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Using nonqualified tape drives

How you can use a nonqualified tape drive  Top

You can use a nonqualified tape drive (one that is not on the list of qualified tape drives) on a filer if it can emulate a qualified tape drive. It is then treated as though it were a qualified tape drive.

Displaying information about nonqualified tape drives  Top

To display information about nonqualified tape drives, complete the following steps.

Step

Action
1

If the filer...

Then...

Has accessed the tape drive through the dump or mt command

Go to Step 3.

Has not accessed the tape drive through the dump or mt command

Go to Step 2, then proceed to Step 3.

2

Enter the following command to access the tape drive:

mt -f device status

device is any device that contains the tape drive number that you think is assigned to the tape drive.

Example
mt -f nrst1a status
3

Enter the following command:

sysconfig -t
Result

If the filer has registered a tape drive as emulating a qualified tape drive, it displays a message like the following:

Tape drive (6.5) DLT9000 emulates Digital DLT7000.

If the filer has not registered a tape drive as emulating a qualified tape drive, it displays a message like the following:

Tape drive (6.5) DLTXXXX (Non-qualified tape drive)

Getting tape drive information for emulation  Top

You must supply the following information about the nonqualified tape drive from your tape drive documentation to emulate a qualified tape drive:

Emulating a qualified tape drive  Top

To emulate a qualified tape drive, complete the following steps.

Step

Action
1

Make sure that you have a tape adapter available on the filer.
2

Halt the filer.
3

Connect the tape drive to the filer according the tape drive manufacturer's instructions.
4

Turn on the tape drive.
5

Turn on the filer.

Result

When the filer boots, an error message tells you that the tape drive is unsupported. It also contains the vendor ID and the product ID for the tape drive.
6

Record the vendor ID and product ID from Step 5 for later use.
7

Enter the following command to determine the highest tape drive number on your filer:

sysconfig -t
8

Enter the following command to create the filer /etc/cloned_tapes file:

mt -f nrstna status

n is one plus the highest tape drive number from Step 7.

Example
mt -f nrst2a status
9

Open the filer's /etc/cloned_tapes file in a text editor on a client that can access it.
10

For each nonqualified tape drive, create a line with either of following formats:

clone_vendor_ID clone_product_ID EMULATES vendor_ID    product_ID

clone_product_ID EMULATES product_ID

clone_vendor_ID is the vendor of the nonqualified tape drive.

clone_product_ID is the model number of the nonqualified tape drive.

vendor_ID is the vendor of a qualified tape drive that you want the nonqualified tape drive to emulate.

product_ID is the model number of a qualified tape drive that you want the nonqualified tape drive to emulate.

Example

The following entry in the /etc/cloned_tapes file enables the filer to treat the nonqualified Quantum DLT9000 tape drive as a clone of the qualified Quantum DLT7000 tape drive: 

QUANTUM DLT9000 EMULATES QUANTUM DLT7000
11

Enter the following command to put the emulation into effect:

mt -f rstna status

n is one plus the highest tape drive number from Step 7.

Example
mt -f rst2a status
12

Verify that the drive appears, along with all your previously installed devices, by entering the following command:

sysconfig -t

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Part No. 210-00325
File: tape10.htm
Last updated: 01/14/03 17:51:17