TS3500/3584 library firware upgrade questions with ALMS and transparent encryption

rvillano

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PREDATAR Control23

Hello to all the members of this great Forum!

I have a new customer who wants to use the TKLM software to do encryption with a TS3500/3584 library.

The customer has purchased TKLM, ALMS and transparent LTO encryption keys.

This library currently has 2 frames L32 and D32, 10 lto2 drives and 10 lto4 drives.

The current firmware for the library is 7420 and the drive firmware is 73v1 for the lto2 drives
and A232 for the lto4 drives.

The customer wants me to replace the existing lto2 drives with lto4 drives in a 2 partition library for use by the TKLM
software encryption application while the other partition will be used with the existing lto4 drives using server side
encryption until the tapes can be re-read and encrypted using TKLM in the 2nd partition.

I am concerned about the library firmware and drive firmware upgrades that may be required to do this project and
the issues I may run into trying to install this firmware where usually all my current customers have an
IBM CE do this type of work.

Questions:

1. How do I find out if this library uses enhanced node cards?
2. Will firmware upgrades for the library and drives be required?
3. Do I have to do the firmware upgrade before or after installing the ALMS and transparent keys?
4. Do I have the correct firmware code?

I was planning to use the ITDT software installed on AIX to do the firmware upgrades if needed and I have the
8980 library firmware which contains the "B710" tape drive firmware but I am still not sure this is the right code
for doing this project and I don't want to mess this up for any reason.

If anyone who has experience in doing this upgrade and who knows if the firmware I have downloaded is correct,
I would really appreciate your assistance.

Best Regards,

bob...
 
PREDATAR Control23

My two cents - ask IBM to do this work.

I had a TS3500 with 3 bays, a library manager and a VTS (the latter 2 referenced as TS7700 by IBM), and was always updated by IBM.

The risk is high for customers to do upgrades UNLESS you have all the tools needed plus some basic training to do this.
 
PREDATAR Control23

I agree with moon-buddy.

I have a ts3500 that did not have the enhances cards. When IBM updated (preparing for ALMS) the firmware, they fried the accessor card. I had to replace all the cards, and that took about 1 day to complete. The firmware you want, needs the enhances cards. Contact IBM, and have them check and probably replace all cards within the TS3500.
 
PREDATAR Control23

Thank You Ed & Trident,

I guess my next question is:
Can the ts3500 library with lto4 drives do drive level encryption on its own without TKLM? by using just the transparent encryption FC installed?

I think this customer is really only concerned with getting rid of the server side encryption for better performance and they are not thinking of the administration of the TKLM software and any issues during DR testing at another site.

And that brings another question, Disaster Recovery... what impact/issues will need to be addressed during a DR test using TKLM or if just drive level encryption is used and then will this be an issue at the DR location.

Thanks again

Bob...
 
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