3.2 Oracle/StorageTek’s ACSLS

Oracle/StorageTek's Automated Cartridge System Library Software (ACSLS), allows a number of systems to share all models of StorageTek silos (including the 9310 Powderhorn and 8500).

UPSTREAM works with ACSLS Servers (AIX) and HSC with Library Station (z/OS) allowing the Reservoir to share the silo with other applications on open systems or IBM mainframes. An ACSLS UPSTREAM Reservoir system can run in either Windows (with StorageTek's Library Attach) or on an AIX, or Linux system.

To configure a Reservoir machine to attach to an ACSLS capable silo, you must have:

• StorageTek's Library Attach (required to access ACSLS in Windows only, there is no StorageTek software required for UNIX systems)
• A direct connection (SCSI or Fibre) to tape drives attached to the StorageTek silo.
• A silo management station. It can be either an AIX system running ACSLS Server or an IBM mainframe running HSC and Library Station or an AIX system running as an ACSLS server.

Once the StorageTek software has been installed and configured the process is:

1. Partition the library: Create a separate tape pool dedicated to the Reservoir, and add tapes to that pool. Before you start doing tape backups you will have to create a scratch pool using Media tab in the Director, and add these tapes to that pool.
2. Establish communication with ACSLS:
   • For Windows install LibAttach 1.3 or higher on the Reservoir machine and configure it to talk to the ACSLS server. StorageTek provides a test program that verifies accessibility of the ACSLS server – query_server.exe. If using the default installation directory you can find it in C:\Program Files\StorageTek\LibAttach\Bin directory. Apply PTF 814134 for LibAttach version 1.3
   • For UNIX there are 2 helper programs that assist Reservoir with communications to ACSLS: ssi and mini_el. Reservoir starts these programs at initialization stage, and stops them when terminating. If for any reason these programs – especially ssi – go down, you will lose communication with ACSLS and are not able to control tape mounts/dismounts. You can try to re-establish communications and restart these programs by running the script start_ssi.sh without restarting Reservoir. In this case you will have to run stop_ssi.sh script after you stop Reservoir to stop these 2 helper programs. In case there are communication issues between Reservoir and ACSLS, you can check event.log file created by these helper programs.

3. Configure Reservoir: In the Reservoir configurator (see Advanced Configuration on page 12-1) in the Tapes tab:

   • StorageTek ACSLS: Check this radio button to use ACSLS.
   • Library Manager IP Address: Enter the IP address of the ACSLS Server or Library Station (z/OS). The default is localhost (127.0.0.1). This field is only for UNIX Reservoir (for Windows it is configured in the LibAttach configuration).

   

4. Establish the relationship (association) for tape drives between ACSLS and the Reservoir. Go into the UPSTREAM Director, Media tab to do that. Under ACSLS from Tape Libraries you’ll see all tape drives installed in your STK silo. Under Tape Devices you’ll see all tape devices that were configured and recognized by the operating system. If you click on Tape Devices, you will be able to “drag and drop” the correct OS device from the right pane to the appropriate silo tape drive on the left side; you can obtain tape location and configuration information from the staff that installed and configured the silo.
   
5. Run a test: after you finish the Reservoir configuration, start up an instance of UPSTREAM client configured to work with the Reservoir and run a small tape backup. Verify the backup by restoring data (to a different location). Then delete the backup and verify that the tape was released to the scratch pool

Go to section 3.5 on page 3-8 to continue your configuration.