HP C7401A - SureStore Ultrium 230 Tape Drive User Manual page 21

diagnostics
data protection
index of topics
contact hp
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file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/topher.COL-SPRINGS/Desktop/Ultrium/document/ultrium/user/reseller/eng/diag.htm [11/14/2001 8:10:23 AM]
issued october 2000 :
diagnostics
contents of this section
HP Library & Tape Tools diagnostic utility
installing
using
compatibility
firmware upgrades
TapeAlert
how it works
TapeAlert for OpenView
a new standard
summary
HP Library & Tape Tools diagnostic utility
The HP Library & Tape Tools software provides a number of utilities for getting
information about your tape drive and troubleshooting problems. It includes the
following functionality:
Installation help and advice to help you install your product and
operate it correctly
A Discovery utility to find out what devices are attached to your
SCSI bus
An Identity utility to find out detailed information about individual
devices, for example the firmware version.
Tests to check that your drive is operating correctly.
A Firmware Update Utility that helps you find upgrade files for
your tape drive and performs the upgrade
A Support Ticket that generates detailed troubleshooting
information for support calls (if you are connected to the Internet,
you will be able to e-mail this information directly to your Support
Center)
Comprehensive Help that is topic sensitive, should you need
additional information for the screen currently displayed
Updates and the latest versions of this software are available from our World Wide
Web site: www.hp.com/support/tapetools
installing HP Library & Tape Tools
You can install HP Library & Tape Tools from this CD-ROM or from the web. The
installer on the CD-ROM includes the option to install all of the available firmware
files; on the web, the tool is distributed without firmware and firmware files are
downloaded separately. In either case, installation is simply a question of
selecting the required option and following the instructions on the screen.
If you do not want to install HP Library & Tape Tools onto your computer, you will
be able to run it directly from the CD-ROM. In this mode, it will not update or
generate any files on your system.
Note: Earlier versions of the HP Surestore CD-ROM include a link from the HP
Library & Tape Tools topic on the CD-ROM to the web site. The software must be
installed from the web.
using HP Library & Tape Tools
compatibility
There are HP Library & Tape Tools versions for:
Windows NT 4.0 (workstation and server)
Windows 2000 (professional and server)
Novell NetWare 5 or 5.1
firmware upgrades
You can update the firmware in HP Surestore Ultrium tape drives either by
downloading over the SCSI bus or by loading a firmware update tape.
Use HP Library & Tape Tools to download via SCSI. Any tape in the drive will be
ejected automatically before update. The green 'Ready' LED flashes during
firmware update for about 30 seconds and returns to the ON state when the
update is completed. In this time DO NOT RESET OR POWER CYCLE THE
DRIVE.
Note: If a corrupt or incompatible image is downloaded for firmware upgrade then
the Ready, Drive and Tape Error LEDs will flash until a tape load is started.
Firmware update tapes are only available from HP. Refer to the Hewlett-Packard
Support web site for update information (www.hp.com/support/ultrium). To update
the firmware from tape, just insert the firmware update tape into the drive. DO
NOT RESET OR POWER CYCLE THE DRIVE during firmware update.
TapeAlert
Tape storage systems have a vital role to play in backing up essential data safely
and securely. Yet until now, there has been no reliable way to identify errors and
potential problems that may compromise their effectiveness or reliability.
Thanks to a new industry standard developed by Hewlett-Packard, however, that
situation has changed. TapeAlert is a tape drive status monitoring and messaging
utility that makes it easy to detect problems which could have an impact on
backup quality. From the use of worn-out tapes to defects in the drive hardware
TapeAlert provides easy-to-understand warnings of errors as they arise, and
suggests a course of action to remedy the problem.
To take advantage of TapeAlert, you need:
TapeAlert-compatible tape drives
TapeAlert-compatible backup software
Network administrators will also find it extremely valuable to have TapeAlert for
OpenView, which extends the benefits of TapeAlert across the network.
how it works
TapeAlert compatible tape drives - such as the latest Ultrium drives from Hewlett-
Packard - are delivered with TapeAlert features built in as standard. The internal
TapeAlert firmware constantly monitors the drive hardware and the media,
checking for errors and potential difficulties. Any problems identified are flagged
on a new SCSI log page, where 64 bytes have been reserved for use by
TapeAlert.
After a backup has been completed, the TapeAlert-compatible backup application
will automatically read the drive's TapeAlert SCSI log page to check for any
problems. If an error is flagged, the backup software displays a clear warning
message on the user's screen, and adds the TapeAlert messages to its logs.
These messages are standard across all applications that support TapeAlert, and
are designed to give clear explanation of the problem and suggested resolution.
For example, a user attempting to backup onto a worn-out tape would encounter
the message:
WARNING: The tape cartridge has reached the end of its useful life:
1. Copy and data you need to another tape
2. Discard the old tape
Errors Monitored
TapeAlert currently checks for errors occurring in the following main categories:
Drive recoverable read problems
Drive recoverable write problems
Drive unrecoverable read problems
Drive unrecoverable write problems
Drive hardware defects
Worn-out media
Expired cleaning tapes
Wrong media used
Abnormal error conditions
TapeAlert for OpenView
TapeAlert for OpenView allows you to bring all TapeAlert-compatible tape drives
on the network under the control of the network administrator. It integrates all the
features and functions of TapeAlert into HP's network management utility,
OpenView for Windows. As a result, tape drives can now be monitored and
controlled remotely in the same way as other network elements such as disk
drives and printers.
With TapeAlert for OpenView installed, error messages flagged by tape drives are
passed to the backup applications in the usual way. The software then forwards
the information to the network management console through the server's SNMP
interface.
An OpenView alarm is then activated on the management console, alerting the
network manager to the tape drives problem. The icon for the relevant server will
change colour, with the colour indicating the severity of the alarm as follows:
TapeAlert for OpenView also provides a graphical view of the tape drives on the
selected server. Detailed configuration information is shown, together with a
history of previous errors recorded.
For each alarm, TapeAlert provides a brief description of the error, together with
the date and time of occurrence and an indication of severity. By clicking on the
"More Info" button, it is possible to drill down to details such as the device and
media involved, and suggestions for correcting the problem. For consistency and
convenience, the error messages are identical to those displayed locally by
TapeAlert.
As a result, it is easy for network managers to identify the source of problems
occurring on any TapeAlert-enabled drive on the network.
a new standard
TapeAlert has been developed by Hewlett-Packard as a proposed new
standard tape drive management. All new tape drives from Hewlett-Packard will
be fully compatible with TapeAlert, and many major manufacturers and software
companies are expected to adopt the standard. Software companies adopting
the standard currently include:
Computer Associates Software
Seagate Software
Stac
Legato
Novastor
Designed for the Future
TapeAlert is an advanced technological standard which provides a
comprehensive range of state-of-the-art features and functions. However, it has
also been designed to allow considerable expansion and development in the
future, as new possibilities and opportunities open up.
summary
Reliable, high-quality backups are essential to safeguard the vast amount of data
stored on computer systems today. TapeAlert is an innovative standard that
enhances reliability by monitoring tape drives and associated media during backup
procedures.
Offering clear warnings of problems as they arise, TapeAlert allows users and
network managers to eliminate unnecessary errors and ensure that data integrity
and security is never compromised. Already gaining substantial support across the
industry, TapeAlert is set to become the established standard for tape drive
management.
http://www.hp.com/go/support/tape
HP Library and Tape Tools checks for
the presence of a SCSI controller and
its driver software and identifies the
SCSI IDs of existing SCSI devices.
You can then select the required
device from the device list and run one
of the diagnostic utilities for that device
by selecting the appropriate icon:
Identity, Firmware, Test or Support.
For ease of use, comprehensive online
help is built into the software.
RED Critical
YELLOW Warning
BLUE Information
The TapeAlert standard has been designed
to allow easy integration into backup
applications from any software vendor.
Applications which comply fully with the
requirements for TapeAlert will be awarded
the use of the TapeAlert logo.
hp learning products
may have a later version
© 2000, Hewlett-Packard Company