Re: [Networker] IBM versus Quantum versus HP LTO-3?

Thanks for the link! I was wondering where they'd squirreled that away to.

It's odd, though, because the current documentation that Quantum has,and another source Ifound all indicate that LTO3, 2 and 1 use 0x44, 0x42 and 0x40 for thedensity codes respectively.

However, Legato's older document indicates density=0x00 for both LTO-1and LTO-2 for IBM and HP.

This seems like an odd discrepancy.

We have one Linux storage node that runs the STK L80 with LTO-1 Seagatedrives that we'll beupgrading to IBM LTO-3. We also have an older SDLT-1 Quantum libraryattached as well. Thestinit.def file uses the 0x00 code for the LTO drives, but I'm not surewhere we got that stinit.def file from,and we've been using it for the past several years. I think I pulled itoff the internet way back when, but it's the same

as what Legato has. Here's the entry we have for the LTO-1:

manufacturer=SEAGATE model = "ULTRIUM06242-XXX" {
can-bsr scsi2logical drive-buffering
timeout=800
long-timeout=14400
mode1 blocksize=0 density=0x00  # as close as possible to st.conf entry
}

Maybe this was never correct to begin with, but this has worked fine forus. Now, I'm wondering what willhappen when I try to read those tapes on the new LTO-3 drives with thefollowing modes:

mode 1 blocksize=0 density=0x44 compression=1 # ULTRIUM 3 density,compression onmode 2 blocksize=0 density=0x44 compression=0 # ULTRIUM 3 density,compression offmode 3 blocksize=0 density=0x42 compression=1 # ULTRIUM 2 density,compression onmode 4 blocksize=0 density=0x40 compression=0 # ULTRIUM density,compression

Our other Linux storage node is running a newer Quantum library withSDLT-600 drives. It'sstinit.def file matches the current information that Quantum has for theSDLT600 device, and

that's where I got that one from.

George

Yaron Zabary wrote:

  The best I could find is:

ftp://ftp.legato.com/pub/HW_Support/compatguide/stinit.def
IBM LTO-2 only and the comments clearly states: "may need additionaltweaks". This is from the old Legato site (file is from 2003).
George Sinclair wrote:
Can anyone recommend which drive manufacturer to use for LTO-3 (HP,IBM or Quantum (Certance)?
Does anyone overtly not recommend IBM or had bad experiences with these?
We have NW 7.2.2 running on a Linux RH storage node with a StoragetekL80 tape library, currentlyrunning older Seagate LTO-1 drives. STK shipped us four IBM LTO-3drives for our LTO-3 upgrade (same tape library).
I can't get any technical support from IBM since the equipment is notunder contract with IBM.I've been unable to locate an online manual for these drives. Isearched through IBM's site and elsewhereand could not find anything that discusses any specifics regardingthese drives in regards to keyword values for Linuxstinit.def entries like timeout, long-timeout, etc. Legato'sdocumentation specifically states that Linux uses stinit.def,and their hardware compatibility guide suggests using the Linux stdriver as this has been tested.
I found some information at Quantum's site and one other st_conf.cdocument pertaining to Sun, and these seem to corroboratethat the density code would be 0x44 for LTO-3, 0x42 for LTO-2, etc.but nothing about the various keyword values or timeout
values.
Legato's documentation is very limited. The only place I could find asample stinit.def was under the Linux installation guide (pdf), but thisdoesn't even include LTO, and mentions that the compatibility guidescontain stinit information, but I couldn't find anything under thererelated to stinit.def. The Linux installation guide suggests that you"...refer to the tape device manufacturer's requirements for
the specific device and model being used."
Was wondering if we should request that STK take these drives backand replace them with HP? My main concernis not being able to get the support for these drives in terms of thestinit.def entries, etc., but if there are other reasons
that we should NOT consider using IBM drives, I'd be curious to know.
STK didn't seem to know much about stinit.def and mentioned that it'snot needed, but I'm doubtful on that.
If anyone is using IBM LTO drives with Linux, I'd be interested toknow what your stinit.def file looks like and any help.
Thanks.

George



--
George Sinclair - NOAA/NESDIS/National Oceanographic Data Center
SSMC3 4th Floor Rm 4145       | Voice: (301) 713-3284 x210
1315 East West Highway        | Fax:   (301) 713-3301
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282  | Web Site:  http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/

- Any opinions expressed in this message are NOT those of the US Govt. -

To sign off this list, send email to listserv AT listserv.temple DOT edu and type 
"signoff networker" in the body of the email. Please write to networker-request 
AT listserv.temple DOT edu if you have any problems with this list. You can access the 
archives at http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/networker.html or
via RSS at http://listserv.temple.edu/cgi-bin/wa?RSS&L=NETWORKER