>
> 8 drives * 2 ports * 4 HBAs = 64 rmt devices for my 8 drives.

Ahhh, that's nothing!!!!  I've got 348 rmt devices on both of my big tsm
servers.
66 PRI drives, and 282 ALT drives.

We used the one HBA to multiple tape drives method. But, I use multiple
zones
for library and grouping of drives in the libraries.  For example, I have
the
following zones for one hba:
  rsfebkup7p_fcs0_3494isoc    (fcs0 -> 14 drives in local 3494)
  rsfebkup7p_fcs0_3494go      (fcs0 -> 16 drives in remote 3494)
  rsfebkup7p_fcs0_3584isoc    (fcs0 -> first 12 drives in local 3584)
  rsfebkup7p_fcs0_3584go      (fcs0 -> first 12 drives in remote 3584)
  rsfebkup7p_fcs0_3584isocSAP (fcs0 -> second 12 drives in local 3584
dedicated to SAP backups)
  rsfebkup7p_fcs0_3584goSAP   (fcs0 -> second 12 drives in remote 3584
dedicated to SAP backups)

This COULD be all combined into one zone, but, this provides some sanity.
It's more work,
but I think it's overall better for us.

This server has 6 HBA's . . .so this repeats 6 times!!!!



>Should I be zoning some
> of the HBAs for port 0 on the tapes, others for port 1?
>

Only if you are running dual/redundant fabrics.  In that case, you would
have
2 HBA's into each fabric, in which case you would have only 32 rmt devices.
We used to have this config, but gave it up and went single attach to save
money on switch ports.

Trust Atape . . .it's multi-pathing is your friend, although it causes some
interesting problems.  For example, don't expect a bad/missing tape drive
to
drop to a defined status (assuming this is AIX) when cfgmgr is run.  As
long
as Atape controls the paths they will always stay Available.   This can
be confusing the first time you run into it.  Also, the errpt will show
errors
for whichever path is being used.  This can be different than what the
actlog will say if a alt path is being used.  So,  it's mportant to find
and know the association between all the RMT devices for a particular
drive.

> I have an inclination, which I am working to stifle, to have this neat
> spirograph of a venn diagram so that HBA 1 is connected to odd ports
> of even tapes, and HBA 2 is connected to ...

We have 4 physical servers with 9 TSM instances.  For the most part,
each tsm instance has paths to all tape drives/libraries.  I finally
had to write a few scripts to help out with tsm drives and paths. With
this help, I could blow away and recreate all my paths in an hour.


Rick

>
>
>
> - Allen S. Rout
> - Maybe that was just maggots?

-----------------------------------------
The information contained in this message is intended only for the
personal and confidential use of the recipient(s) named above. If
the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or an
agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you
are hereby notified that you have received this document in error
and that any review, dissemination, distribution, or copying of
this message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify us immediately, and delete
the original message.