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Archive to tape setup

This section describes the steps for setting up a tape-based archiving system. Once configured, these settings do not need to be modified unless the tape device is changed. For requirements, see Requirements and considerations for managing your tape inventory before beginning these setup procedures:

Step 1: Connecting the tape archiving device
ClosedConnecting the tape archiving device

Connect the tape drive or autoloader device to your Recovery Series appliance.

Note:   Even though you can connect multiple tape drives, the system only uses one tape drive at a time for archiving.

To connect a tape archiving device to a Unitrends Recovery Series appliance

1 Connect the tape drive or autoloader to the Unitrends system using a SAS or LVD SCSI cable. If using a LVD SCSI cable, ensure that a SCSI bus terminator is installed on the tape device according to the vendor’s documentation.
2 Once connected, power on the tape device.
3 Once the tape device initializes, reboot the Unitrends system. This enables the appliance to discover the tape device.
Step 2: Configuring the tape archive device in the Unitrends system
ClosedConfiguring the tape archive device in the Unitrends system

This section discusses how to configure your tape archive devices after they have been connected to the Recovery Series appliance. Tape drives and autoloaders must be configured before you can begin archiving. If you are using an autoloader make sure you configure the tape device before the autoloader. After the tape archive devices are configured, you must prepare the archive media. The media can be prepared manually or automatically by the Unitrends appliance.

See the following topics for information:

ClosedAbout preparing tapes

Preparing tapes is a requirement for archiving to tape. Preparing the tape overwrites all existing data and reformats the tape for archiving with Unitrends. Tapes can be prepared automatically or manually. To automatically prepare tapes, set use_unlabeled_tapes to True (step 7 in To configure a tape drive). All tapes within the selected range, are prepared before the first archive job. If this field is set to False, archiving does not write or prepare data to a tape that has not been prepared. Setting the field to False allows for greater protection of archive media containing non-Unitrends backups at the cost of having to manually prepare tapes before they can be used for archiving.

The use_unlabled_tapes setting has no impact on tapes containing Unitrends backups. Use retention settings to prevent archive jobs from overwriting data on these tapes. For instructions on preparing tapes manually, see To prepare archive tapes.

ClosedPreparing tapes with autoloaders that do not have barcode readers

If your autoloader does not read tape barcodes, and you have a combination of tapes with Unitrends and non-Unitrends data, it is recommended that you set use_unlabeled_tapes to False to thoroughly protect your non-Unitrends data.

When an autoloader has a tape in the drive, it recognizes the slot from which that tape was loaded. Some autoloaders forget the tapes slot assignment if the autoloader is turned off with a tape still in the drive, or if there is an unexpected loss of power. An unload operation may then fail to return the tape to its proper slot, which may cause an incorrect assignment of the tape during archiving. For example, if you have 10 slots, and you set your Unitrends archiving range to 1-8; the sudden loss of power could cause slot 9 to be placed in slot 4, and could result in the tape from slot 9 (now slot 4) being prepared and written over.

If set to False, you must prepare tapes before archiving as described in To prepare archive tapes.

ClosedTo configure a tape drive
1 In the Unitrends appliance, select Archive > Settings > Archive Media.
2 Under Configurable Archive Media, click to scan for media. Connected tape drives and autoloaders display.

If the device does not display in the list, make certain the connections are secure, power cycle the device, and then reboot the appliance (Settings > System, Updates, and Licensing > Shutdown).

3 Select the tape device in the list of configurable devices.
4 Select is_available and set it to True. This allows the tape device to be used for archiving. Click Confirm.
5 If you have an autoloader, select parent_changer and select the desired autoloader from the drop down list. Click Confirm. This creates an association between the tape drive and the autoloader.
6 Select parent_changer_driveno and enter the drive number. Click Confirm. The drive number is usually 0, except in the case of an autoloader with multiple tape drives. Occasionally there may be a different number in a single drive system.
7 To automatically prepare tapes, select use_unlabeled_tapes and set it to True. If this field is set to False, the appliance does not automatically prepare any tapes and cannot use unprepared tapes for archiving. For more information, see About preparing tapes.
8 If desired, configure additional settings. The default settings are recommended, but if you wish to alter the settings, see the setting descriptions below.
ClosedSetting descriptions

When restoring data, the blocksize and compression settings must match the setting at the time the tape was written. The settings with an * should only be changed before archiving to a new tape.

Setting

Setting Description

hardware_read_blocksize*

Sets the blocksize of tape driver to use during tape read operations.

software_read_blocksize*

Sets the maximum size of data blocks to read from tape driver. The optimal value depends on the particular tape drive.

hardware_write_blocksize*

Sets the blocksize of tape driver to use during tape write operations.

software_write_blocksize*

Sets the size of the data blocks to write to the tape driver.

eject_before_unload

Determines whether or not this changer requires its tape drive(s) to be sent an unload command before it can put a tape back in its slot.

eject_wait_time

Required by some tape devices, this sets the number of seconds to wait between issuing an eject command and issuing an unload command to an autoloader.

max_ready_time

Sets the maximum number of seconds to wait for a tape drive to become ready after a tape is loaded. This is beneficial if your tape device takes a long time before it is ready.

hw_compression_supported*

States whether (true) or not (false) the device supports hardware compression.

hw_compression*

States whether (true) or not (false) you want to use hardware compression on tape device.

max_command_time

Sets the maximum number of seconds to wait for tape commands to complete.

init_cmd

Required by some devices, enter a command(s) necessary to initialize the device.

rewind_cmd

Enter a command to rewind the tape.

space_to_next_cmd

Enter a command to space to next file on tape.

space_to_end_cmd

Enter a command to space to end of tape.

load_cmd

Enter a command to load tapes. (Most drives will not need this set.)

unload_cmd

Enter a command to unload/eject tapes.

set_blcoksize_cmd

Enter a command to set tape hardware blocksize.

9 Click Close once all settings are configured. Repeat these steps for all desired tape drives.
10 Continue with the following applicable procedures:
• If you have an autoloader, see To configure an autoloader.
• If you selected False in step 7 above, see To prepare archive tapes
• If you are ready to archive and do not need to prepare archive tapes, see Archiving backups to tape
ClosedTo configure an autoloader

Before configuring an autoloader, you must configure your tape drive. For instructions, see To configure a tape drive.

1 In the Unitrends appliance, select Archive > Settings > Archive Media.
2 Under Configurable Archive Media, click to scan for media. Connected tape drives and autoloaders display.

If the device does not display in the list, make certain the connections are secure, power cycle the device, and then reboot the appliance (Settings > System, Updates, and Licensing > Shutdown).

3 Select the autoloader in the list of configurable devices.
4 Select is_available and set it to True. This allows the autoloader to be used for archiving. Click Confirm.
5 Select available_slots and assign a slot range within the autoloader for the Unitrends system to access. This defines the tapes to which the archives are written. Click Confirm.
6 If desired, configure additional settings. The default settings are recommended but if you wish to alter the settings, see the table below:

Setting

Setting Description

unload_quiesce_time

Determines the number of seconds to wait after an unload command completes, to allow a changer to quiesce and finish the unload operation in case it returns ready before it is actually finished.

switch_tapes_on_io_error

Decides whether or not to switch tapes upon an input/output error from the drive while attempting to write archive data. If True, archiving attempts to use the next tape; if False, the job fails.

max_command_time

Sets the maximum number of seconds to wait for tape commands to complete.

init_cmd

Enter a command(s) necessary to initialize the device.

7 Click Close once all settings are configured. Once a tape drive is associated to the changer, the tape drive and the autoloader display as a single device on the Archive Now or Archive Schedule page. Repeat these steps for all desired autoloaders.
8 Continue with the following applicable procedures:
• If you selected, False in step 7 of To configure a tape drive, see To prepare archive tapes.
• If you are ready to archive and do not need to prepare archive tapes, see Archiving backups to tape
ClosedTo prepare archive tapes

If use_unlabelled_tapes is set to False in Archive > Settings > Archive Media, tapes must be manually prepared using the following procedure before to archiving. For more information, see About preparing tapes.

1 In the Unitrends appliance, select Archive > Settings > Archive Media.

The system checks for connected archive media. If necessary, click re-scan for media. Connected media display in the Archive Media area.

2 Select the tape device. If the device is an autoloader, enter the slots in which the tapes are inserted.
3 Enter a media label to describe the tapes.
4 Click Prepare. The system overwrites all existing data and formats the tapes with the Unitrends file system. Tapes are now ready for use.
5 Continue to Archiving backups to tape.