Mike,

  Yes, the host functioning as the volume database host (the master server 
in your case) does not need to have access to tape drives.

   To get what you want, what you need to do is fake the system out and 
make it think it does have a tape drive. This is done by defining a dummy 
tape drive on master server.  To create the dummy tape drive, you'll need 
to use the 'tpconfig' command (not the Java GUI) and you'll need to start 
it with the '-noverify' option (i.e. tell it not to verify if any tape 
devices it is given are valid tape devices).  Then set up 'ltid' to also 
come up in a 'dont verify' mode every time it is started via the script. 
This is done by editing the 'S77netbackup' startup script and adding a 
'-noverify' option to the 'ltid' command.  Remember that if you start LTID 
from the command line, you'll need to specify this options at that time as 
well.  You may need to define a dummy storage unit to go with the dummy 
tape drive, but I'm not sure on this point.

   I may be wrong on this next point (but I don't think I am), but I don't 
believe the volume database host needs to see the robots; it just 
functions as a database server, relying on the various 'vmd' and 
supporting routines on the device host(s) to supply it with the 
information it stores. So once you have the dummy tape device is set up, 
the master server shouldn't need to contact the ACSLS server.  Any of your 
media servers with access to the ACSLS server should be able to provide 
you with the inventory information you need.

Tony Guzzi
Sr. Solutions Engineer, AssuredRestore team
Storability, Inc.

www.storabilility.com
The Leading Provider of Automated Storage Assurance for the Global 
Enterprise


Message: 9
From: Mike Andres <mike_andres AT cnt DOT com>
To: "'Veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu'"
                  <Veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu>
Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 16:44:46 -0600
Subject: [Veritas-bu] robot inventory on acsls master w/o drives

Hi All, 

   Is it possible to make a master server the volume database host of a 
9310
library under acsls control if the master does not have access to any
drives?  Since acsls actually controls the library and the master can talk
to it via the net I would think that it can, but w/o ltid starting I can't
get the acs* processes to start.  Anyone have any ideas/similar configs?

Thanks, 
-mike