StarWind Software

Hi!

I have a quantum autoloader (Superloader3) attached to a physical Windows 2008 R2 server. I was able to install and use the tape redirector to export my autoloader and tape drive (they show up as two separate scsi devices). I installed the iSCSI initiator on a virtualized Windows server. I was able to mount the tape drive/changer without any problems. However, the backup software (retrospect 7.7) either sees a tape drive or changer - but not a unified tape/changer. It correctly finds and mounts the device(s) but they are not usable for backup'

I have tried the following:

Separate mappings tape & library
Mount tape first then library
Mount library first then tape

Combined Targets
Create Target
Add Tape Drive then add library
Add Library then add Tape Drive

One additional note - I have tried just using the changer and specifying the tape drive - i can just access the changer then - no tape drive is listed.

What am I doing wrong?

Charley

Try MS iSCSI initiator instead of a StarWind one as an initial step.

Thanks for the quick response - I get exactly the same behavior with the MS iSCSI initiator.

Thanks for the very quick response!

Charley

I see... Can you list both devices SCSI addresses and names please? Original and mapped ones I mean?

On source Windows 2008 R2 server:

From Properties in the device manager

Tape Drive shows as Tape drives -> Quantum LTO 3 Tape Drive -> Bus Number 0, Target Id 5, LUN 0
Medium Changer devices -> Quantum Superloader -> Bus Number 0, Target Id 5, LUN 1

On destination Windows SBS 2011 server

Tape drives -> Quantum LTO 3 Tape Drive -> Bus Number 0, Target Id 0, LUN 0
Medium Changer devices -> Quantum Superloader -> Bus Number 0, Target Id 1, LUN 0

This is with both devices shared from the source.

If I use the Export tape auto-loader/changer device and only mount that, then I only get a Medium Changer Device

Medium Changer devices -> Quantum Superloader -> Bus Number 0, Target Id 0, LUN 0

If I then Export the tape drive and mount it, it shows up as

Tape drives -> Quantum LTO 3 Tape Drive -> Bus Number 0, Target Id 1, LUN 0

Finally - if I make a new targeet and then add a tape drive and then add the autoloader to it -

Then I only get the tape drive as 0,0,0.

The target IDs only seem to reflect the order in which I mount the devices.

All tests done using the MS initiator

Have an impression we should have the same TargetId differentiating with LUNs only for device to be the "same". Let us check could it be an issue or not.

Thanks!

Hi Anton,

Have you had a chance to look into this?

Charley

CharleyK wrote:Hi Anton,

Have you had a chance to look into this?

Charley

Hi Charley,

the fix was included in the testing build for Raw->SPTI devices.
http://www.starwindsoftware.com/tmplink ... 120827.exe
Please check whether it works fine in your environment.

Thanks for the update! I will try it this weekend and let you know.

Charley

Your feedback is appreciated.

Hi Anton -

Partial Succes.

I tried a number of different options/settings with the MS iSCSI initiator and was not successful.

I tried mounting the tape and changer as one device and then separately. I reset the SCSI bus on the tape changer to SCSI ID 0 - so both the servers had the same mappings (Bus 0 Target 0 LUN 0 and Bus 0 Target 0 LUN 1) - no luck

I then used the Starwind iSCSI initiator, then I was able to connect to the drive and do basic manipulations such as moving tapes from the library to the drive.

However, backups are failing although I have had some success erasing a tape.

Charley

OK, I see. Is there any chance you'd send us StarWind log from the failing attempts to do anything? Could be transfer size limitation issue.

It's weird MS initiator does not work. Is there any chance you'd try other tape backup software (just in case)? Thanks!

CharleyK wrote:Hi Anton -

Partial Succes.

I tried a number of different options/settings with the MS iSCSI initiator and was not successful.

I tried mounting the tape and changer as one device and then separately. I reset the SCSI bus on the tape changer to SCSI ID 0 - so both the servers had the same mappings (Bus 0 Target 0 LUN 0 and Bus 0 Target 0 LUN 1) - no luck

I then used the Starwind iSCSI initiator, then I was able to connect to the drive and do basic manipulations such as moving tapes from the library to the drive.

However, backups are failing although I have had some success erasing a tape.

Charley

I would be happy to send the logs - where are there and where should I send them?

I am not sure I want to switch to a different back solution at this time - I have a fair number of tapes in the archive. However I can probably try something else to see if it's an issue with Retrospect.

Charley

support@starwindsoftware.com

I'm not asking to switch for production of course, I'm asking to give a try to do an experiment.

CharleyK wrote:I would be happy to send the logs - where are there and where should I send them?

I am not sure I want to switch to a different back solution at this time - I have a fair number of tapes in the archive. However I can probably try something else to see if it's an issue with Retrospect.

Charley