Before You Start - HP Ultrium 232e Getting Started Manual

Before you start

HP StorageWorks Ultrium tape drives are high-performance Ultra 160 SCSI half-height
devices with a maximum burst transfer speed of 160 MB/second. They are designed to
operate on a low voltage differential SCSI bus (LVDS). They should be connected to a VHD
SCSI connection on your storage server. For a detailed product specification, please refer to
our World Wide Web site (
Before starting to install your tape drive, you should consider the following:
Which operating systems are supported?
HP StorageWorks Ultrium drives can be connected to servers running under Windows®,
NetWare, HP-UX, Tru64, Linux and several other industry-standard operating systems. Refer to
the "HP StorageWorks Tape Software Compatibility" topic on our World Wide Web site
( www.hp.com/go/connect ) for more information about the operating systems and
versions that are supported.
How do I connect the drive to my server?
Check the usage models on page 6. This shows how the HP StorageWorks Ultrium tape drive
can be used in different system architectures.
Your tape drive is supplied with a 68-pin, wide, VHD-to-HD SCSI cable to attach to the host
server.
You will need a properly installed and configured SCSI host bus adapter (HBA) or a built-in
SCSI controller on your server with a spare LVD SCSI port with a 68-pin, very high density
(VHD), wide SCSI connector.
For optimum performance your tape drive should only be connected to a SCSI bus that can
transfer data at a rate that supports the tape drive's maximum burst transfer speed, see
Table 2, "supported SCSI bus types," on page 11, and it should be the only device on the
SCSI bus. Do not attach the drive to the same SCSI bus as your disk drive or RAID controller
(unless you are connecting to a ProLiant server with a Smart Array 6i RAID controller).
How can I check the SCSI bus?
We strongly recommend that you use HP Library & Tape Tools to check your server's current
SCSI configuration (see)"Step 2: Check the drive's SCSI ID" on page 13. This will provide
information about the SCSI bus and the SCSI IDs in use.
HP Library & Tape Tools is the recommended diagnostic and support tool for your HP tape
storage product. It is available on the CD shipped with your product or as a free download
from the HP web site and is supported on nearly all major operating systems.
See www.hp.com/support/tapetools for compatibility information, updates and the
latest version of the tool.
Do I need additional items for installation?
• If the tape drive is not the only or last device on the SCSI bus, you must terminate the bus
with a multimode terminator. If the tape drive is the only or last device on the bus, then the
tape drive enclosure provides active termination and you do not need to purchase a
www.hp.com ).
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