3.3 IBM TotalStorage 3494 Tape Libraries

Once you have your tape library connected to the Reservoir machine (SCSI or Fiber) and the TCP/IP connection to the 3494 library established, you can start configuration process:

• Partition the library. You have to dedicate a general tape category (in the range from 0x0001 to 0xFEFF) to UPSTREAM and populate it with some number of scratch volumes (optional).
• Install and configure tape drive(s) and changer software according to your TotalStorage Tape Library documentation. For 3494 library edit /etc/ibmatl.conf (c:\WinNT\ibmatl.conf on Windows) file to set the name and IP address of the library.

• Configure Reservoir to work with IBM TotalStorage libraries. Start Reservoir configurator, go to “Tapes” tab and enable “IBM MT3494”. Specify the dedicated UPSTREAM category in hex here. If you have multiple libraries, all must use the same category number.  If you have a SCSI Total Storage tape library, check “Emulation” box. Save the configuration.
  
  
  After you successfully finished these configuration steps, you can start the Reservoir.

  From a machine where you have is installed, start the Director, connect to running Reservoir and go to Media tab. Here in Tape Library Management window you can verify your library details:

  • The name and the IP address of the library;
  • The number of tape drives and their status;
  • The current contents of the UPSTREAM category.

  From this window you can:

  • If you don’t want Reservoir to use some of the tape drives, you can push Un-Assign Drive From Element. You can later enable this drive for Reservoir by pressing Re-Assign Drive To Element button. Both of these operations are allowed only while the tape drive is not in use.
  • From the Content view you can eject a tape (for vaulting, for example) by highlighting it and pressing Eject Tape button. In this case tape will be moved to the convenience eject category (0xFF10), but the Reservoir will still keep information about it in its pools.
  • If you want to return a previously used UPSTREAM tape back into the library, insert it into the library so it goes in the insert category (0xFF00) and then press Inject Tape button. Reservoir will scan insert a category and take ownership of the tapes it has in its inventory.

  The Tape ReGen window gives you a view of all UPSTREAM tapes.  At first there are no tapes in any of these pools. You have to press the Scratch radio button in the Pools frame and create a scratch pool. Specify the pool name (we recommend SCRATCH) and the first tape volume to go to the scratch pool. After you created a scratch pool, you can add tapes to it using Add Tapes to Scratch Pool button. Reservoir will scan insert category (0xFF00) for the volumes specified and move them to UPSTREAM category.

  During the backup the Reservoir will draw tapes from the scratch pool and move them to the allocated pool. After you delete all the backups on a tape, it will return the tape to the scratch pool.

  If you highlight a scratch tape and press the Delete Tape(s) button, the tape will be deleted from the scratch pool but be left in the UPSTREAM category.

  In the Media tab, Tape Library Management Window, Contents view you can use the right mouse button menu to mount or dismount a tape.  You can also drag and drop a tape from the Contents list onto a tape pool in the Tape Regen window to quickly add tapes to pools.