Hi,
the IBM Tape Device Driver supports Failover and Loadbalancing. On your 
operating systems you still see two or several device paths for your tape 
drive (depending on the paths/HBAs). The IBM Tape Device Driver handles 
the failover and the loadbalancing transparent for the application/TSM.

On TSM you define the tape drive just once.

For more information see
->ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/storage/devdrvr/Doc/IBM_Tape_Driver_IUG.pdf
->Implementing IBM Tape in UNIX Systems, SG24-6502-03
Redbooks, published 18 October 2005, 
->Implementing IBM Tape in Linux and Windows, SG24-6268-03
Redbooks, published 16 October 2005 


by the way: this works also for IBM LTO tape drives and for the IBM VTL 
TS7520, but there is a Feature/License Key necessary.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Kind regards
Josef Weingand
Senior IT Specialist
Technical Sales Systems Storage 

Mobil +49 171 55 26 783 - Homeoffice Tel. +49 8845 757421 
Fax +49 171 13 5526783 
email: weingand AT de.ibm DOT com
SMS/eMail: 01715526783 AT t-d1-sms DOT de

IBM Deutschland GmbH
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Geschäftsführung: Martin Jetter (Vorsitzender), Rudolf Bauer, Christian 
Diedrich, Christoph Grandpierre, Matthias Hartmann, Thomas Fell, Michael 
Diemer
Sitz der Gesellschaft: Stuttgart
Registergericht: Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRB 14562 WEEE-Reg.-Nr. DE 
99369940




Mark Stapleton <mark.s AT EVOLVINGSOL DOT COM> 
Sent by: "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU>
16.06.2007 23:38
Please respond to
"ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU>


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Subject
Re: [ADSM-L] 3592 dual-port drives






From: Cuc Nguyen [mailto:cucngu AT us.ibm DOT com]
Hi Mark, 
A while back, I saw you posted to adsm-L a question regarding 3592 
dual-port drives... I have some questions regarding its use, hope you can 
help: 
1. with dual-port, how does TSM know which path to use? do you have to 
configure a path as primary/secondary? 
2. assuming each port is connected/zoned for separate SAN fabrics, does 
that mean TSM is smart enough to fail over to another port if there any 
issue relating to the primary port? assuming there's a way that TSM is 
aware which port to use as primary and which as secondary. 

 
I don't normally answer personal questions stemming from adsm-l postings, 
but this is asked frequently. Please address such questions directly to 
the list, please.
 
TSM doesn't make those decisions; the OS does. So if your OS supports 
dual-port connections, TSM will use whatever port the OS dictates.
 
-- 
Mark Stapleton (mark.s AT evolvingsol DOT com <mailto:mark.s AT evolvingsol DOT 
com> ) 
Senior consultant