into the I/E station
of a physical library attached to the Pathlight VX and the slots limit is reached as the media is
imported into the system. This operation enables the user to export the additional media from the
Pathlight VX.

• Enhancements to Pathlight VX Service Tickets - In Release 2.4.0, the Pathlight VX function ality
that sends service ticket information by e-mail has been enhanced to provide more detailed
information.

• Streamlined Approach to Mapping LUNs - Pathlight VX 2.4.0 offers a more streamlined approach
to map LUNs to new devices (virtual drives and libraries). After a new virtual drive or library is
created, the user is alerted that the new device is not mapped to a LUN yet and the system offers
to take the user to the Host Access screen to map it to a LUN.

2 © February 2006, ADIC

• Enhanced Export Media Functionality - In Release 2.4.0, Pathlight VX export media functionality
has been enhanced. Now, if any type of media is exported from the system (Application, Cleaning,
Disk Extension, Internal Backup, or Service), users are prompted to remove media from the
attached physical library.

• Enhanced Internal Backup Functionality - In Release 2.4.0, internal backup functionality has
been enhanced and enables users to disable the backup to tape option. To access this process,
navigate to Setup > Internal Backup on the Pathlight VX User Interface.

• Enhanced Capture State Functionality - Pathlight VX 2.4.0 o ffers enhanced capture system state
functionality, enabling users to take multi-level snapshots. Users can now take Standard, Extended
or Comprehensive system state captures. To access the capture system state process, navigate to
Tools > Capture State on the Pathlight VX User Interface.

• Enhanced RAID RAS Information - Pathlight VX 2.4.0 offers enhanced RAS information, which
includes RAID disk drive capacity.

• RAID Disk Drive Capacity Report - Pathlight VX 2.4.0 offers a new report, the RAID Disk Drive
Capacity Report, which enables service users to conveniently determine the disk d rive capacity of
their Pathlight VX system. To view this report, navigate to Report > RAID Drive Capacity Report
on the Pathlight VX Service Interface.

• Persistent Reserve SCSI Command Support - Some newer IBM systems issue a persistent
reserve in command to tape drives to make them exclusively accessible to one host, and then issue
a persistent reserve out command to release the drives to make them accessible to other hosts.
Windows IBM tape drivers at version 6.1.1.2 and higher enable persistent reserve commands by
default. In order to run this driver, you must upgrade to Pat hlight VX 2.4.0.

• Expanded Support for FC Blade SFPs - Pathlight VX 2.4.0 offers an increased number of
supported SFPs (used in the FC blades of the SNC). See Table 3

on page 5.

• Support for Pathlight VX-650s with Mixed Systems - Release 2.4.0 supports Pathlight VX-650s
with mixed systems. A mixed system uses RAID that contains both 320 GB and 500 GB disks.

© February 2006, ADIC 3

Compatibility Matrix

Table 1 and Table 2 provide information about drive and auxiliary firmware minimum compatibility with Pathlight

VX 2.4.0. This information is current as of the publication date of these Release Notes. For the most current
information, contact ATAC.

Table 1 Minimum EMC Flare Code Levels

Pathlight VX-450 Pathlight VX-650

AX100SC CX-300 CX-700

For ATAC contact information, refer to Contacting ADIC.

Flare 191

02.19.100.5.007

1

ADIC-supported flare code is located on EMC’s Service Partner Web under Licensed SW, Fixed Code Level bundles for ADIC, or

for EMC SEs: http://www.cs.isus.emc.com/csweb2/dgweb/software/ADIC/index.htm

Flare 191

02.19.300.5.019

Flare 191

02.19.700.5.019

.

Table 2 Drive and Library Firmware Levels

Library Library Firmware

Scalar 24 309A.GY002 4561 53Y2 54K1
Dell PV 132T 308D.GY002 4561 53Y2

IBM 3582 307B.GY001 N/A 5AT0
Scalar 100 (LTO-3) 6.03.0004 N/A N/A 54K1

Scalar 100 (LTO-1, LTO-2) 3.34.0003 4561 53Y2 N/A
Dell PV 136T 3.35.0001
IBM 3583 (with multi-path) 6.03.0005 5AU1 5AT0 59D2

IBM 3583 (without multi-path) 3.30.08 5AU1 5AT0 59D2
Scalar 1000 640P.0004 53J1 53Y2

LTO-1
Firmware

N/A

LTO-2 Firmware LTO-3 Firmware

1

N/A

1

N/A

2

53Y3 54K1

N/A

2

Scalar i500 200G.GS00500

N/A

2

N/A

2

59D2

Scalar i2000 400A.GS02001 4561 53Y2 5BG2
Dell PV 160T 400A.GS02001 4561 53Y2 5BG2
Scalar 10K 301A.00002 53J1 53Y2 5481

IBM 3584 5050 N/A 53Y2
STK L180 3.09.00 4561 4770
STK L700 3.09.00 4561 4770

1

This library supports LTO-3 drives. However, Pathlight VX does not support LTO-3 drives in this library.

2

This library does not support this drive.

Note

Note

Pathlight VX 2.4.0 software can run with earlier versions of physical libraries and drive
firmware levels. Schedule a flare code upgrade within 7 days of the Pathlight VX upgrade.

This information is current as of the publication date of these Release Notes. For the most
current information, contact ATAC.

For ATAC contact information, refer to Contacting

N/A
N/A
N/A

1

1

1

ADIC.

4 © February 2006, ADIC

The 2.4.0 release enforces use of ADIC-approved SFPs in the SNC’s FC blades. If an FC blade uses SFPs
that are not approved, then these SFPs need to be r epl aced as par t of th e Path ligh t VX softwa re up grade .
Refer to Table 3

to determine which SFPs are ADIC-approved for use in the SNC’s FC blades.

Table 3 Supported SFPs for the FC Blade - P/N 1-00727-XX

SFP Manufacturer Part Number Type

Infineon V23818-M305-B57 (discontinued)
Infineon V23838-M305-M56 (discontinued) Metal
Infineon V23848-M305-C56 (MPD D0142) Metal
Stratos ADIC-SPLC2081B Metal
Stratos SPLC-20-8-1-B Metal

1. This SFP model is supported with the exception of those manufactured in September or
October 2004.

Note

This is current information as of the publication date of these Release Notes. To
determine the latest part numbers or other compatibility information, contact ATAC. For

1

Plastic

ATAC contact information, refer to Contacting ADIC.

© February 2006, ADIC 5