Archive:Drives 4.4
Drives
Drives are devices used for data storage that read from or write data to media. They are either local drives, connected to the SEP sesam Server, or remote drives, connected to another computer on the local or wide area network. These can be tape devices with removable tape cartridges or disk-based storage devices. Remote drives enable the storage devices, which are used by SEP sesam, to be distributed over WAN.
SEP sesam provides dynamic drive sharing option in SAN environments. Note that a proper SEP sesam SAN Dynamic Drive Sharing (SDD) license is required for each drive you intend to share. For more information, see List of Licenses.
Drive sharing option allows the drives to be available to multiple Remote Device Servers (RDS) at any time. A physical drive can be seen by any number of RDSs and can be used by relevant systems to store data. Shared drives can be defined by a unique drive designation. This means that multiple drives are labeled with the same device identifier, which is specific SCSI designation, for example: /dev/nst0 (Linux ), Tape0 (Windows). While executing SEP sesam tasks, such as backup and restore, the drives are being shared by multiple servers based on a shared timing.
Tip | |
It is recommended that SEP sesam auto-configures backup devices, but even for the automatically configured tape devices you should enable persistent naming and check their configuration to avoid errors in SEP sesam operation. For details, see Enabling persistent naming for tape devices. |
Drive groups
SEP sesam enforces you to organize drives into different groups. This is useful when several drives are used on one SEP sesam Server; if the drives are of the same type, it is recommended to bind them into one drive group and perform a backup using this group. SEP sesam then selects which drive to use for running the backup task. A backup is performed automatically on a drive that is currently free. In the event of a drive failure, each backup is automatically executed only on the available or operable drives. This is particularly true in cases of large autoloaders with multiple drives.
Button properties
Here the parameters of the selected element are shown and changed if necessary (Group or Drive).
New Group
The button New Group is used to configure a new group.
- Name
- An arbitrary name of the drive group
- Please select a description/name that is easily recognizable by all administrators, support personnel and users. This can and should be part of a general design that can be referred to and expanded at any time.
- Description
- additional information for the user
- e.g. Input of the loader's location and the relevant employee contact for assistance.
New Drive
Here the new drives are configured. Each drive must be assigned to a drive group; the drive group must have been previously created.
The Sesam-internal number of the drive drive-number is pre-set.
Field Loader specifies whether the drive is served by a loader or not. The loaders configured and accepted in Sesam appear in a drop down menu. When selecting "'no Loader"' sesam configures a manually operated standalone drive.
In the drop down Drive Type the type of the drive is set ( DISK-Types see below ).
In the field Device Server the client to which the drive is connected is entered. The drop down shows all clients configured in SEP sesam. The selection of the local computer creates a local connection, a remote device can also be specified.
Configuration Example
Drive 1 and 2 are local drives
Drive 11 through 21 are remote Devices at various locations
Drive 1:
08:00:18 I001-START Start on Drive 1 finished 08:00:18 Retrieves BACKUP Tasks from the SEPuler Event Calender
Drive 2:
09:08:58 Automatic Backup TEST_BACKUP finished 09:10:39
Drive 11:
09:05:57 Automatic Backup TEST_BACKUP finished 09:07:37
Drive 21:
10:32:47 Automatic Backup elektrik_orcl finished 10:34:54
In the event an expansion of one drive at location 1, Drive 12 will entered into the backup scheme.
Drive Name
Freely selected or specified and if it is a shared drive within a SAN it must be the same for all client shared drives e.g. SAN-Drive-LUN-0.
Loader
This specifies whether the drive is controlled by a loader or not. Loaders configured allowed as devices within SEP sesam appear in the drop-down menu. 'No Loader' simply means that it is a single drive and must be handled manually.
Drive Type
Choice of drive technology (e.g. DISK, DISK_HARD, DLT, LTO,...). You can specify DISK_HARD und DISK_CHNG for hard disk drives. Hard drives in NAS or DAS architecture are treated as DISK_HARD.
DISK_CHNG is used for all backups to USP hard drives removable drives.
Using this configuration, e.g. a daily update is made and a new, initiated drive is used for backup. (This is similar to a tape drive with daily inserted tape).
Attention
The utilization of Removable Devices requires the insertion of the device path (Direct Option)!
Tape Server
In the field Tape Server you need to enter the backup server or remote device server where the drive is located/connected. The Drop down Menu shows everything on the configured clients. The selection of the local/remote server either creates a local or remote device.
Drive Group
Every drive must be assigned to a drive group; the assignment of multiple drives to a similar Drive Type is possible, e.g. in the same auto loader with multiple drives.
Drive Number in Loader
shows the sequence within in the Loader how drives will be used. The order is dependent upon the hardware vendor's numbering scheme for all installed drives. If the order is entered improperly SEP will not be able to access the correct drive or cassette. If there is only one drive in the Loader, '0' is automatically entered.
Device (non-rewinding)
Device Label, where the device has been configured. For Tape Drives the Operating System specific SCSI designation is selected, e.g. /dev/nst0 or Tape0 (see the description below)
Info
Status log for the drive. e.g. Read/Write Error
Operating System Specific Designation
- Windows:
If the drive has been installed properly you can determine (output) the SCSI ID using the "sesam loader utility" (slu).
<SESAM_BIN>\sesam\slu.exe scan
You will now see a list all SCSI connected devices.
Example output:
ID=0000 other: WDC WD3000JD-55KLB0 (HardDisk) ID=3000 other: TSSTcorp DVD-ROM SH-D162C (CdRom0) ID=4030 Tape: Quantum DLT4000 D67E (Tape0) ID=4031 Loader: Quantum 1x8 E456 (Changer)
The visible ID must now be entered under "Device (SCSI-ID)".
- Linux:
You can use the same command to determine the necessary device files:
<SESAM_BIN>/sesam/slu scan
Example output:
ID=0000 other: ATA ST380013AS ID=1000 other: TOSHIBA ODD-DVD SD-M1802 ID=7040 Tape: Quantum DLT4000 D67E (/dev/nst0) ID=7050 Tape: Quantum DLT4000 D67E (/dev/nst1) ID=7060 Loader: HP C1194F 1.04 (/dev/sg4) STATUS=SUCCESS MSG="OK"
In addition to the SCSI-ID the Device File used will also be entered under "Device (SCSI-ID)" (you can test this wit the mt command).
Disk Type are automatically entered with the disk{Drive Number} (see below).
Properties - Options
Path for Removable media
for Type DISK_CHNG you just enter the Device Description/Label, e.g. /dev/media/USB or F:
Block Size
for Type DISK_CHNG you need to enter the Block Size
SMS Number
Shows the internally assigned SMS Number
SMS Channel
Sets the maximum number of parallel streams that can be used during backup to the backup drive
The number of data streams available for backup have also been assigned pre-determined limits based on the type of Server License in use, e.g ONE (1), Standard (5) or Advanced (unlim.)
Example of SMS Stream Limitation
SEP sesam ONE Server License
The system has a drive and a tape drive connected. Multiple backup tasks will be started simultaneously for execution after the close of business.
Result: The backups one after another to either the disk or tape drive, whichever has been specified. Only one backup stream is active.
SEP sesam Standard Server License
The system has one disk drive and two tape drives attached. The SMS channels are connected to all drives. Multiple jobs (e.g. 10) have been set to start in one Backup Series.
Result: Backups run parallel to either one of the drives or to both using 5 data streams depending on the desired backup path scheme.
Either one or both tape drives can be used simultaneously but only 5 data streams are open for data transfer.
SEP sesam Advanced Server License
The system has one disk drive and three tape drives available for backup. The SMS channel is set to 8 data streams per tape drive. Multiple tasks (e.g.) are started after close of business and within multiple Task Groups.
Result: The backups run in parallel on all three drives.
There is no limitation to the number of data streams that may be used or the SMS channels. The configuration and number of streams used for backup is dependent upon the system capability and throughput (pipe) available.
In Device the operating system specific SCSI-identification of the storage device is inserted. With the command ID/bin/sesam/sm_slu scan a list of the connected SCSI-devices can be created.
On Windows-Systems the identification to be entered is displayed in brackets at the end of the row - Tape\Number\ ( from the registry ). On UNIX- and LINUX-Systems the device representation is /dev/n ( test with the mt-command suggested ).
DISK-Types are automatically entered with disk{Drive Nr} ( see below ).
- Drive Number
- Number automatically assigned by SEP sesam, for a new drive it can be changed.
- Drive Name
- Logical identifier for drive (optional).
- Drive Type
- Selection of type
- Tape drives (LTO, DLT, SLR etc.)
- If it is planned to use the drive in a virtual disk storage, select DISK_STORE. The data will be stored in a SEP sesam Data Store.
- If the drive is a removable media, select DISK_CHNG.
- DISK_HARD is the old style of backup to disk and should not be used anymore.
- Loader
- The drive belongs to this loader. If it is a single tape drive, select No loader option.
- Drive No. in loader
- It will be set automatically by saving. If needed, it can be set up here.
- Device Server
- The host which is connected with the drive.
- Drive Group
- Selection of drive group (since every drive must be assigned to a drive group).
- Device
- SCSI-Identification, under which the device is configured at system level, example: Linux (/dev/nst0), Windows (Tape0).
- Path (for data store/removable media)
- Operating system's on wich the SEP sesam can connect the device.
- Tape in drive
- If a medium is loaded into the drive, the SEP sesam label will be displayed.
- Info
- If indicated the messages from the drive hardware will be displayed.
- Max. channels
- The count of simultaneous backups that can be operated through this drives.
- Encryption capable
A special case are the virtual drives already mentioned above where no physical drives and moveable media (tapes) exist.
Type DISK_HARD Configuration by selection of drive type DISK_HARD and loader 0 . The device is not editable, it is automatically disk + drive-number.
The assignment of directories to virtual media is performed through the media-pool which also specifies the maximum capacity (in KB) for this pool. This later prevents the unsupervised writing to the disk.
Type DISK_CHNG Configuration by selection of drive type DISK_CHNG and no loader or physical loader if available. The device is not editable, it is automatically named "'disk"' + drive number. In Options the path for the virtual media is defined.
Drive Action
Selecting this option from the drive-group window shows following screen.
From the GUI, the following 7 actions may be taken for the selected drive. The execution and progress of the activity is shown in the lower, cyclically updated information window.
- Get label
- shows the label of media, currently in the drive
- Mount media
- the MOUNT Status is reserved for the tape media to prevent unnecessary spooling.
- Dismount media
- cancels the MOUNT Status.
- Unload media
- cancels the MOUNT Status and ejects the cassette
CAUTION After manual changes to the drive ( tapes removal or insertion), the drive must be dismounted.
Unload Media should not be confused with unloading from an Auto Loader. It means, in this case, that the tape in the drive should be released and ejected. The loader can re-acquire the tape and re-enter it into its cassette ( = Unload via Loader ).
Release Drive
All activities will be halted
Reconfigure Drive
Used after a change in the drive parameters
Release Drive Group
All jobs running on the Drive Group are canceled.