HP Library and Tape Tools WebGUI and LTT Service User Guide

Transcription

1 HP Library and Tape Tools WebGUI and LTT Service User Guide Abstract HP Library and Tape Tools (L&TT) is a comprehensive application that provides functions for identifying, testing, updating, and troubleshooting a wide variety of data storage hardware and media. HP Part Number: EH a Published: September 2015 Edition: 2

2 Copyright 2015 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Hewlett-Packard Company makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Hewlett-Packard shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material. This document contains proprietary information, which is protected by copyright. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated into another language without the prior written consent of Hewlett-Packard. The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. Compaq Computer Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard Company. Microsoft, MS-DOS, MS Windows, Windows, and Windows NT are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group. Hewlett-Packard Company shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. The information is provided as is without warranty of any kind and is subject to change without notice. The warranties for Hewlett-Packard Company products are set forth in the express limited warranty statements for such products. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.

3 Contents 1 Introduction...7 What s new in L&TT Comparison with L&TT 4.x...8 Software features...9 Supported products and operating systems...9 Coexistence with other applications...10 Finding additional information Installing L&TT...11 Communication ports...11 Installing the LTT Service...12 Installation prerequisites...12 Installation procedure...12 Setting service configurations...13 HP LTT Service parameters...13 Reporting events to the Windows application log...15 Installing the WebGUI...15 Upgrading from L&TT 4.x...15 Upgrading from L&TT 5.0 and Installation prerequisites...16 Installation procedure...16 Configuring Firefox for use with the WebGUI...17 Configuring firewall ports Using the L&TT WebGUI...18 Starting the L&TT WebGUI...18 Navigating the L&TT WebGUI...18 Using the All LTT Service Hosts window...18 Automatic discovery of service host...19 Adding a service host...19 Removing a service host...19 Running diagnostics...19 Using the LTT Service diagnostics window...20 Identification and configuration screen...20 Using the Support Ticket screen...21 Using the Test/Utility screen...22 Using the Firmware screen...23 Using the Front Panel screen...24 Configuring the server Tests and utilities...26 Diagnostic tests...26 Assessment test...26 About the LTO drive assessment test...27 Connectivity test...30 Data Compression test...30 Device Analysis test...31 Device Self-Test...32 Library Exerciser test...32 Using the Library Exerciser test...33 Using the new version...33 Using the original version...34 Library Quick Check test...35 Contents 3

4 Library Read Write test...36 LTO Cooling Check test...40 LTO Media Assessment test...40 LTO Stuck Tape test...42 LTO Encryption test...42 Read/Write test...42 Move test...43 Performance tests...44 Drive Performance test...45 System Performance test...47 Performing the System Performance Write Performance Test...47 Performing the System Performance Read Performance Test...48 Device-specific utilities...49 Compare Statistics utility...49 Device Configuration test...50 Force Tape Eject utility...50 Tape Erase utility...50 Firmware Tape Creator utility...51 LTO Firmware to Data Tape Creator utility...51 Re-initialize LTFS Tape utility Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI...53 Viewing drive health...53 Viewing drive performance...54 Viewing drive utilization...55 Viewing detailed LTO drive information...55 Using the Data Tapes Content panel...64 Viewing tape health...72 Viewing tape utilization...73 Searching for a specific tape...73 Viewing information about the cleaning tapes Using support tickets...75 Generating a support ticket...75 Viewing a support ticket...76 Setting the detail level...76 Selecting an existing support ticket...76 Saving a support ticket...77 Sending a support ticket by Interpreting a support ticket...77 Common information reported for all products...78 Understanding the margin ratings...78 Things to look for...78 Device-specific report analysis...79 LTO drives...79 Identity...79 Health...79 Configuration...79 Environment...80 Performance...80 Usage...80 History...80 LTO media...80 Understanding LTO support tickets...81 System information...82 Reading LTO drive support tickets Contents

5 Drive identity...83 Drive health...83 Drive configuration...85 Drive environment...85 Drive performance...86 Drive usage...86 Drive history...87 Cartridge identity...88 Cartridge health...88 Cartridge configuration...88 Cartridge environment...89 Cartridge performance...89 Cartridge usage...89 Cartridge history...90 Classic support ticket Frequently asked questions...91 Why should I run L&TT tests?...91 Where can I find information about media compatibility with my hardware?...91 Where can I find information about hardware and software compatibility?...92 Where can I find information about drive cleaning requirements?...92 How do I use L&TT to find my drive serial number?...92 How do I verify that my drive's firmware is up to date?...92 How do I check if my drive is OK?...93 Why is the Assessment test recommended?...93 Was my backup successful?...93 How many more uses are left in this cleaning cartridge?...93 How fast will my backups be?...94 How fast will my restores be?...94 How do I verify the capacity of a tape?...94 How do I send a support ticket?...94 When installing L&TT, should I uninstall my previous version first?...94 What are the minimum system requirements?...94 Does HP TapeAssure support non-hp devices?...94 Will TapeAssure disrupt backups?...95 Is HP TapeAssure compatible with my backup application?...95 Can I stop the LTT Service pulling tickets?...95 Is TapeAssure monitoring in-band or out-of-band?...95 When should I install the LTT Service?...95 Can I set up TapeAssure to send me the service actions by ?...95 What if I want to change the WebGUI server that is collecting monitoring data?...95 Why aren t my drives being monitored?...95 Is there a non-english version of L&TT?...96 What is a filter driver? Is it safe?...96 Can I uninstall the LTT service?...96 Does L&TT 5.x support DDS/DAT devices? Troubleshooting...97 Troubleshooting the WebGUI...97 The WebGUI cannot discover devices...97 Troubleshooting the LTT Service...98 Check the event log...98 Check compatibility...98 Check the filter driver installation...99 Check that the LTT Service is running Verify TapeAssure drive discovery Contents 5

6 Check the configuration file Check the LTT Service log for sent tickets Check the Command View TL Device Analysis Service log for received tickets Check the Command View TL or L&TT WebGUI Device Analysis log for rejected tickets If the LTT Service doesn t recognize tape drives If the LTT Service is not responding message is reported multiple times Troubleshooting devices Using L&TT to troubleshoot tape devices Are you performing regular maintenance? Is the drive connected properly? Is the drive working as expected? Is the drive firmware up to date? Is the drive performing as expected? Is the media in good condition? Known issues Device access issues (RSM on Windows) Poor performance on Windows 2003 Server systems with EBS installations Additional interactive device troubleshooting content Troubleshooting third-party software Support and other resources Getting support Contacting HP Other HP websites Document conventions and symbols A Supported operating systems and devices L&TT 5.x minimum system requirements Browser minimum requirements Index Contents

7 1 Introduction HP Library and Tape Tools (L&TT) is a collection of storage hardware management and diagnostic tools for HP tape mechanisms, tape automation, magneto-optical and archival products. L&TT assembles these tools into a single, convenient program. LTT 5.x is a new architecture that combines the diagnostics functionality of L&TT 4.x with the monitoring capability of TapeAssure, and that can be installed in different configurations to offer flexible usage models all accessed through a web based GUI. LTT 5.x is delivered in two components; the LTT Service and the WebGUI. The LTT Service runs on the server that controls the library and tape drives. The WebGUI can be installed on any Windows-based system that can access the LTT Service. This architecture provides two distinct use models: Single server The LTT Service and WebGUI can be installed on the same server for a simple, localhost-based configuration. Monitoring and diagnostics all run on the same server. Multiple server The LTT Service is installed on each of the servers that control supported storage devices with the WebGUI installed on a single computer. With this configuration, you can monitor drives and run diagnostics on all the servers from a single user interface. Figure 1 L&TT multi-server configuration The architecture also enables remote access, either by installing the WebGUI on a local system, such as a laptop, or the WebGUI can be accessed from a browser on any connected Windows system. Note that the WebGUI can be installed on more than one system, allowing diagnostic access from any of those systems, but the monitoring should always be consolidated onto a single WebGUI so you can see all the systems you are monitoring at the same time. Also, with all the monitoring data on a single computer, the L&TT algorithms that compare drive and tape health for multiple drives and tapes are more accurate. Access to the devices (from the LTT Service) is also improved such that in most cases, there is no need to stop the backup or application services to pull tickets or run tests. The backup or archive application should be stopped before running any active tests but the services can be left running. In addition to having an improved user interface and flexible configurations, LTT 5.x is also easier to use for running tests, pulling support tickets, and sending test results and tickets by . 7

8 What s new in L&TT 5.2 The firmware update screen now provides an option to get files from the web. Move test is added which performs a move command in a library or autoloader using source and destination elements specified in the test options. Front panel is added in the GUI. The following utilities are added: Firmware Tape Creator LTO Firmware to Data Tape Creator Re-initialize LTFS Tape Operating system support is added for Windows 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1. Comparison with L&TT 4.x L&TT 5.x is a major architectural update from L&TT 4.x, providing many similarities and differences. L&TT 4.x and 5.x share the same core functionality, including tests and the content of support tickets. The tests have the same options and behaviors in both platforms. Also, all LTO tape drives and tape automation products are supported by both platforms. Table 1 Differences between L&TT 4.x and 5.x Characteristic Architecture User interface Operating system support Remote access support Monitoring support Installation size Devices supported L&TT 5.x LTT 5.x has two components; the LTT Service which runs on the server for the device and the WebGUI which runs on any Windows system that can talk to the LTT Service (including the same server). LTT 5.x is web based allowing flexibility of access methods from a browser. L&TT 5.x only supports Windows operating systems. Additional operating systems will be supported in future releases. LTT 5.x offers multiple WebGUI access to multiple LTT Servers providing multiple methods for remote access. LTT 5.x offers monitoring for all tape device types although Command View TL, which has additional TapeAssure capabilities, is recommended for automation devices. L&TT 5.x is approximately 270 MB, which is much larger than L&TT 4.x. LTO tape devices L&TT 4.x LTT 4.x is a single application which must run on the device server. In a future release, the ability to download and install both applications at the same time (as if they were a single application) will be available for those users who want to install everything on the same server. LTT 4.x has a GUI for the Windows version and a Curses interface for non-windows. It is not web-based. LTT 4.x has a command line interface for both Windows and non-windows. L&TT 4.x supports all major operating systems. LTT 4.x is a single application that must be installed on the device server it offers no other configuration or flexibility. Remote access can only be achieved through remote desktop access. LTT 4.x does not support monitoring. The Standalone TapeAssure application previously available is superseded by LTT 5.x. LTT 4.x was originally kept small for those customers who had limited internet bandwidth but LTT 5.x offers significantly greater capability and internet bandwidth is rarely an issue these days. For users who cannot use LTT 5.x, LTT 4.x is still available. LTO, DAT, DLT, and SDLT drives, and D2D virtual tape systems. 8 Introduction

9 Viewing support tickets from the WebGUI uses the web interface and has slightly reduced usability. The ticket content is the same for both versions and the.lzt tickets are still available and can be viewed using L&TT 4.x. Both versions of LTT can be installed at the same time. In L&TT 5.x, support tickets from a library are returned as a zip file with a set of single.lzt tickets, while in L&TT 4.x they are returned as a single, full library ticket. The data is the same for both cases. L&TT 5.2 is unable to show advisories. L&TT 5.2 cannot run tests on a library and its drives together. L&TT 5.1 requires that a suitable library device driver is installed on the server hosting the library. Without the driver, L&TT can only access the drives. Software features L&TT offers the following features: Device Identification L&TT clearly identifies the storage products connected to the system, along with key information on product configuration and status. Troubleshooting Tests L&TT provides various tests to verify product functionality or to isolate product issues. Tests include device self-tests, read/write tests on drives, and specific device utilities. Utilities L&TT includes utilities for working with tape devices, such as erasing and initializing tapes, and configuring tape drives. Firmware Upgrades L&TT provides a convenient way of updating product firmware, enabling users with an Internet connection to take advantage of ongoing enhancements. Support Ticket Generation If you experience a problem with a storage product, L&TT can generate a support ticket that includes essential information for troubleshooting the problem. As an alternative to phone support, you can the support ticket to a support center for assistance. This information streamlines the support process and enables the support staff to better serve you if a support call is made later. When a support ticket for a device is generated, L&TT performs a Device Analysis test on the device. The support ticket contains generic information about a device, as well as the results of the Device Analysis test. The Device Analysis test can be performed by itself, but HP recommends generating a support ticket because the resulting data is presented in a more useful format. Monitoring notifies you of any issues that need attention so you can address them before they cause disruption. With this notification you can follow up on recommended service actions in pre-planned maintenance windows, which eliminates disruption to backups so you can meet your SLAs. The new L&TT WebGUI with monitoring is an always-on diagnostics solution. Supported products and operating systems For a complete listing of compatible products, refer to the specifications page at The level of functionality that L&TT offers for each device varies depending on features of the device, and the degree of device integration into L&TT. For a list of supported operating systems, see Supported operating systems and devices (page 113). Software features 9

10 Coexistence with other applications L&TT 4.x L&TT 5.x and L&TT 4.x can be installed on the same computer. However, only one of these applications can discover a library on that system at a time. So, only run either the L&TT WebGUI or L&TT 4.x at a time when connecting to a library on the local system. Command View TL The L&TT WebGUI and Command View TL can coexist on the same server but must be run in separate browsers. Finding additional information The HP website provides the current version of L&TT for download, and general information about the tool. Access the website at: 10 Introduction

11 2 Installing L&TT Installation process overview 1. Download and install the LTT Service on all the Windows device servers. This might require a reboot of the server running the LTT Service. If a reboot of the device server is requested after installing the LTT Service but that is not practical at the time you can still download and install LTT 4.x to run diagnostics. The device server can be rebooted at a later time when it is more convenient enabling the monitoring and remote diagnostics at that time. NOTE: When installing the LTT Service and WebGUI on the same server, install the LTT Service first so it can be discovered and automatically registered by the WebGUI installer. If the WebGUI is installed first, the LTT Service must be added as an available service host. 2. Download and install the WebGUI on the same server as the LTT Service or any Windows computer that can communicate with the server running the LTT Service over the network. Installing the WebGUI does not require a reboot. 3. Launch the WebGUI from the Windows start menu or desktop shortcut. The main L&TT screen will be displayed in your default browser. 4. If necessary, add the LTT Services that you want to access to run diagnostics from the main L&TT screen. You can use any form of host reference. If the LTT Service and WebGUI are running on the same server this might have been automatically configured. Communication ports When the LTT Service and Web GUI are installed on different computers the firewall on each computer needs to be configured to allow communication on the applicable ports as shown in Figure 2 (page 11). Figure 2 Ports used for communication between the LTT Service and WebGUI Communication ports 11

12 Ports used on the server running the LTT Service On the backup server, open: 8999 to receive requests from the WebGUI Ports used on the computer running the WebGUI On the user interface computer, open: to receive test updates from the LTT Service to receive TapeAssure tickets from the LTT Service Installing the LTT Service The L&TT diagnostic functionality is provided by the LTT Service. NOTE: If the LTT Service is unable to communicate with the WebGUI or Command View TL, all tickets are stored locally until communication is established. This can happen if the WebGUI or Command View TL has not been installed or is not running, or if the LTT Service has not be configured correctly. Installation prerequisites Download link Install time (typical) Software dependencies 5 minutes When using Mozilla Firefox, set dom.allow_scripts_to_close_windows to true. For instructions, see Configuring Firefox for use with the WebGUI (page 17). Installation procedure 1. Download or copy the self-extracting executable file to the desktop or another temporary location. 2. Double-click the self-extracting executable file to launch the installer. The InstallShield Wizard screen is displayed. 3. Answer yes to all the prompts. 4. Re-boot the server if requested to do so. 5. The installer will offer to open the Windows Firewall ports necessary for the LTT Service to communicate with the WebGUI, which is necessary when the LTT Service and WebGUI are running on different servers. This port is specific to L&TT and opening it will not affect the security of the system. Single server If the LTT Service and WebGUI will always be running on the same server, you can click No to leave the firewall ports as they are. If you later decide to run the WebGUI on a different computer you can configure the ports manually. Multiple server If the LTT Service and WebGUI will be running on different servers, the firewall port 8999 must be open to allow communication between the two components. To have the installer configure the port automatically, click Yes. If you prefer to configure the port manually, click No and then follow the instructions in Configuring firewall ports (page 17). 12 Installing L&TT

13 6. Optional: Configure the service s monitoring functionality by modifying the config\ sta_service.cfg file in the installation directory. NOTE: In L&TT 5.1 the addresses of the WebGUIs are automatically configured during registration and are available in the config\registeredusers.txt file in the installation directory. a. In environments containing both tape libraries and standalone tape drives, use the Command View TL management station to manage the standalone drives and library drives. In this case, configure the MANAGEMENT_STATION_IP with the IP address for the server that will host the Command View TL management station for TapeAssure monitoring. b. Set any other specific parameters, such as the rate at which tickets will be pulled. The default settings are recommended in most cases. To configure additional parameters, see Setting service configurations (page 13). Most changes to the configuration will be detected automatically within five minutes. The service can always be re-started to detect all configurations. See Setting service configurations (page 13) for more detailed information on the available parameters and which require a restart of the service. Setting service configurations You can set up and control the behavior of the LTT Service by changing parameter values in the configuration file \config\sta_service.cfg in the installation directory. NOTE: In most cases, the settings can be left at their default values except to specify the IP address of the system on which Command View TL management station is installed. You can leave the other settings in their default values. IMPORTANT: If the drive is part of an automation configuration in which Command View TL is in use, the management station IP address should be the address of the Command View TL management station with the MANAGEMENT_STATION_PORT of In a standalone-only configuration, the L&TT WebGUI collects the tickets using port NOTE: If the value entered is invalid, the LTT Service will continue using the previous valid value. If there are not previous values, the LTT Service will use the default value. If the LTT Service detects an invalid value for any of the configuration keys in the configuration file, the LTT Service will modify the configuration file to restore the values to the previous valid or default values. HP LTT Service parameters TICKET_STORING_LOCATION The location where the drive tickets will be stored before being sent to the management station or WebGUI. Defaults to the logs\tktstorage folder in the HP LTT Service software installation directory. Changes to this parameter are dynamic and will take effect immediately. ELTT_INITALIZATION_LOCATION The location for eltt (embedded LTT) working files. Defaults to the eltt\logs folder in the HP LTT Service software installation directory. Changes to this parameter will take effect only when the service is started. Installing the LTT Service 13

14 MAX_TICKET_STORE The maximum disk space allocated for local ticket storage (in MB) before being sent to the management station. Defaults to 100 MB, must be at least 10 MB. Changes to this parameter are dynamic and will take effect immediately. MANAGEMENT_STATION_IP The IP address of the Command View TL management station receiving monitoring data. Can be an IPv4 or IPv6 address, or domain name. Changes to this parameter are dynamic and will take effect immediately. MANAGEMENT_STATION_PORT The port number on which the TapeAssure monitoring service is listening. Changes to this parameter will take effect only when the service is started. The L&TT WebGUI uses port 8200, the default value. The port used by the WebGUI can be changed. Command View TL uses port TICKET_TIMEOUT The timeout, measured in seconds, for pulling tickets. The default is ten minutes. If any of the ticket commands take longer than this setting, the system will stop pulling the ticket. Partial tickets are logged in the LTT Service log file. You must set this parameter to allow for long commands, such as rewind and unload, to complete. Changes to this parameter are dynamic and will take effect immediately. POLLING_INTERVAL The number of minutes between pulling tickets. The default is six hours (four tickets per day). These tickets are in addition to tickets pulled on application unload. Use this feature when the backup application is not configured to unload the tape at the end of the backup. The poll interval can be very large because the ticket is only needed at the end of the job. Set to zero to turn off timed tickets completely. Changes to this parameter are dynamic and will take effect immediately. NOTE: Because of the passive nature of pulling tickets and use of the filter driver, pulling TapeAssure tickets will not disrupt backup operations. Pulling a ticket may slow the backup by a few seconds, but at only four tickets per day, this will only occur at most once per backup. DRIVES_TO_BE_DISABLED List of drives for which tickets will not be pulled. Use this configuration setting to selectively disable monitoring of one or more drives. For multiple drives, separate the drive serial numbers with a comma. For example: DRIVES_TO_BE_DISABLED=P , HU10018ADR 14 Installing L&TT

15 NOTE: Disabling monitoring through the configuration file will stop the service from pulling any further support tickets from that drive. However, any pending tickets for that drive to be sent to the management station. NOTE: The LTT Service does not pull TapeAssure tickets from drives in libraries; these tickets are pulled by the libraries themselves. Tickets pulled by libraries must be sent to CommandView TL rather than to the LTT Service. RETAIN_RECENT_TICKETS Controls whether the recent ticket for each drive is retained or not. Valid values are: 1 retains the recent ticket for each drive (default behavior) 0 does not retain the recent ticket for each drive If an invalid value is configured, the previously configured valid value will be used. TIP: Retaining tickets is extremely useful for diagnostic purposed because they can be sent to HP support for analysis without the need for further user interaction. Reporting events to the Windows application log The LTT Service reports events in the Windows application log for: Any errors encountered that affect the operation of the service. Configuration changes. Management station availability and connectivity related issues. Reaching the ticket storage size limitation. You can control which categories of events are recorded in the application log by editing the config\sta_event_configuration.cfg file in the installation directory. To disable a category of events from being reported, set the last field for the event category to 0. For example, EQ:101:Information:1 <--- to enable event ID 101 EQ:101:Information:0 <--- to disable event ID 101 The categories are listed in the config\event_list file in the installation directory. Installing the WebGUI The Windows version of L&TT uses the InstallShield application for installation. InstallShield sets up shortcuts to launch the application in the Start menu and on the desktop, and set up other options. Although InstallShield will let you change the installation directory, HP recommends using the default location for ease of communication. Upgrading from L&TT 4.x L&TT 5.x and L&TT 4.x are installed into different directories by default and can be installed on the same computer. No specific action is required to upgrade from L&TT 4.x to L&TT 5.x. HP recommends leaving L&TT 4.x installed on the server for access to functionality not yet available in L&TT 5.x. NOTE: While both L&TT 5.x and L&TT 4.x can be installed on a system at the same time, only one of these applications can discover a library on that system at a time. So, only run either the L&TT 5.x WebGUI or L&TT 4.x at a time when connecting to a library on the local system. Installing the WebGUI 15

16 Upgrading from L&TT 5.0 and 5.1 To upgrade from L&TT 5.0 to L&TT 5.1, L&TT 5.1 to L&TT 5.2, and L&TT 5.0 to L&TT 5.2 follow the installation process. The software will be updated and all database information, including TapeAssure data, LTT Service registrations, and device information will be retained. Installation prerequisites Download link Install time (typical) Software dependencies minutes The WebGUI requires a web browser with Adobe Flash. When using Mozilla Firefox, set dom.allow_scripts_to_close_windows to true. For instructions, see Configuring Firefox for use with the WebGUI (page 17). Installation procedure 1. Download or copy the self-extracting executable file to the desktop or another temporary location. IMPORTANT: Do not rename this file. Renaming the file might create a conflict that prevents L&TT from installing. 2. Double-click the self-extracting executable file to launch the installer. The InstallShield Wizard screen is displayed. 3. Click Next. Read the program license agreement and click Yes if you agree to and accept the terms of the license agreement. 4. Read the readme file for any last-minute changes to the documentation, then click Next. The Select Features screen is displayed. 5. Select a destination location to install the program. You can accept the default location or click Browse to install to a different location. After choosing the destination location, click Next. 6. On the Ready to start installation process screen, click Next. If you need to review or change installation settings, click Back. 7. The installer will automatically open free ports in the following ranges in the Windows firewall settings: : To communicate with the LTT Service when it is installed on another server : To receive TapeAssure device monitoring information : To run the WebGUI from another computer If the LTT Service and WebGUI are installed on the same computer and you don t want to access the WebGUI from another computer, you can click No. If you want to have the installer open the ports, click Yes. If you want to configure the firewall ports manually, follow the instructions in Configuring firewall ports (page 17). 8. When the installation is complete, the InstallShield wizard displays its final screen. Click Finish to start the WebGUI, or deselect the check box, and click Finish to close the InstallSield wizard without running L&TT. 16 Installing L&TT

17 Configuring Firefox for use with the WebGUI 1. Open Mozilla Firefox, type about:config in the address bar, and press Enter. The browser will display a warning message. Accept the warning. 2. The browser will display a list of settings that can be modified. Type dom in the search field and press Enter. 3. If dom.allow_scripts_to_close_windows is set to false, double-click it to set the value to true. Configuring firewall ports The installer automatically opens the Windows firewall ports necessary for the WebGUI and LTT Service to communicate when they are installed on different servers. If you declined to have the installer configure the ports, follow these instructions to configure the ports manually. On the server running the LTT Service, open port On the server running the WebGUI, open the applicable ports: : To communicate with the LTT Service : To receive TapeAssure device monitoring information : To run the WebGUI from another computer To open ports on Windows 7: 1. Navigate to the Windows Control Panel. 2. Select System and Security. 3. Select Windows Firewall. 4. Navigate to Advanced settings and then create a new Inbound rule for the port or range of ports. Configuring Firefox for use with the WebGUI 17

18 3 Using the L&TT WebGUI Starting the L&TT WebGUI Start the L&TT WebGUI from the desktop shortcut or from the Windows start menu by selecting Library and Tape Tools WebGUI. The GUI will start in a new browser window. Navigating the L&TT WebGUI Most windows are divided vertically into two panels. The left panel contains a list showing a hierarchical structure. The right panel displays additional information about items selected in the left panel. Some panels show data in columns. To show text that is truncated, drag the vertical lines between the column titles to adjust the width of the columns or pause your mouse over truncated text to show the complete text as a tool tip. Depending on the data being displayed, you can find more detailed information by: Double-clicking an item in the list. Selecting one or more items in the list, and then selecting an item in the Actions menu. Most windows have an Actions menu that displays a list of actions that you can perform from that window or on the selected item. Menu items in bold type show the default action for that window or selected item. Double-click the item to perform the action. CAUTION: Use the various tabs, menus, and buttons throughout the program to navigate. Do not use the browser navigation buttons. Doing so may cause loss of configuration data entered on a window. L&TT uses toolbar buttons to perform tasks. These buttons may or may not be available depending on the window. For the buttons and a description of the action performed, see Toolbar buttons (page 18). Table 2 Toolbar buttons Button Name Actions Description Displays a menu of available actions for the current window or selected items. Add Adds LTT Service. Delete Run Diagnostics Refresh Remove the selected item. Perform diagnostics on the selected item. Refreshes the data on the current window. Help Opens a help topic associated with the current window. Using the All LTT Service Hosts window When you select Diagnostics from the left toolbar, L&TT displays the All LTT Service Hosts window. 18 Using the L&TT WebGUI

19 Figure 3 All LTT Service Hosts window Automatic discovery of service host When the LTT Service and WebGUI are installed on the same server, the WebGUI will automatically discover the LTT Service and add a localhost entry. The LTT Service must be installed first for the WebGUI to discover it, otherwise it will needed to be added. Adding a service host You must add a service host for diagnostic access to devices on that host and the LTT Service must be running on that host. Only add one service host at a time. 1. On the toolbar, click the Add Service button. 2. In the Add L&TT Service Host dialog, enter the address of the server that is running the LTT Service, and then click OK. The server address can be entered in any of the standard forms, including localhost if the WebGUI and LTT Service are on the same server <domain name>.<machine name> the machine name if the WebGUI and service host are in the same domain The GUI registers with the service. 3. Click OK. 4. Repeat the procedure to add another service host. Removing a service host 1. Select the service host to be removed. 2. In the toolbar, select Actions Remove L&TT Service or click the Remove button. 3. Click OK. Running diagnostics Removing a service host does not uninstall the LTT Service on that host nor change it in any way. 1. Select the service host associated with the device. Using the All LTT Service Hosts window 19

20 2. In the toolbar, double-click the host name in the host list, or select Actions Run Diagnostics or click the Run Diagnostics button. Either a new browser tab or window will display a list of devices attached to the selected service host, depending on your browser configuration. The WebGUI is easier to use if new windows open in tabs by default. For instructions on configuring your browser, see the browser documentation. Using the LTT Service diagnostics window The LTT Service diagnostics window displays a list of devices attached to a service host and includes options to see device information, pull a support ticket, run tests and utilities, and manage firmware. Identification and configuration screen The identification and configuration screen provides an overview of the selected hardware device and its current configuration and status. To refresh the screen with the current information from the LTT Service, click Refresh. Figure 4 Identification and configuration screen Identification and configuration information for the device Product ID Drive Technology (LTO) Drive Serial # Firmware Revision OBDR Capability Whether One Button Disaster Recovery is enabled. Worm Capability Whether the drive supports WORM media. TapeAssure drive write health summary Assessment of the drive s health based on recent write operations. Information about the cartridge currently in the drive Cartridge type Capacity Cartridge partitioned Whether the cartridge has been formatted using LTFS. 20 Using the L&TT WebGUI

21 Write Protected Barcode TapeAssure cartridge write health summary Assessment of the cartridge s health based on recent write operations. To see a list of cartridges compatible with the drive, click Drive/Cartridge Compatibility Information. Using the Support Ticket screen In the event of a hardware problem, a support ticket can provide vital information to help diagnose and resolve the problem. Much of the information stored within a device related to operational characteristics is used by various L&TT tests to analyze the health of the device. However, not all information can be used in this automated fashion. Some information requires review by qualified HP personnel to fully diagnose the situation. For this reason, a support ticket should be generated and ed for further analysis when requested. For more information about support tickets, see Using support tickets (page 75). To access the Support Ticket screen, select the device you want to generate the support ticket for in the device list, and then click the Support Ticket icon. Figure 5 Pulling or selecting a support ticket To generate a new support ticket: 1. In the Source pane, select Pull support ticket from device. 2. Click Generate Support Ticket. To view an existing support ticket: 1. In the Source pane, select Select existing Support Ticket and then click Browse. 2. Select a support ticket and click View. To save a newly generated support ticket: 1. In the Action pane, select Save as. 2. Navigate to the location on the local filesystem where you would like the support ticket saved. Using the LTT Service diagnostics window 21

22 Figure 6 Sending a support ticket by To send the support ticket via NOTE: The server must be configured before support tickets can be sent via . For instructions on configuring the server, see Configuring the server (page 25). 1. In the Action pane, select When sending the support ticket to HP support, enter the support case number and check the box. 3. Enter the address. 4. Optionally include comments. Please allow the WebGUI to copy your tickets to the HP tickets mailbox because this allows HP support and also the HP development engineers to learn more about how the drives are performing under real customer conditions. No personal information is contained in the ticket. 5. Click Send . NOTE: Support tickets are saved as a zip file that contains both the standard.lzt and.xml form of the ticket. If you are sending a support ticket to HP support and are unable to use the feature of L&TT directly, HP requests that you send the.lzt form of the ticket because it is the most flexible form. To view a support ticket generated with L&TT 4.x: 1. In the Source pane, select View lzt or ltd support ticket. 2. Click Upload support ticket. Using the Test/Utility screen L&TT provides several tests that can be used to check the performance of, or to diagnose issues with, storage hardware. To access the Test/Utility screen, click the device you want to test in the device list and then click Test/Utility on the Action toolbar. 22 Using the L&TT WebGUI

23 Figure 7 Test/Utility screen For information about the available tests and utilities, see Tests and utilities (page 26). To run a test or utility: 1. In the Test/Utility pane, select Run a Test or Run a Utility. 2. Select the device. CAUTION: Running tests can be destructive to data if a backup operation is in progress. Verify that all backup services are stopped before running tests. 3. Select the test group to run. 4. Click Options and enter any necessary options. 5. Click Start. The test status and progress will be displayed while the test is running. NOTE: The progress bar is not updated as regularly as it is in L&TT 4.x. This will be improved in a future release. To test results: NOTE: The server must be configured before support tickets can be sent via . For instructions on configuring the server, see Configuring the server (page 25). 1. When sending the test results to HP support, enter the support case number and check the box. 2. Enter the address. 3. Optionally include comments. 4. Click Send . Using the Firmware screen The firmware management functionality of L&TT allows easy upgrades to storage product firmware. You must download the firmware for your device from the HP website. To access the Test/Utility screen, click the device you want to test in the device list and then click Firmware on the Action toolbar. Using the LTT Service diagnostics window 23

24 Figure 8 Firmware screen To update firmware: 1. Download the firmware file for your device from the HP website and place it on your local computer. 2. In the Firmware pane, check the device. 3. Click From local machine and browse to the location of the downloaded file on your local computer. 4. Click Start Update. To firmware update results: NOTE: The server must be configured before support tickets can be sent via . For instructions on configuring the server, see Configuring the server (page 25). 1. When sending results to HP support, enter the support case number and check the box. 2. Enter the address. 3. Optionally include comments. 4. Click Send . NOTE: If multiple drives are selected, the firmware updates will run in parallel. Using the Front Panel screen L&TT provides remote control of the front panel of selected library devices. L&TT reads the contents of the front panel at regular intervals and displays the contents of the L&TT window either in graphic or text form. In addition, L&TT displays a representation of the library's front panel buttons. Clicking a button simulates the user pressing the corresponding button on the library's front panel. To access this functionality, select the library in the device list and click Front Panel on the main toolbar. 24 Using the L&TT WebGUI

25 Figure 9 Front Panel screen Configuring the server From Configuration screen you can configure the server that L&TT will use to send outgoing messages. 1. On the main screen in the left navigation pane, click Configuration. The Configuration screen appears. 2. Enter the address of the SMTP server. 3. Enter the address for the message s reply to field. This address will be displayed as the from address of the messages from L&TT. 4. Click Save. Configuring the server 25

26 4 Tests and utilities Diagnostic tests CAUTION: Some tests are destructive to data on the media. When a test is destructive to data, this is indicated in the test description. To prevent data loss, use media that is either new or that contains unimportant data that can be erased. Do not attempt to perform a test unless you are thoroughly familiar with its usage, or have been instructed to do so by HP support personnel. NOTE: L&TT tests are constantly updated to improve test coverage and problem diagnosis. As new device issues are discovered, changes are made to the tests to properly diagnose those issues. Test script updates are distributed with updates to L&TT or with a hot fix distribution. To ensure that you have the latest available test scripts, keep your version of L&TT up to date when new versions are made available from Test results are displayed in the result log in the bottom right-hand corner of the Test/Utilities screen and are available in the WebGUI install directory, C:\Program Files (x86)\ Hewlett-Packard\Library and Tape Tools WebGUI\log and it s there under LTTOperationLog.log. The log file contains all the previous text results and is a text file that can be viewed in any text editor or sent by . Assessment test (page 26) Connectivity test (page 30) Data Compression test (page 30) Device Analysis test (page 31) Device Self-Test (page 32) Library Exercisor test (page 32) Library Quick Check test (page 35) Assessment test Library Read Write test (page 36) LTO Cooling Check test (page 40) LTO Media Assessment test (page 40) LTO Stuck Tape test (page 42) LTO Encryption test (page 42) Move test (page 43) Read/Write test (page 42) CAUTION: product. This test is destructive and will overwrite data on the media that is present in your For additional information about the LTO drive assessment test, see About the LTO drive assessment test (page 27). Description The Assessment test determines if the drive or autoloader is Fit for Purpose (FFP). A device that is determined to be FFP performs according to its specification. If a device fails the Assessment test, it should be replaced. If it passes, the problem is likely not with the health of that device. If a device is returned, the results of this test are compared to repair data to ensure accuracy and enable test improvements to be developed. LTO Assessment tests performed: Requires that a cartridge be already loaded or in the process of loading when the test is started. Looks at drive history (runs device analysis and looks at LTO reports information). Checks the test cartridge history to insure it is suitable for running the test. Checks whether the drive is requesting cleaning. 26 Tests and utilities

27 Performs an unload/load cycle, checking for any mechanical issues Writes two wraps of data using varying tape speeds in both directions measuring write and read-while-write margin NOTE: If the drive to be tested in part of an autoloader or library, the autoloader or library should be in random mode prior to running the test. Test names Options Average duration Other notes LTO Assessment test LTO Assessment test options: Allow Overwrite (defaults to FALSE) set to TRUE to avoid the interactive warning about erasing data on the test tape Test Coverage (defaults to DEFAULT, which is two wraps) A wrap is one full length of the tape in one direction. 2X' test coverage is twice the default (4 wraps) and 4X' test coverage is four times the default (8 wraps). Typical test times for Default'/2X/4X test coverage options are 15/30/60 minutes. Test times vary greatly depending on drive type, media quality, and options selected. Average time for a healthy drive with good tape can range from 10 to 20 minutes. A marginal drive (or drive with marginal tape) may take substantially longer. Requires a good tape that will be overwritten as part of test. The LTO Assessment test can be stopped before it completes. To abort the test, click Abort Test. The test will not run with a tape that has been partitioned. Available for LTO4, LTO5, and LTO6. About the LTO drive assessment test The LTO drive assessment test is the most important test in the L&TT diagnostics suite because it is used to assess the health of a tape drive, providing a clear pass/fail result in about 15 minutes. If the test reports that the drive is good, the user can be confident that the drive is working as advertised and is not the cause of any backup or restore issues in the system. If the test fails, HP support will accept that assessment without further diagnostics, making this a key test for both end users and HP support. NOTE: If there is an issue with the backup or restore process and the assessment test passes the drive, further diagnostics are needed to find the root cause of the issue elsewhere in the system. The test contains four main sections: Analyze the drive logs. The test pulls over 60 logs from the drives and analyzes them with about 20 rules and 130 sub-rules. Any issues considered critical in a support ticket, which uses the same rules, will cause the test to fail the drive at this point. Other issues, such as cleaning requests or the detection of host polling, will be noted in the test output for informational purposes. Test the load/unload mechanism. The cartridge is unloaded, partially ejected, and reloaded. Any potential mechanical failures are flagged. Run error rate tests. The test runs a series of internal error rate tests at different speeds and different tape directions. This the core of the assessment test. Clean up. The error rate tests leave the cartridge in an 'invalid' state, which is reset with a short erase process. Diagnostic tests 27

28 Error rate tests The error rate tests are a series of short tests at a variety of tape speeds in both directions. A typical test will perform individual error rate tests and each one will check error rate margin, variations across all the heads, and accuracy following tracks. This approach allows for: Characterization of drive error rate by tape speed Characterization of drive error rate by direction (forward and reverse) Filtering out areas of bad tape, which allows the test to run using a single tape The error rate tests cycle through a series of tape speeds, as shown in Cycling through a series of tape speeds (page 28). Half of the tests are written in the forward direction and the other half are written in the reverse direction. This ensures that both sets of heads are tested, as well as the full range of tape speeds. Figure 10 Cycling through a series of tape speeds The error rate tests for each tape speed will occur at different places in the tape and in different directions, as shown in Multiple tests for each tape speed (page 28). This allows the test to characterize the drive for that tape speed. Figure 11 Multiple tests for each tape speed 28 Tests and utilities

29 The error rate tests for each direction cover different parts of the tape and are run at different speeds, as shown in Multiple tests run in each direction (page 29). This allows the test to characterize the drive for each direction, testing each set of heads. Figure 12 Multiple tests run in each direction The pass/fail criteria are the same as for the support ticket the drive must be able to write high quality data using no more than 20% additional tape to do so. Note that a drive will still work well even if it needs 50% additional tape but the figure of 20% is used to allow for a little wear and still leave a great deal of margin. The output shows the characterization of the drive, first by tape speed and then by direction. _ 1.8 m/sec. tape speed:effective capacity:94.8% Margin: 98.6% (3.0/3.0 GB written using meters of tape) _ Channel variation: 0.0% Channel variation margin: 100.0% _ Offtrack count: 0 CCQ rewrite percent: 0.1% _ 2.1 m/sec. tape speed:effective capacity:94.8% Margin: 98.4% (3.0/3.0 GB written using meters of tape) _ Channel variation: 0.0% Channel variation margin: 100.0% _ Offtrack count: 0 CCQ rewrite percent: 0.1% _ 2.4 m/sec. tape speed:effective capacity:94.7% Margin: 98.1% (3.0/3.0 GB written using meters of tape) _ Channel variation: 0.0% Channel variation margin: 100.0% _ 3.5 m/sec. tape speed:effective capacity:94.7% Margin: 98.4% (3.0/3.0 GB written using meters of tape) _ Channel variation: 0.0% Channel variation margin: 100.0% _ Offtrack count: 0 CCQ rewrite percent: 0.1% _ 3.8 m/sec. tape speed:effective capacity:94.6% Margin: 98.5% (3.0/3.0 GB written using meters of tape) _ Channel variation: 0.0% Channel variation margin: 100.0% _ Offtrack count: 0 CCQ rewrite percent: 0.1% _ 4.2 m/sec. tape speed:effective capacity:94.6% Margin: 98.4% (3.0/3.0 GB written using meters of tape) _ Channel variation: 0.0% Channel variation margin: 100.0% _ Offtrack count: 0 CCQ rewrite percent: 0.1% _ forward direction:effective capacity: 95.1% Margin: 100.0% (10.3/10.3 GB written using meters of tape) _ Channel variation: 0.0% Channel variation margin: 100.0% _ Offtrack count: 0 CCQ rewrite percent: 0.1% _ reverse direction:effective capacity: 94.3% Margin: 96.6% (10.3/10.3 GB written using meters of tape) _ Channel variation: 0.0% Channel variation margin: 100.0% _ Offtrack count: 0 CCQ rewrite percent: 0.1% _Overall drive margin:98.3% _Worst-case margin (reverse direction):96.6% Each characterized speed or direction shows: Effective capacity the proportion of tape used that contains the written data. There is a theoretical possibility of 100%, but some redundancy is to be expected. Anything over 50% shows a working drive. The pass level is 80%. Margin normalizes the effective capacity to between 0% and 100% such that greater than 0% is a pass and 100% is the realistic maximum. Diagnostic tests 29

30 Amount of data written compared to the amount attempted. Amount of tape used to write the data. Channel variation a percentage comparison across all the heads (16 or 32 depending on the drive technology) Channel variation margin normalizes the channel variation to between 0% and 100% such that greater than 0% is acceptable (a pass) and 100% is no variation at all. Offtrack count the number of times the drive had to react to a track following issue. An offtrack is not an error, but more offtracks will make it harder for the drive to operate within expected limits. CCQ rewrite percent an internal measure of write redundancy. Another indicator of health. Anything up to 20% is within limits. The summary shows a normalized margin figure for the drive overall and also highlights the worst margin figure from all of the characterizations. This is the key data from the test. NOTE: The textual output of the test will give the ultimate summary PASS or FAIL. The test results can be ed to HP support for confirmation. Connectivity test Description Command line syntax Writes data to the internal buffers in your product to verify that the physical connection between your host and the storage device is operational. No media is required. Test name: Connectivity Test Options: Looping Options Specify Count based loop or Time based loop(min). In either case, the actual value is entered separately using the Looping value parameter. For example, to set a time-based loop of 10 minutes: testopt= Looping Options:Time based loop(min) testopt= Looping value:10 Looping value Specify an integer greater than zero. For example, to set a count-based loop to iterate five times: testopt= Looping Options:Count based loop testopt= Looping value:5 NOTE: If no options are specified, by default L&TT runs the test with looping options set to Count based loop with a looping value of 1. When to run Average duration Other notes Available for Run this test when there is a question about the integrity of the bus connection from the device to the host computer. < 1 minute Test will not overwrite any data on media present in the drive. LTO drives, and MSL libraries Data Compression test CAUTION: product. This test is destructive and will overwrite data on the media that is present in your 30 Tests and utilities

31 Description When to run Average duration Other notes Available for Device Analysis test Description Command line syntax When to run Average duration Other notes Available for Tests the hardware compression capability of your tape drive. The test writes a data pattern of known compressibility to tape. The test then rewinds the tape and reads the file just written. The read and write hardware compression ratios are calculated to ascertain that the hardware compression is working. The compression ratios are displayed and should be approximately 2:1. Anything less than 2:1 means that hardware compression is not working. This test is useful if tape capacity or hardware compression is in doubt. Run this test when you want to verify that data compression is working properly. < 10 minutes Test will overwrite all data on the media. All tape products (drive and automation) supported by L&TT The Device Analysis test runs a device-specific script that carries out a detailed examination of the device. The test examines all available logs from the device to look for any known issues, customer use issues, and common error patterns. The test also provides summary information and presents suggestions as to the cause of certain errors and any remedial actions the user should take. This option is particularly useful if you suspect that there may be a problem with the device. The Device Analysis test can be executed manually through the Tests screen or automatically whenever a support ticket is generated. The Device Analysis test is unique among all the tests offered by L&TT. In addition to performing SCSI operations directly on a device, the Device Analysis test uses a set of predefined, device-specific rules to analyze device logs and configurations. If any known issues are discovered during the analysis, the user is notified of the problem and the program suggests an appropriate course of action. The Device Analysis test automates failure analysis of a device by determining whether a known or unknown problem with a device exists if the problem can be resolved in the field through maintenance or simple repair whether a device needs to be returned or serviced Test name: Device Analysis Options: None Run this test when you want to verify that basic functions of the device are operating properly and have not logged any critical errors, and to verify that firmware is up to date. < 1 minute Test does not change the configuration of the drive or media. All devices supported by L&TT Diagnostic tests 31

32 Device Self-Test Description Command line syntax This test executes the internal self-test of the device and reports any failures. This test is useful in confirming that the device itself is operating properly. Not all devices support an internal self-test. Test name: Device Self Test Options: Looping Options Specify Count based loop or Time based loop(min). In either case, the actual value is entered separately using the Looping value parameter. For example, to set a time-based loop of 10 minutes: testopt= Looping Options:Time based loop(min) testopt= Looping value:10 Looping value Specify an integer greater than zero. For example, to set a count-based loop to iterate five times: testopt= Looping Options:Count based loop testopt= Looping value:5 When to run Average duration Other notes NOTE: If no options are specified, L&TT runs the test with looping options set to Count based loop with a looping value of 1. Run this test as a quick check of the integrity of the device. < 1 minute Test will not overwrite any data on media present in the drive. Available for LTO autoloaders and drives, ESL, MSL, C7200, C7145, C5177, C1194F, C5151, C5173, C6280, SSL 1016 and STK libraries, STK 9840 drives Library Exerciser test CAUTION: When run on the MSL, ESL, and EML series libraries, this test does NOT overwrite data. However, on other libraries, this test may overwrite data depending on how the test options are configured. Description When to run Average duration Other notes Available for This is a general-purpose test of the library. The test exercises the library robotics by moving media to and from all of the selected elements in the library. There are two versions of this test, depending on the library model. For more information, see Using the Library Exerciser Test (page 33). Run this test to verify that the library is functioning properly. Highly dependent on the library being tested and the options selected. Depending on the library model and test options selected, this test may overwrite data. The test will not overwrite data on MSL, ESL, and EML series libraries. For more information, see Using the Library Exerciser Test (page 33). This test can be stopped before it completes. To abort the test, click Abort Test. Not all libraries are supported by the Library Exerciser test. If the test is not displayed in the list of tests, then the selected device is not supported. 32 Tests and utilities

33 Using the Library Exerciser test There are two versions of the Library Exerciser test depending on the model of the library or autoloader being tested. The latest version of the Library Exerciser test is used on the MSL2024, MSL4048, MSL8048, MSL8096, EML, ESL 9000, and MSL 5000/6000 libraries, and the 1/8 G2 tape autoloader. Other library models use a previous version of the Library Exerciser test (see Using the original version (page 34)). Using the new version By default, the new version of the Library Exerciser test verifies that the device robotics can access every drive, storage, and mail slot element in the library or autoloader by physically performing media moves to each location. Optionally, a subset of elements can be selected to focus the test on a specific area of the library or autoloader. NOTE: This test can take a long time on very large libraries. If a shorter test is desired, use the test options to select a subset of elements to test. The test requires at least one piece of media in the storage and mail slot elements that are selected for test. By default, the test attempts to verify media compatibility, so if multiple tape technologies or generations are present in the library, one cartridge of each applicable type should be present. The MSL2024 and MSL4048 libraries, and 1/8 G2 tape autoloader also require at least one empty element in the selected storage and mail slot range. The following options are available for this test: Perform inventory at start of test By default, this option is set to False because the inventory operation can take a long time on large libraries. If the inventory information needs to be updated, setting this option to True causes an Initialize Element Status command to be issued to the library at the start of the test. Test loop count (all operations except inventory) Allows multiple loops of the test to be run. The inventory operation (if selected) only runs prior to the first loop. The default value is 1. Test drive range (all, x-y, or none) Specify the range of drives to be tested. Specify all to test all drive elements. Specify none to skip all drive elements. Specify a single number (5, for example) or a range (2-5, for example) to test specific drive elements (numbering starts at 1). Test Import/Export range (all, x-y, or none) Specify the range of import/export (mail slot) elements to be tested. Specify all to test all import/export elements. Specify none to skip all import/export elements. Specify a single number (5, for example) or a range (2-5, for example) to test specific import/export elements (numbering starts at 1). Test slot range (all, x-y, or none) Specify the range of slot (storage) elements to be tested. Specify all to test all storage elements. Specify none to skip all storage elements. Specify a single number (5, for example) or a range (2-5, for example) to test specific storage elements (numbering starts at 1). Ignore barcode labels and media types when selecting tapes To ensure that attempted moves are made only to elements that are compatible with the selected media, the test attempts to use bar code label and/or Read Element Status information from the library to determine media types by default. If bar code labels are missing or incorrect, it may be necessary for this option to be set to True to allow the test to run. This option should only be set to True if all of the media in the selected range is compatible with all of the elements in the selected range. If this option is set to True and more than one drive type is detected in the selected range, the test will exit without moving media. The range options can be used to select ranges of elements that are known to be compatible. Diagnostic tests 33

34 Using the original version The Library Exerciser test takes a test cartridge from a mail slot and performs random slot-to-slot moves. The test then moves the test cartridge into every available drive and performs a short drive test. This test is intended to exercise the robotics and robot drive hardware. NOTE: Not all libraries are supported by the Library Exerciser test. If the test is not displayed in the list of tests, then the selected device is not supported. The following options are available for this test: Test Time Limit Specify the time limit in minutes. Enter 0 for no time limit. The default setting is 0. Move Command Timeout Specify the maximum time allotted, in seconds, for each move command before failure. The default is 600 seconds. Active Slot Range Specify a range of slots to be tested. Enter a range of slot numbers separated with a dash (for example: 2-5), or enter all to specify all slots. The default is all. Active Drive Range Specify a range of drives to be tested. Enter a range of drives separated with a dash (for example: 2-5), or enter all to specify all drives. The default is all. Drive Type Option Specify the type of drives to be tested (in libraries that have mixed drive types). Enter the type of drive (for example: LTO or DLT), or enter all to test all drive types. The default is all. Check Inventory Mode Specify whether to perform an active inventory check at beginning of the test. The active inventory check can take a long time to perform. The default is on. Barcode Mode Specify how bar codes are handled. Choose one of the following options: Show all Shows all bar codes Show suspect Shows only suspect bar codes (default) Off Does not show bar codes Slot-to-Slot Moves Select one of the following options for the slot-to-slot test: All Moves all cartridges Random Moves randomly selected cartridges (default) Off No cartridges are moved Random Coverage When Slot-to-Slot Moves is set to Random, specify the percentage of units covered during random test. The default is 20%. Drive Load Mode Specify whether or not to perform the Drive Load test. The default setting is on. Drive Test Option If the Drive Load test is enabled, specify one of the following options: Off Data loop back (default) Read-only Read/write 34 Tests and utilities

35 Cartridge Load Test Specify one of the following options for the Cartridge Load test: Off (default) Single drive Multiple drives All drives CM Integrity Mode Specify whether to enable the CM integrity check option for LTO drives. The default setting is on. Library Quick Check test Description The Library Quick Check test performs a quick check of both the library and installed tape drives for both VLS/D2D and real libraries. The test checks the library move functionality and checks the read, write, and load functions of each tape drive installed in the library. The test starts by moving any tapes currently loaded in the tape drives back to their source slots. If source information is not available for any tapes loaded in drives, the test will exit with a warning and test status Incomplete. After moving any currently loaded tapes back to their source slots, there must be at least one empty slot or the test will skip the slot-to-slot move portion of the test. The test identifies test tapes and the empty test slot based on the types of tape drives installed in the library and the value of the Starting slot option. For example, if the library has a mixture of LTO2 and LTO4 tape drives and the value of the Starting slot option is 10, the test will identify the first LTO2 tape and the first LTO4 tape starting with slot 10, and these will be come the test tapes for that test run. There is one tape per drive type. For example if the library has multiple LTO2 tape drives and multiple LTO4 tape drives, the test will use two test tapes one for the LTO2 tape drives and one for the LTO4 tape drives. In this example, the empty test slot will be the first empty slot found starting with slot 10. The test exits with a warning and test status of Incomplete in any of the following conditions: The test cannot find a test tape for each drive type Any of the identified test tapes are write protected The test cannot find an empty slot. The test fails in any of the following conditions: The library has any move errors, including any initial moves to return a tape to its source slot. A tape drive has any write or read unexpected check conditions, or the data read is different from the data written. Diagnostic tests 35

36 Options When to run Average duration Other notes Available for Library Read Write test Description Allow overwrite (default FALSE) This test option must be set to True before the test will run. Starting slot for locating test tapes (default 0) The test looks for test tapes starting with the specified slot. If the end of the slot range is reached before finding the required test tapes, the test continues looking from slot 0, stopping the search when the starting slot is reached. Additional moves (default 0) By default, the test moves the first identified test tape to the first identified empty slot and back two times. Use this option to increase the number of slot-to-slot move sequences. Additional seconds writing (default 0) The test writes for a minimum of 30 seconds with each drive in the library and then reads back the test data written during that time. Use this option to increase the writing time. Ignore barcode labels when selecting test tapes (default FALSE) By default, the test uses barcode information to select a test tape for each drive in the library. Use this option to have the test treat each tape in the library as a valid tape type for each drive in the library. When set to True, the test will use the first tape found from the starting slot ( Starting slot for locating test tapes option) to test all drives in the library, regardless of the drive type. This option should only be set to True if the test tape in the starting slot is compatible with all of the tape drives in the library. Run this test to check the main library and drive functions. Highly dependent on the library being tested. This test will overwrite data on the test cartridges. Both virtual and real library devices, including ESL9000, MSL5000/6000, ESL-E, EML-E, MSL2024, MSL4048, MSL6480, MSL8048, MSL8096 Tape Libraries, and 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloader. The Library Read Write test automates the testing of the drives and tapes in a tape library. This test assumes that the library robotics are working properly. To test the library robotics, use the Library Exercisor test (page 32). 36 Tests and utilities

37 Options Allow overwrite (default: FALSE) Set to TRUE to enable test options which write to the tape. Specifically, if MB to write is greater than 0 or Run LTO drive assessment test is TRUE, the test will only run if Allow overwrite is also true. Starting slot (defaults to 1) Specifies the number of the slot where the test will start checking for compatible tapes. NOTE: Slot and drive numbering is one-based (the first slot is 1), which is consistent with L&TT. Some supported libraries use zero-based numbering on the library front panel. In this case, the test numbering will be off by one from the front panel. Number of test tapes (default: 1) Specifies the maximum number of test tapes to be written during the test. If tapes will be written (see Allow overwrite), the number of test tapes is limited to the maximum of the number of drives selected with Drive type and Drive range, or 10 tapes, whichever number is larger. For example, if six drives are selected in a 32-drive library and the test is configured to write tapes, then the test will limit the number of test tapes to 10. If there are 16 drives in the chosen library, the test will limit the number of test tapes to 16. If all is selected, the test tapes will be selected from the Starting slot to the end of the library slot range. If tapes will not be written, the maximum does not apply. Drive range (default: all) Specifies the range of tape drives to be considered for the test. Drive numbering starts at one. This range of drives is checked against the specified Drive type to determine which drives will be used. For example, 1 3 selects drives 1, 2 and 3, 2 selects drive 2, and all selects all drives in the library. Drive type (default: same as drive 1) Specifies the types of drives to include in the test. The test will exit if the library does not a drive of the selected type. MB to write (default: 0) Specifies the amount of data to write to each tape using a random data pattern, 64K block size, and data compression enabled. If all is specified, the tape will be fully written to EOM (end of media) and the locations for early warning EOM and EOM will be published in the test results. These locations are published as both a block number and a capacity point. Run LTO drive assessment test (default FALSE) Set to TRUE to run the assessment test. The Enable passive test, Ignore cleaning request, and Test coverage options configure the LTO drive assessment portion of the Library Read Write test. Enable passive test (default: TRUE) Specifies whether device analysis will be run from within the drive assessment test. Ignore cleaning request (default: FALSE) Specifies whether cleaning requests will be checked and used as part of the test criteria. Test coverage (default: Default) Specifies how much of Diagnostic tests 37

38 the test tape will be written during the assessment test. The choices are Default and Entire tape. NOTE: If Run LTO drive assessment test is TRUE and Drive type is not LTO, the test will exit. Continue on drive errors (default: TRUE) Specifies whether the test should continue when an unexpected drive error occurs. This check does not include some expected drive errors, such as when a drive reaches EOD before reading the specified amount of data. NOTE: Robotics errors will always cause the test to fail immediately. When to run Average duration Other notes Test all drive/tape combinations (default: FALSE) Determines which tape/drive combinations to test. For example, with four selected drives and four selected tapes, if Test all drive/tape combinations is FALSE, four tape/drive combinations will be tested, but if Test all drive/tape combinations is TRUE, 16 tape/drive combinations will be tested. If Number of test tapes is set to 1, the test will use all tape/drive combinations, regardless of how the Test all drive/tape combinations test option is set so that each of the selected tape drives will be tested. Number of iterations (default: 1) Specifies the number of times the test sequence will be repeated for each tape/drive combination. Ignore barcode labels (default: FALSE) Specifies whether the test should use barcode labels to determine which tapes are compatible with a tape drive. Skip previously inventoried tapes (default FALSE) Specifies whether previously inventoried tapes will be skipped when the test selects the tapes to use for the test run. The information about previously inventoried tapes is kept in the log file. Run this test to verify that the tapes and drives are functioning properly. Highly dependent on the library being tested and the options selected. Depending on the library model and test options selected, this test may overwrite data. This test can be stopped before it completes. To stop the test, click Abort Test. The test keeps a log file that lists of all tapes in the library that have bar code labels. The test will not run with a tape that has been partitioned. The Library Read Write test has several requirements, some of which can be overridden with test options: Library robotics are working. The test assumes that the library robotics are working well enough to move tapes, read barcode 38 Tests and utilities

39 labels, and keep correct inventory. The test will fail immediately upon the first robotics error. No tapes in the selected drives. If there are tapes in any of the selected drives, the test will move the tapes back to their source slots at the beginning of the test. A working library should know the source slots for each tape, as long as the library has not been rebooted or power-cycled since the tape was loaded into the drive. If the source slot information is not available in the library, the test will exit with an error message requesting that the user use the front panel to replace the tapes in their storage slots. Bar code labels are correct. The test uses the bar code labels to determine whether a tape may be used in a specific drive. The sixth and seventh characters in the bar code label designate the type of tape. In addition, cleaning tape bar code labels start with CLN, which is used to exclude any cleaning tapes from the test. The test chooses which tapes to include based on the bar code labels of the tapes in the library, along with the option settings for Drive type, Starting slot, and Number of test tapes. The requirement for correct bar code labels may be overridden by setting the [Ignore barcode labels] test option to TRUE. NOTE: The test will not run with the Ignore barcode labels test option set to TRUE if the library has mixed drive types because when the library contains mixed drive types it is more likely that some of the tapes in the library are not compatible with the chosen drive type. Library is configured to show at least seven bar code characters. The library must show at least seven bar code characters for the test to check the bar code labels. The number of bar code characters shown is a configuration setting that differs between libraries. If the library is set to show fewer characters, the test will behave as though none of the tapes in the library are compatible with the chosen tape drive. The Library Read Write test keeps a log file containing a list of all tapes in the library that were identified during previous test runs. This information is used within the test if the Skip previously inventoried tapes test option is set. The log files are named LTTRootDirectory\logs\ProductID_ProductSN_librw.csv. The list has one entry for each tape, and each entry includes the bar code, slot, and media ID for SDLT tapes or cartridge SN for LTO tapes. The bar code and slot information will always be present; the media ID or cartridge SN will only be present if the tape was loaded during any run of the Library Read Write test. The log file may be viewed in Excel. When the Library Read Write test runs, the media ID or cartridge SN from the log file is combined with any new media information from that run. The log file is then updated to reflect the new media ID or cartridge SN information, as well as the current library configuration of tape locations. If the Library Read Write test is run after a tape is removed from the library, the information about that tape is discarded from the log file. Diagnostic tests 39

40 TIP: To keep log information about a tape that has been discarded from the library, copy or rename the log file before running the Library Read Write test. Available for The test determines which tapes to use based on the test option settings for Starting slot, Number of test tapes, Drive type, Ignore barcode labels, and whether or not the tapes will be written (see Allow overwrite). For example, LTO1 tapes will not be included in an LTO3 drive test where tapes are written because LTO1 tape is not write-compatible with LTO3 drives. The test determines which drives to use based on the test option settings for Drive type and Drive range. The other test options determine the testing sequence for the selected tapes and drives. This testing sequence is always the same for each of the selected drives and tapes. MSL5000/6000, ESL9000, ESL-E, EML, MSL2024, MSL4048, MSL6480, MSL8048, MSL8096, and Tape Libraries, and 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloader. Within these libraries, the following drive types are supported: SDLT220/320/600, and LTO1, LTO2, LTO3, and LTO4. LTO Cooling Check test Description When to run Other notes LTO Media Assessment test This test monitors the temperature sensors of an LTO drive while writing data to ensure that the drive is cooling properly when installed in a server. Run this test if you suspect thermal problems with your LTO drive. This test can be stopped before it completes. To stop the test, click Abort Test. CAUTION: This test is destructive (if the Allow Overwrite test option is True) and will overwrite data on the media that is present in your device. Description The LTO Media Assessment test evaluates two aspects of the LTO media the data stored on the media and the tape cartridge itself. The default is to perform a Read Only test, which analyzes the backup currently on the LTO data cartridge to check whether the backup is fit for purpose (FFP). The other test type is an Overwrite test, which overwrites the existing data on the LTO data cartridge. The Overwrite test ensures that the media can be successfully written to, which will check whether the Media is FFP. If the Read Only (Backup Assessment) test fails, the backup needs to be run again, but you should run the Overwrite test first to check that the media is suitable to continue using for Backup operations. If the Overwrite (Media Assessment) test fails, the media should be retired and no longer used for Backup operations (i.e. it is no longer FFP). The test makes no attempt to determine the reason for the problem with the media; it is intended only to determine whether it is FFP. The test also does a passive analysis of the tape history. In this part of the test, the LTO Cartridge Memory is analyzed looking for signs of health and usage problems. The historical information-based status of the tape is reported at the end of the test. 40 Tests and utilities

41 Options When to run Average duration Other notes Available for HP recommends using the default options, which will perform a Read Only (Backup Assessment) test and attempt to read two wraps of data from the tape. Use the Allow Overwrite and Amount of Media to Test options to modify the default behavior of the test. Allow Overwrite (default False) To run the Read Only (Backup Assessment) test, set the Allow Overwrite option to False, or leave it unset. To run the Overwrite (Media Assessment) test, set the Allow Overwrite option to True. Amount of Media to Test The actual amount of data read varies by LTO drive/tape generation, but is enough for a valid Read Margin calculation to be performed. Unless EOD (End of Data) is reached during the read of the default amount of data, the test will be unable to report that the Backup is FFP, but it will be a very good indication of the health of the backup. To fully test the Backup fitness, set the Amount of Media to Test option to Entire Tape, which will ensure that the data is read from the tape until EOD is reached. The other test options allow the test to be run outside of the standard operation parameters, which is not recommended: Enable passive test (default True) When this option is set to True, the passive stage of the test is run. When this option is set to False, the passive stage of the test is not run. There is not benefit to disabling the passive stage of the test because it runs very quickly and gives useful feedback on the history of the tape. Check WORM integrity (default True) When this option is set to True, the Read Only test is run on a WORM cartridge, which will check the integrity of the WORM media and that the WORM cartridge has not been tampered with. This test does not allow writing to a WORM cartridge. Ignore cleaning requests(default False) If the tape drive to be tested is requesting cleaning, the drive should be cleaned before running the test. However, if a cleaning cartridge is not available, you can bypass this check by setting this option to True. In that case, the test will report that non-standard test options were used so the results of the test cannot be guaranteed. Run this test with the Allow Overwrite option set to True when you want to check whether a backup is fit for purpose. Run this test with the Allow Overwrite option set to False when you want to check that a tape cartridge is fit for purpose. Approximately 20 minutes using the default test options, depending on the drive type. Test will overwrite all data on the media if the Allow Overwrite option is True. If the drive to be tested in part of an autoloader or library, the autoloader or library should be in random mode prior to running the test. The test will not run with a tape that has been partitioned. LTO drives only Diagnostic tests 41

42 LTO Stuck Tape test Description When to run Available for LTO Encryption test Description When to run Average duration Other notes Available for This test tries to determine if the cartridge in the drive is physically stuck, or if it can be unloaded and recovered. Run this test only if you suspect that the cartridge is stuck. Standalone LTO drives only This test checks that the encryption capabilities of the LTO4 or later generation drive is working correctly. Data is written and read using different combinations of encryption mode, decryption mode, and using both invalid and valid keys, checking for the correct response from the drive in each case. The tape is checked at the beginning of the test to insure that it will correctly support encryption and may therefore be used as a test tape. Run this test if you want to insure that encryption is working correctly for the LTO4 or later generation drive. 2 3 minutes This test will overwrite all data on the media. LTO4 and later generation tape drives, both standalone and within libraries. Read/Write test CAUTION: product. This test is destructive and will overwrite data on the media that is present in your NOTE: The Read/Write test is superseded by the Assessment test (page 26), which asses drive health, and the Drive Performance test (page 45), which measures performance and pushes the drive to maximum performance. HP recommends using these tests instead of the Read/Write test because they are effective diagnostics. Description This test performs a self-test on the drive device, then a write-read media test to verify the ability to read and write data to and from the removable media in your storage device. This test also checks error rates and fails if allowable limits are exceeded. Test options allow the user to select the amount of data or length of test time, the amount of data transferred per command, and the data pattern. The Write/Read test includes the same parameters as the existing Device Performance test but it should not be used for performance measurements as it does not use the tape driver and runs more slowly. Please use the Device Performance test for accurate performance measurements. 42 Tests and utilities

43 Options Test Time Limit Specify the time limit in minutes. Enter 0 for no time limit. Data Limit Type Specify one of the following options to limit the amount of data written/read in each phase: Time Limits the amount of data tested based on the time specified in Data Time Limit. Size Limits the amount of data tested based on the size specified in Data Size Limit. Whole tape Limits the amount of data tested based on the size of the tape. Move test When to run Average duration Other notes Available for Description Data Size Limit Specify the size limit in megabytes of data to be written/read in each phase. Data Time Limit Specify the time limit, in minutes, for each phase of the test. Block Size Specify the block size, in kilobytes, to be used in the test. The default is 64 KB. Transfer Size Limit Specify the maximum data transfer limit, in kilobytes, per command. The default is 64 KB. Block Transfer Type Specify whether to use a fixed or variable block length. Read and compare after the write operation Set this option to true to enable the read phase after the write phase completes. This option is optional and is set to false by default. The read phase also compares the buffers written during the write operation to ensure data integrity on the tape. Retry on read failure When on, the test will prompt the user for a cleaning cartridge and a new test cartridge in the case of repeated read failures. Compression Ratio Specify the compression ratio for the test. The test will use a buffer pattern in a pre-specified format to achieve the specified compression ratio. Write filemarks after every Specify whether the test should write a filemark on the tape after every specified amount of data. Run this test to verify the integrity of a particular piece of media, as written and read by a particular drive, and to verify the ability of the drive to read and write data independent of the storage application. < 10 minutes, using default test options Test will overwrite all data on the media. This test can be stopped before it completes. To abort the test, click Abort Test. All devices supported by L&TT This test performs a move command in a library or autoloader using source and destination elements specified in the test options. When the Diagnostic tests 43

44 When to run Average duration Options move command is finished, a second move command returns the cartridge to its original location. This sequence can be repeated using an optional loop count. This test is used to verify that the library or autoloader can perform moves to and from specific elements. Use this test if a problem is suspected with a particular element in the device or to verify operation after the device is serviced. The duration of this test varies depending on the library or autoloader under test and the specified loop count. A single loop can take from 30 seconds to three minutes depending on the device. It takes longer if errors and recovery steps occur. Loop Count Specify the number of times the test sequence must be repeated. Each test sequence consists of two moves, one from the specified source to the specified destination followed by a second move back to the original source location. Source Address Type Specify one of the following source element address types: Storage slot The source address is a storage slot number (starting at 1). Drive The source address is a drive number (starting at 1). Available for Performance tests Mail slot The source address is a mail slot number (starting at 1). SCSI element address The source address is a SCSI element number. Source address A number indicating the source address. The meaning of this number depends on the specified source address type. Destination address type Specify one of the following destination element address types: Storage slot The destination address is a storage slot number (starting at 1). Drive The destination address is a drive number (starting at 1). Mail slot The destination address is a mail slot number (starting at 1). SCSI element address The destination address is a SCSI element number. Destination address A number indicating the destination address. The meaning of this number depends on the specified destination address type. This test supports all libraries and autoloaders where LTO drives are available. The Drive Performance Test writes data to a tape drive and calculates the performance of that drive independently from the disk file system. Use this test in conjunction with the System 44 Tests and utilities

45 Performance Test to identify any system bottlenecks. Use a blank tape when performing this test because this test is destructive to data on the tape. The test can also measure tape drive read performance. This test is available for all tape drives. For more information, see Drive Performance test (page 45). The System Performance Test measures the performance of the system on which the LTT Service is running. It has two modes: The Read Performance Test measures the read performance of the disk file system (simulating a backup), and the Write Performance Test measures the write performance of the disk file system (simulating a restore). Use these tests in conjunction with the Drive Performance Test to identify any system bottlenecks. The Read Performance Test is read-only and is safe to run on any part of your file system. The Write Performance Test creates data in the specified directory and can also be used to create test data for general backup testing. For more information, see System Performance test (page 47). Drive Performance test The Drive Performance test writes and reads data to/from the specified tape drive and calculates performance data for that drive. The results of the test are shown in updates while the test is running and in the test results section in the bottom right of the Test/Utility screen. CAUTION: This test is destructive to data on the tape. To avoid loss of data, use a blank tape when performing this test. NOTE: In the following procedure, a suggested starting value is given for most parameters. These are not necessarily default values, but they are general values that will result in a simple, representative test. Use them as a starting point, and modify them according to your needs. NOTE: The Drive Performance test uses the tape driver rather than the NT Miniport (or ASPI) to model the backup application, so the appropriate tape driver must be loaded for this test. To download the latest driver, go to and click Download drivers and software. 1. In the device listing (the By Product or By Connection tab), select the library or drive to test. 2. Click Dev Perf on the main toolbar. The Drive Performance screen opens with the Tape Drive Performance tab selected. For libraries, the Drive Performance Test tab shows the library and its associated drives. For a stand alone drive, only a single drive will be shown. 3. Select the tape drives for the Drive Performance test. All of the drives will be tested in parallel. NOTE: You cannot select the library because the test only runs on tape drives. 4. Click the Options button to configure the test data in the Drive Performance Test dialog. To return all of the options to their default values, click Defaults. In the Test Logic section of the dialog, use the drop down menus to select a data type for each of the four tests. The Drive Performance test is actually a series of four write/read subtests (labeled Step 1-4 on the Drive Performance screen) that measure performance using different types of data that you can specify. By default only one subtest is run. The following data types can be selected: Random data that gives a 1:1 (or no compression) compression ratio Zeros 1.6:1 Compression 2:1 Compression (suggested starting value) 3:1 Compression 4:1 Compression Performance tests 45

46 You must specify a data type for Step 1, but you can choose not to perform Steps 2 through 4 by selecting No Test (suggested starting value for steps 2 through 4 is No Test). 5. Specify the following additional parameters: Block Mode Choose one of the following (suggested starting value is Fixed): Fixed The test uses a fixed block size (length) that can be specified in the Block Size menu. Variable The test uses a different mode of data transfer. When this option is selected, the Block Size menu is disabled. Block Size If Block Mode is set to Fixed, specify the size of the data blocks used in the test. Data blocks can be from 16K to 256K (suggested starting value is 64K). This menu is disabled if Block Mode is set to Variable. I/O Size The maximum amount of data to be transferred by a single read/write operation. This length is typically a multiple of the Block Size and ranges from the specified Block Size to 1MB (suggested starting value is 1MB). Test Size The maximum amount of data written/read by the test. Valid choices are 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, and Full Tape. Larger values increase the time required to perform the test, but they produce more accurate test results (suggested starting value is 4GB). File Mark Mode Instructs the test to write a filemark at the specified interval (1MB to 1GB). You can also instruct the test not to write any filemarks (suggested starting value is No filemarks). NOTE: Writing filemarks at a frequent interval will reduce the performance of the test. Read After Write The test evaluates two sets of metrics when enabled, and one set when disabled (suggested starting value is disabled). When enabled, data is written to the tape and then the tape is read back. When disabled, only write performance is measured. Rate Limiting If rate limiting is enabled, the I/O rate is limited to the specified value (suggested starting value is disabled). Compare after Read This option checks the integrity of the data but will reduce the transfer rate of the test. Performance is not reported when this option is selected. To measure true performance, run the test with this option unselected. You can enable this option only when Read After Write and Fixed Block Mode are selected. 6. Click Start to perform the test. Progress of the test is displayed under the Progress column for the corresponding drives. The numbers indicate the percentage of test completion. Test results are displayed in the result log in the bottom right-hand corner of the Test/Utilities screen and are available in the WebGUI install directory, C:\Program Files (x86)\ Hewlett-Packard\Library and Tape Tools WebGUI\log and it s there under LTTOperationLog.log. The log file contains all the previous text results and is a text file that can be viewed in any text editor or sent by Tests and utilities

47 System Performance test The System Performance Test has two modes: The Read Performance Test measures the read performance of the disk file system (simulating a backup). The Read Performance Test is read only and safe to run on any part of your file system. The Write Performance Test measures the write performance of the disk file system (simulating a restore). The Write Performance Test creates data in the specified directory and can also be used to create test data for general backup testing. Use these tests in conjunction with the Drive Performance Test to identify any system bottlenecks. Performing the System Performance Write Performance Test NOTE: In the following procedure, a suggested starting value is given for most parameters. These are not necessarily default values, but they are general values that will result in a simple, representative test. Use them as a starting point, and modify them according to your needs. 1. Click System Performance Test on the bottom of the left navigation pane of the main WebGUI window. The System Performance screen opens. 2. Click Write Performance Test. 3. Specify the following parameters: Test Path Enter the destination directory to which the test will write data. This should be a directory on the backup server being tested. Make sure that the path is on the restore destination disk to measure the real data rate. Use a directory name that you can find easily such as C:\Test so that you can easily delete the data later. Test Data Type Select the type of data pattern to be written. Choose from the following options: Fixed Byte Incrementing Random Uncompressible Data 2:1 Compression Ratio (suggested starting value) 3:1 Compression Ratio 4:1 Compression Ratio File Size Specify a range of possible file sizes for the test data (suggested starting value is to use the default value). File Tree Depth Specify the number of levels of subdirectories the program will create from the specified directory (suggested starting value is 5). File Tree Breadth Specify the number of directories to be created within each subdirectory (suggested starting value is 5). Files Per Directory Specify the number of files to be created within each subdirectory (suggested starting value is 50). Performance tests 47

48 NOTE: The gauges in the Disc Capacity section of the screen show the amount of disk space required for the System Performance test using the current settings, and the amount of space available in the indicated file system. If the required space exceeds the available space, the Test Size gauge displays OVERFLOW, and you will be unable to start the test. 4. Click Start to perform the test. Performing the System Performance Read Performance Test This test reads data from up to four separate locations on the file system. The reads are concurrent and simulate up to four concurrent backup data streams. The performance of these reads is measured and reported in the bottom right of the Test/Utilities sceen. Use this test to measure the performance of the file system to be used for backup. Use this test in conjunction with the Drive Performance Test to identify performance bottlenecks in the system. This test is read-only and can be safely run on backup source data. NOTE: In the following procedure, a suggested starting value is given for each parameter. These are not necessarily default values, but they are general values that will result in a simple, representative test. Use them as a starting point, and modify them according to your needs. 1. Click System Performance Test on the left navigation pane. A service must be added before System Performance Test can be selected. 2. Click the Backup Pre-Test tab. 3. Specify the following parameters: Read Size Enter the maximum block size (in bytes) to transfer (suggested starting value is 512K). Directory Traverse Method Specify one of the following options (suggested starting value is depth): Specify Depth to have the test read as far down the directory structure as possible before moving laterally to the next directory. Specify Breadth to read all directories at the same level before moving down to the next subdirectory level. Stop After Specify a time limit for the test, or select All Readers Complete to continue testing until the test is complete (suggested starting value is 5 minutes). Reader [1-4] Enter up to four target directories from which the test will read data. For each Reader, you must have first performed a Restore Pre-Test. Use the same directory or directories that you specified in the Restore Pre-Tests. The number of readers to use depends on your backup application. If the application uses concurrent read streams, then select multiple readers. To guarantee an accurate measure of the access rate of the real data, point each reader at the data that each stream will back up. Read Files Specifies whether the files must be read back from the tape after the write completes (suggested starting value is to select this option). Measure Reader 1 compression ratio When this box is checked, the compression ratio of the files selected by Reader 1 is measured. When checked, the normal Backup Pre-Test is not run and the other readers are disabled, while the compression ratio is measured for Reader 1. When the test completes, the compression ratio for the files read by Reader 1 will be displayed in the System Performance Results tab. IMPORTANT: This is a slow operation. 48 Tests and utilities

49 4. Click Start to perform the test. Test results are displayed in the result log in the bottom right-hand corner of the Test/Utilities screen and are available in the WebGUI install directory, C:\Program Files (x86)\ Hewlett-Packard\Library and Tape Tools WebGUI\log and it s there under LTTOperationLog.log. The log file contains all the previous text results and is a text file that can be viewed in any text editor or sent by . Device-specific utilities L&TT provides three types of utilities: Device-specific utilities are accessed from the Utility screen and operated like the tests. This section describes the device-specific utilities. See Using the Test/Utility screen (page 22) for information on running the device-specific utilities. Device connection independent utilities are accessed from the Utilities > Run Utilities menu. SCSI utility scripts are run from the Utilities > Run Script menu. CAUTION: Some utilities are destructive to data on the media. When a utility is destructive to data, this is indicated in the utility description. To prevent data loss, use media that is either new or that contains unimportant data that can be erased. Do not attempt to perform a utility unless you are thoroughly familiar with its usage, or have been instructed to do so by HP support personnel. Compare Statistics utility (page 49) Device Configuration test (page 50) Force Tape Eject utility (page 50) Toggle Vendor ID Set visible barcode length Tape Erase utility (page 50) Firmware Tape Creator utility (page 51) LTO Firmware to Data Tape Creator utility (page 51) Re-initialize LTFS Tape utility (page 51) Compare Statistics utility Description When to run Average duration Other notes This utility reads current statistical values from the library (number of moves and retries, for example) and compares the current values to values saved previously in this library by this same utility. It can be useful to run this utility before and after running another L&TT test that exercises the library to see if there are changes in key statistics that would indicate a problem. If the utility has never been executed before on the library, there will be no results to make a comparison with, but the current statistical values will be displayed and saved for comparisons when the utility is run in the future. Depending on the library type, results can be saved in the library for anywhere from one to four executions of the utility. This utility is most useful when used in conjunction with tests by running this utility before and after running a test that exercises the library. Statistics, such as move retries, can then be compared to determine if the library is running without error. Since no library motion is necessary, this utility completes in just a few seconds. None Device-specific utilities 49

50 Available for Device Configuration test Description Options When to run Average duration Available for Force Tape Eject utility Description When to run Average duration Other notes Available for This utility is available for MSL2024, MSL4048, MSL8048, MSL8048, MSL8096, ESL E-Series, and the 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloader. This utility lets you configure the drive to enable/disable data compression and to prevent/allow media removal. Enable/Disable Data Compression Specify enabled or disabled to enable or disable data compression on the drive. Specify leave unchanged to retain the current data compression setting. Prevent/Allow Media Removal Specify prevent or allow to prevent or allow media removal from the drive. Specify leave unchanged to retain the current setting. Run this utility when you want to configure the drive to enable/disable data compression and to prevent/allow media removal. < 1 minute All drives supported by L&TT This utility forces a tape drive to eject a tape that will not eject using the normal methods. The utility will send special SCSI commands to the library controller, forcing it to take extra measures to remove the tape from the drive. When the tape is successfully ejected from the tape drive, it will be returned to the storage slot from which it came. Use the test option Drive number to specify which drive in the library holds the stuck tape. Run this utility if a tape cannot be removed from a library tape drive using the normal methods of the ISV application, or the front panel commands. Depending on the circumstances that prevent the tape from being removed, this utility can take anywhere from 1 to 30 minutes to complete. Use the LTO Stuck Tape test for standalone LTO drives. See LTO Stuck Tape test (page 42). The Force Tape Eject Utility is only for use in libraries that support the necessary SCSI commands. MSL2024, MSL4048, MSL8048, MSL8096 tape libraries, 1/8 G2 tape autoloader Tape Erase utility CAUTION: This utility is destructive and will overwrite data on the media that is present in your storage device. 50 Tests and utilities

51 Description When to run Average duration Other notes Available for This utility converts LTO data tape into a blank tape. This utility has the following three options: Quick erase (one minute) Removes the tape directory and writes EOD at the start of the tape, but it does not overwrite the data on the remainder of the tape. Full erase (two to four hours) Erases the tape directory and also overwrites all data on the tape. Secure erase (10 to 20 hours) Performs a full erase followed by a rewind. It repeats this four more times for a total of five full erases. Run this utility when you want to erase a tape that has been written previously. Quick erase takes about one minute. Full erase takes from 2 to 4 hours. Secure erase takes between 10 to 25 hours. Any data on tape will no longer be accessible after this test. The test will not run with a tape that has been partitioned. Ultrium 1 and 2, LTO3, LTO4, LTO5, and LTO6. Firmware Tape Creator utility Description When to run Average duration Other notes Available for Enables you to create a FUP (firmware update) tape on your drive. An FUP tape is a tape that is created when a firmware file for a particular drive type is written onto a blank tape. Run this utility when you want to create an FUP tape to update drive firmware. < 2 minute. LTO Firmware to Data Tape Creator utility This utility finds a firmware image file (firmware.frm) in your firmware directory. You must create this file yourself by obtaining the correct firmware file for your device, renaming it to firmware.frm, and copying the file to your firmware directory. Ultrium 1 and 2, LTO3, LTO4, LTO5, and LTO6. CAUTION: product. This utility is destructive and will overwrite data on the media that is present in your Description When to run Average duration Other notes Available for This utility converts a previously created firmware upgrade tape back to a normal data tape on your Ultrium drive. Run this utility script when you want to convert an Ultrium FUP tape back to a data tape. < 2 minute. Test will overwrite all data on the media. Ultrium 1 and 2, LTO3, LTO4, LTO5, and LTO6. Re-initialize LTFS Tape utility CAUTION: This utility is destructive and will overwrite data on the media that is present in your storage device. Device-specific utilities 51

52 Description When to run Average duration Other notes This utility re-initializes an LTO-5/LTO-6 LTFS formatted tape into a data tape. This utility has no test options. Run this utility when you want to reuse an LTFS-formatted tape as a normal data tape. Approximately one minute. Available for Ultrium 5 and Ultrium 6. The utility will not run with a tape that is not an LTO-5/LTO-6 Read/Write tape and has no LTFS partitions. 52 Tests and utilities

53 5 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI The TapeAssure section of the L&TT WebGUI provides a centralized view of health, performance, and utilization data for tape drives and tape cartridges. NOTE: The L&TT WebGUI only provides access to TapeAssure functionality for standalone tape drives. For tape drives in libraries, you can access TapeAssure functionality from Command View TL. See the Command View TL user guide for instructions on using TapeAssure with library drives. To access TapeAssure and the associated information: 1. In the ALL LTT Service Hosts screen, select a service host. 2. In the left panel, click TapeAssure. 3. In the left panel, under Drives, select Health, Performance, or Utilization. A list of the tape drives managed by the selected service host appears. TIP: To change the order of the columns, drag the column header and drop it in the new location. To find a specific tape drive or set of tape drives, enter the serial number or name of a tape drive in the Filter field and click the filter icon to the right of the text box. For example, to search for the serial number HU172404BF, enter h to find tape drives with serial numbers that contain h (matching serial numbers such as HU172404BF, HU171801UB, and HU272404BB. Continuing with the same query, when you enter u17, the list will narrow to drive names containing hu17 (matching serial numbers such as HU172404BF and HU171801UB). When you enter the 2 and click the filter icon (to the right of the text box), the list in this example will only contain HU172404BF. To clear the filter, click the Clear filter string icon. Viewing drive health To access health information for a specific drive: 1. In the ALL LTT Service Hosts screen, select the service host associated with the tape drive. 2. In the left panel, click TapeAssure. 3. In the navigation panel under Drives, select Health. A list of the tape drives managed by the selected service host appears. The TapeAssure Health window lists: Serial Number The serial number of the drive. This is a static value and will change if a drive has been replaced. Use the serial number when contacting HP support. Drive Type The drive type including generation and interface type. Library Serial Number The HP serial number that uniquely identifies the library. Defined at manufacture, this is the number to quote when contacting HP support. Write Quality A measure of the amount of tape used to write high quality data to the last loaded tape followed by the amount of data written to the tape since it was last loaded. Even if the warning is reported, the data will still have been written at high quality (unless the drive reported an error) though more tape was used than recommended by HP. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert. If appropriate, maintenance recommendations are made, such as to clean the drive and/or replace the tape. Viewing drive health 53

54 Read Quality A measure of the ease with which data was read back from the most recently loaded tape followed by the amount of data read from the tape since it was last loaded. Even if the warning is given, the data will have been read back correctly (unless the drive reported an error) though more error correction was required than recommended. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert If appropriate, maintenance recommendations are made, such as to clean the drive and/or replace the tape. Head Life (% Life Remaining) The percentage of remaining head life based on the amount of tape passed over the head compared with worst case life expectancy testing in a clean environment. If a life warning is shown, the drive should be replaced at the next maintenance period. Reposition Life (% Life Remaining) The percentage of remaining reposition life based on the number of changes in direction of the tape over the life of the drive compared with the worst case life expectancy in a clean environment. If a life warning is shown, the drive should be replaced at the next maintenance period. Load/Unload Life The percentage of remaining drive load/unload life based on the number of load/unload cycles over the life of the drive compared with worst case life expectancy testing in a clean environment. If a life warning is shown, the drive should be replaced at the next maintenance period. Service Note A recommendation for service based on the health criteria. More than one service action may apply; hover over the entry with the mouse to see a tool tip containing all recommended service actions for the drive. Viewing drive performance To access performance information for a specific drive: 1. In the ALL LTT Service Hosts screen, select the service host associated with the tape drive. 2. In the left panel, click TapeAssure. 3. In the navigation panel under Drives, select Performance. A list of the tape drives managed by the selected service host appears. 4. Double-click a drive name, or click on a drive name and then select Actions Properties. The TapeAssure performance window lists: Serial Number The serial number of the drive. This is a static value and will change if a drive has been replaced. Use the serial number when contacting HP support. Drive Type The drive type including generation and interface type. Library SN (or Hostname) The HP serial number that uniquely identifies the library. Defined at manufacture, this is the number to quote when contacting HP support. Media Transfer Rate The transfer rate of the data, after compression, transferred to/from the tape since the last load. Estimated Host Transfer Rate The estimated transfer rate of the host averaged over the data transferred to/from the tape since the last load. Write Compression Ratio The average write compression ratio of the data written to tape since the last load. Read Compression Ratio The average read compression ratio of the data read from tape since the last load. Last Sample Time The local time when the key data was written to the database. 54 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI

55 Viewing drive utilization To access utilization information for a specific drive: 1. In the ALL LTT Service Hosts screen, select the service host associated with the tape drive. 2. In the left panel, click TapeAssure. 3. In the navigation panel under Drives, select Utilization. A list of the tape drives managed by the selected service host appears. The TapeAssure Utilization window lists: Library SN (or Hostname) Shows the hostname of the server to which the drive is attached. Such hostname entries are highlighted with an asterisk (*). Drive Type The drive type including generation and interface type. Library Serial Number The HP serial number that uniquely identifies the library. Defined at manufacture, this is the number to quote when contacting HP support. Sample Size The Interface Manager samples data from the drive by retrieving key statistics from the drive. This occurs after a tape unload, or whenever a user generates a support ticket. A sample refers to one instance of pulling the key statistics from the drive. The sample size is the number of times the TapeAssure feature has retrieved these key statistics within the user selected sample time. Utilization (%) Measure of the time that the tape drive has been pulling tape divided by the amount of time that the tape drive has been powered on. Use this for measuring utilization from the hardware standpoint. Last Sample Time The local time when the key data was written to the database. When a management station is reconnected to the network after more than 24 hours offline, the utilization panel display can be inaccurate. The TapeAssure data queued up on active drives and libraries arrives in bulk. To display a more accurate utilization, select Actions Choose Sample Time, and choose the next longest time frame (7 days or more). To choose the time frame for the data samples: 1. In the Utilization panel select Actions Choose Sample Time. 2. Select the sample time and click OK. Viewing detailed LTO drive information The Drive Properties page contains detailed information about the identity, health, environment, performance, and usage of a tape drive, along with detailed information about the last tape loaded into the tape drive. To open the Drive Properties page for a specific drive: 1. In the ALL LTT Service Hosts screen, select the service host associated with the tape drive. 2. In the left panel, click TapeAssure. 3. In the navigation panel under Drives, click Performance, Health, or Utilization to access a list of the drives managed by the selected service host. 4. Double-click on a drive or click on the drive and then select Actions Properties.) The default tab is whichever item was selected in the navigation tree. For example, if you clicked on Performance, the Drive Properties page will open to the Performance tab. At the top of the dialog box, above the tabs, the following information appears: Table 3 Viewing Drive Properties Item Drive Identification Health Description The serial number of the drive. The current status of the drive. Viewing drive utilization 55

56 Table 3 Viewing Drive Properties (continued) Item Serial Number Last Loaded Tape Last Sample Time Description The serial number of the drive. This is a static value and will change if a drive has been replaced. Use the serial number when contacting HP support. The serial number and barcode of the last tape loaded into the drive. The time at which the last sample was taken. This information remains visible when any tab is selected. 5. Click the Overview tab. The Overview page appears. Figure 13 Drive Properties window Overview tab Information provided on the Overview page is explained in Table 4 (page 56). Table 4 Information available from the Drive Properties window Overview tab Item Description Identification Drive Type Serial Number Firmware Revision Firmware Personality The drive type including generation and interface type. The serial number of the drive. This value will change if a drive has been replaced. Use the serial number when contacting HP support. The version of drive firmware the drive is currently operating with. An identifier that distinguishes the firmware among multiple possible variants. Configuration Data Compression Media Removal Usually set by the backup application. If enabled, the drive will perform hardware data compression. Refer to the backup application to configure data compression for backups. Usually set by the backup application. If prevented then the tape cannot be removed from the drive. Normally, media removal is enabled after the backup 56 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI

57 Table 4 Information available from the Drive Properties window Overview tab (continued) Item Description is complete but if the backup aborts it is possible that media removal will still be prevented. Refer to HP support documentation for resolution. Negotiated SCSI Burst Rate property The negotiated SCSI data rate. 6. Click the Health tab. The Health page appears. Figure 14 Drive Properties window Health tab Information provided on the Health page is explained in Table 5 (page 57). Table 5 Information available from the Drive Properties window Health tab Item Description Read/Write health (last loaded tape) Write Health A measure of the amount of tape used to write high quality data to the last loaded tape with the amount of data written to the tape since it was last loaded. Even if the warning is reported, the data will still have been written at high quality (unless the drive reported an error) but more tape was used than recommended by HP. A warning will normally trigger an alert. If appropriate, maintenance recommendations are made, such as to clean the drive and/or replace the tape. HP recommends the use of HP media for maximum confidence. Viewing detailed LTO drive information 57

58 Table 5 Information available from the Drive Properties window Health tab (continued) Item Read Health Description A measure of the ease with which data was read back from the most recently loaded tape with the amount of data read from the tape since it was last loaded. Even if the warning is given, the data will have been read back correctly (unless the drive reported an error) but more error correction was required than recommended. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert. If appropriate, maintenance recommendations are made such as to clean the drive and/or replace the tape. HP recommends the use of HP media for maximum confidence. Drive Life Head Life Reposition Life Load/Unload Life An estimate of the percentage of remaining head life based on the amount of tape passed over the head compared with worst case life expectancy testing in a clean environment. HP recommends HP media for increased head life. If a life warning is shown, the drive should be replaced at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased head life. An estimate of the percentage of remaining reposition life based on the number of changes in direction of the tape over the life of the drive compared with the worst case life expectancy in a clean environment. HP recommends HP media for increased reposition life. If a life warning is shown, the drive should be replaced at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased reposition life. An estimate of the percentage of remaining drive load/unload life based on the number of load/unload cycles over the life of the drive compared with worst case life expectancy testing in a clean environment. HP recommends HP media for increased load/unload life. If a life warning is shown, the drive should be replaced at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased load/unload life. Device Analysis Result The results of the last analysis of the drive. 7. Click the Environment tab. The Environment page appears. 58 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI

59 Figure 15 Advanced LTO Drive Properties Environment tab Information provided on the Environment page is explained in Table 6 (page 59). Table 6 Information available from the Drive Properties window Environment tab Item Description Internal Temperature Current Temperature Max Temperature (since last power cycle) The current temperature reported by the sensor located on the drive controller board. The current temperature value will be significantly higher than ambient temperature but dependent on it, as well as drive usage and air flow. The algorithm that assesses whether the drive is in specification takes account of the location of the sensor and uses that to estimate the thermal conditions of the tape path. If a warning is shown, the airflow for the drive should be improved. If this cannot be corrected, contact HP support. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert. The maximum operational temperature reported by the sensor located on the drive controller board since the last power cycle with an assessment of whether the maximum temperature of the tape path is within specification. The maximum temperature value will be significantly higher than ambient temperature but dependent on it as well as drive usage and air flow. The algorithm that assesses whether the drive is in specification takes account of the location of the sensor and uses that to estimate the thermal conditions of the tape path. If a warning is shown, the airflow for the drive should be improved. If this cannot be corrected, contact HP Viewing detailed LTO drive information 59

60 Table 6 Information available from the Drive Properties window Environment tab (continued) Item Description support. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert. 8. Click the Performance tab. The Performance page appears. Figure 16 Drive Properties window Performance tab Information provided on the Performance page is explained in Table 7 (page 60). Table 7 Information available from the Drive Properties window Performance tab Item Description Data Transfer Estimated Host Transfer Rate Media Transfer Rate Maximum Media Transfer Rate The estimated transfer rate of the host averaged over the data transferred to/from the tape since the last load. The actual, measured native transfer rate with that drive and tape. The Maximum Media Transfer Rate is determined by the drive type and represents the maximum native transfer rate specified for that drive type. Compression Write Compression Ratio Read Compression Ratio The average write compression ratio of the data written to tape since the last load. The average read compression ratio of the data read from tape since the last load. 60 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI

61 9. Click the Usage tab. The Usage page appears. Figure 17 Drive Properties window Usage tab Information provided on the Usage page is explained in Table 8 (page 61). Table 8 Information available from the Drive Properties window Usage tab Item Description Usage Statistics Power On Time Tape Pulled Load/unload Cycles Percent Tape Loaded Duty Cycle Power Cycles Cleans Firmware Upgrades Total power on time of the drive since it was manufactured. Total tape pulled through the drive expressed in terms of the equivalent number of full volume writes or reads. Total number of tape loads for the drive since it was new. A comparison of the time the tape was in the drive with the time since the time it was loaded and the following tape load expressed as a percentage. For example, if the time between the two tape loads was 4 hours and this tape was in the drive for the first hour of that time then the tape loaded percent will be 25%. Use this for measuring utilization of the drive from the application standpoint. Duty cycle of the drive since the last tape load. This is a comparison of the time the drive has been active with the time since the last tape load expressed as a percentage. For example, if the last tape load was 4 hours ago and the drive has been active for 3 hours since then, the duty cycle will be 75%. Use this for measuring utilization from the hardware standpoint. Number of drive power cycles since the drive was manufactured. Number of times the drive has been cleaned since it was manufactured. The number of times the drive has been updated with firmware. Viewing detailed LTO drive information 61

62 10. Click the Last Loaded Tape tab. The Last Loaded Tape page appears. Figure 18 Drive Properties window Last Loaded Tape tab Information provided on the Last Loaded Tape page is explained in Table 9 (page 63). 62 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI

63 Table 9 Information available from the Drive Properties window Last Loaded Tape tab Item Description Identity Barcode Serial number Format Capacity Vendor The reference defined within the user environment to identify the cartridge. This is the most useful reference for normal use as it should be visible within the application and is usually found on a printed label on the front of the cartridge. It is different from the cartridge serial number, which is defined at manufacture and used by HP support. Click the hyperlink on the barcode itself to access the LTO Tape Properties window for the specific tape. See Table 11 (page 66). The serial number that uniquely identifies the last cartridge loaded in the drive and which is defined during the manufacture of that cartridge. Reference this number when contacting HP support. It can be found on the bottom of the cartridge though it may be difficult to read. The cartridge may also have a barcode, which is defined within the user environment and not usable by HP support. The data format supported by the cartridge. The native (post compression) capacity of the cartridge in GB. The pre-compressed capacity is also given assuming a 2:1 compression ratio, which is an estimate for 'typical' data. The actual capacity of the cartridge will vary depending on the compression ratio of the data written. The manufacturer of the cartridge. Configuration WORM Encrypted Data Indicates whether this is a WORM cartridge - Write Once Read Many. Data written to these cartridges cannot be overwritten or erased. Indicates whether the cartridge contains encrypted data or not. Health Worst case data (entire tape) Data written by last drive The amount of tape used to write to the tape. This measurement is averaged across the entire tape. The amount of tape used to write high quality data to the last loaded tape. Even if a warning is reported, the data will still have been written at high quality (unless the drive reported an error). The warning lets you know that more tape was used to write the data than is recommended by HP. A warning will normally trigger an alert. If appropriate, maintenance recommendations are made, for example to clean the drive and/or replace the tape. Life Read/Write Life Load/Unload Life An assessment of whether the cartridge read/write life remaining is within specification followed by an estimate of the remaining cartridge read/write life. Based on the amount of tape pulled over drive heads compared with HP recommended tape life (normally expressed in terms of 'full volume equivalents' which is the volume of data needed to completely fill a tape). If a life warning is shown, the cartridge should be retired at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased load/unload life. An estimate of the percentage of remaining read/write life of the cartridge. Based on the amount of tape pulled over drive heads compared with HP recommended tape life (normally expressed in terms of full volume equivalents,which is the volume of data needed to completely fill a tape). When this figure reaches 0%, the cartridge should be retired. An assessment of whether the cartridge load/unload life remaining is within specification followed by an estimate of the remaining load/unload life. Based on the number of load/unload cycles compared with HP recommendation. If a life warning is shown, the cartridge should be retired at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased load/unload life. Viewing detailed LTO drive information 63

64 Table 9 Information available from the Drive Properties window Last Loaded Tape tab (continued) Item Description An estimate of the percentage or remaining load/unload life of the cartridge based on the number of loads/unloads compared with HP recommendation. When this figure reaches 0%, the cartridge should be retired. Usage Native Capacity Native Capacity Used Native Capacity Remaining Total Tape Pulled Load/Unloads The maximum capacity of the tape. The amount of data stored on the tape. The capacity remaining on the tape after the exclusion of the used capacity. The total tape pulled expressed in terms of the equivalent number of full-volume writes or reads. The number of load and unload operations the drive has performed over the life of the drive. Temperature Maximum internal drive temperature The maximum operational temperature of the sensor located on the controller board of the drive the tape was loaded in followed by an assessment of whether this temperature is within specification. The temperature value will be significantly higher than ambient temperature but dependent on it, as well as on drive usage and air flow. The algorithm that assesses whether the drive is in specification takes account of the location of the sensor and uses that to estimate the thermal conditions of the tape path. A warning reported here should be considered as a warning that the temperature of the tape path has exceeded recommended limits and the airflow of the drive should be investigated. If a warning is shown, the airflow for the drive should be improved. If this cannot be corrected, contact HP support. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert for the drive at the time so the alert log can be checked to identify the drive. Using the Data Tapes Content panel The Content panel displays tape information and enables you to change the status of a tape by performing the following procedure: 1. In the ALL LTT Service Hosts screen, select a service host. 2. In the left panel, click TapeAssure. 3. In the navigation panel under Data Tapes, click Content to access a list all of the tapes that are managed by the selected service host. The Content panel displays the following information for each drive: Tape Status The current status or availability of a tape. Possible values are Available, Vaulted and Retired. Available tapes are those currently residing in a tape library and available for use. Barcode The external barcode on the tape cartridge. Tape Serial Number The serial number that uniquely identifies the tape cartridge. Defined by the tape manufacturer. Library SN (Hostname) The hostname of the server to which the drive is attached. Hostname entries for standalone drives are highlighted with an asterisk (*). Cartridge Type The vendor ID and data format supported by the cartridge. Format The data format supported by the cartridge. 64 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI

65 Partitioned Indicates whether the cartridge has been partitioned or not. Partition 0 Native Capacity (Free/Total) The maximum capacity of partition 0 of the tape. Partition 1 Native Capacity (Free/Total) The maximum capacity of partition 1 of the tape. Encrypted Data Indicates whether the cartridge contains encrypted data or not. WORM Indicates whether this is a WORM cartridge Write Once Read Many. Data written to these cartridges cannot be overwritten or erased. 4. To search for a specific tape: a. Select Actions Search to display the Search dialog box. b. Type or select the appropriate search criteria. For example, type the appropriate information in the Tape Serial Number or Barcode field. Use more than one of the criteria to further narrow the search. For example, select the appropriate library from the Choose Library field and select Yes in the Choose Partitioned field to display only partitioned tapes in the specified library. Click OK. 5. You can change the status of tapes to Available, Vaulted, or Retired to indicate intent, and to have Command View TL display the tapes closer to the top (available) or bottom (vaulted, then retired) of the list. This will help make the list easier to use bacause the Available tapes, the tapes you will work with most often, will remain at the top of the list. To change the status of one or more tapes: NOTE: The status of a vaulted or retired tape remains until you change it back manually, or until a support ticket is created for that tape. At that point, the status is reset to Available. 6. To view properties of a specific tape, check the box next to the tapes and then select Actions Properties.) NOTE: Although you can choose more than one tape, the Properties action will display information for the most recently-selected tape only. The LTO Tape Properties dialog box appears, and displays the Health tab. Using the Data Tapes Content panel 65

66 At the top of the dialog box, above the tabs, the following information appears: Table 10 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties dialog box Item Tape identification Health Cartridge ID Media Format Last Used Drive Last Sample Time Description Identifies the tape cartridge ID and media format. The current status of the drive. Identifies the tape by serial number and barcode. Identifies the data format supported by the tape. Identifies the most recent drive in which the tape was used. The time at which the last sample was taken. This information remains visible when any tab is selected. 7. Click the Overview tab to view the general information about the selected tape. Table 11 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Overview tab Item Description Status Library Serial Number In Drive? The hostname of the server to which the drive is attached. Hostname entries for standalone drives are highlighted with an asterisk (*). Indicates whether the tape is in a drive or not. Identity Barcode Serial Number Format The external barcode on the tape cartridge. The serial number that uniquely identifies the tape cartridge. Defined by the tape manufacturer. Identifies the data format supported by the tape. 66 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI

67 Table 11 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Overview tab (continued) Item Vendor Capacity Description The manufacturer of the cartridge. The maximum capacity of the tape. Configuration Encrypted Data WORM Indicates whether the cartridge contains encrypted data or not. Indicates whether this is a WORM cartridge Write Once Read Many. Data written to these cartridges cannot be overwritten or erased. 8. Click the Health tab to view the following information about the selected tape. Table 12 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Health tab Item Description Health Write Quality (Average) Write Quality (Worst Case) The average quality of write operations for a tape, based on one write pass of the tape (in either the forward or reverse direction). The lowest value for write operations of the tape, based on one write pass. Life Load/Unload Life An assessment of whether the cartridge load/unload life remaining is within specification followed by an estimate of the remaining load/unload life. Based on the number of load/unload cycles compared with HP recommendation. If a life warning is shown, the cartridge should be retired at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased load/unload life. An estimate of the percentage or remaining load/unload life of the cartridge based on the number of loads/unloads compared with HP recommendation. When this figure reaches 0%, the cartridge should be retired. Using the Data Tapes Content panel 67

68 Table 12 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Health tab (continued) Item Read/Write Life Maximum internal drive temperature Description An assessment of whether the cartridge read/write life remaining is within specification followed by an estimate of the remaining cartridge read/write life. Based on the amount of tape pulled over drive heads compared with HP recommended tape life (normally expressed in terms of 'full volume equivalents' which is the volume of data needed to completely fill a tape). If a life warning is shown, the cartridge should be retired at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased load/unload life. An estimate of the percentage of remaining read/write life of the cartridge. Based on the amount of tape pulled over drive heads compared with HP recommended tape life (normally expressed in terms of full volume equivalents,which is the volume of data needed to completely fill a tape). When this figure reaches 0%, the cartridge should be retired. The maximum operational temperature of the sensor that is located on the controller board of the drive in which the tape was loaded, and whether that temperature is within specifications. 9. Click the Performance tab to view the following information about the selected tape. Table 13 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Performance tab Item Description Data Transfer Estimated Host Transfer Rate Media Transfer Rate The estimated transfer rate of the host averaged over the data transferred to/from the tape since the last load. The transfer rate of the data, after compression, transferred to/from the tape since the last load. Compression Write Compression Ratio The average write compression ratio of the data written to tape since the last load. 68 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI

69 Table 13 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Performance tab (continued) Item Read Compression Ratio Last Sample Time Description The average read compression ratio of the data read from tape since the last load. The time at which the last sample was taken. 10. Click the Usage tab to view the following information about the selected tape. Table 14 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Usage tab Item Description Usage Native Capacity Native Capacity Used Load/Unloads Load/Unload Life Read/Write Life The maximum capacity of the tape. The amount of data stored on the tape. The number of load and unload operations the drive has performed over the life of the drive. An assessment of whether the cartridge load/unload life remaining is within specification followed by an estimate of the remaining load/unload life. Based on the number of load/unload cycles compared with HP recommendation. If a life warning is shown, the cartridge should be retired at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased load/unload life. An estimate of the percentage or remaining load/unload life of the cartridge based on the number of loads/unloads compared with HP recommendation. When this figure reaches 0%, the cartridge should be retired. An assessment of whether the cartridge read/write life remaining is within specification followed by an estimate of the remaining cartridge read/write life. Based on the amount of tape pulled over drive heads compared with HP recommended tape life (normally expressed in terms of 'full volume equivalents' which is the volume of data needed to completely fill a tape). If a life warning is shown, the cartridge should Using the Data Tapes Content panel 69

70 Table 14 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Usage tab (continued) Item Description be retired at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased load/unload life. An estimate of the percentage of remaining read/write life of the cartridge. Based on the amount of tape pulled over drive heads compared with HP recommended tape life (normally expressed in terms of full volume equivalents,which is the volume of data needed to completely fill a tape). When this figure reaches 0%, the cartridge should be retired. Last Sample Time The time at which the last sample was taken. 11. Click the Last Used Drive tab to view the following information about the selected tape. Table 15 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Last Used Drive tab Item Description Identity Barcode Serial number Drive Type Library Serial Number Firmware Revision Firmware Personality The external barcode on the tape cartridge. Click on the barcode itself to access the LTO Tape Properties window for the specific tape. See Table 11 (page 66). The serial number that uniquely identifies the tape cartridge. Defined by the tape manufacturer. The type of drive last used, including generation and interface type. The hostname of the server to which the drive is attached, highlighted with an asterisk (*). The version of drive firmware the drive is currently operating with. An identifier that distinguishes the firmware among multiple possible variants. Configuration 70 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI

71 Table 15 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Last Used Drive tab (continued) Item Data Compression Media Removal (application controller) Description Usually set by the backup application. If enabled, the drive will perform hardware data compression. Refer to the backup application to configure data compression for backups. Usually set by the backup application. If prevented then the tape cannot be removed from the drive. Normally, media removal is enabled after the backup is complete but if the backup aborts it is possible that media removal will still be prevented. Refer to HP support documentation for resolution. Read/Write health (last loaded tape) Write Health Read Health A measure of the amount of tape used to write high quality data to the last loaded tape with the amount of data written to the tape since it was last loaded. Even if the warning is reported, the data will still have been written at high quality (unless the drive reported an error) but more tape was used than recommended by HP. A warning will normally trigger an alert. If appropriate, maintenance recommendations are made, such as to clean the drive and/or replace the tape. HP recommends the use of HP media for maximum confidence. A measure of the ease with which data was read back from the most recently loaded tape with the amount of data read from the tape since it was last loaded. Even if the warning is given, the data will have been read back correctly (unless the drive reported an error) but more error correction was required than recommended. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert. If appropriate, maintenance recommendations are made such as to clean the drive and/or replace the tape. HP recommends the use of HP media for maximum confidence. Drive Life Head Life Reposition Life Load/Unload Life An estimate of the percentage of remaining head life based on the amount of tape passed over the head compared with worst case life expectancy testing in a clean environment. HP recommends HP media for increased head life. If a life warning is shown, the drive should be replaced at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased head life. An estimate of the percentage of remaining reposition life based on the number of changes in direction of the tape over the life of the drive compared with the worst case life expectancy in a clean environment. HP recommends HP media for increased reposition life. If a life warning is shown, the drive should be replaced at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased reposition life. An estimate of the percentage of remaining drive load/unload life based on the number of load/unload cycles over the life of the drive compared with worst case life expectancy testing in a clean environment. HP recommends HP media for increased load/unload life. If a life warning is shown, the drive should be replaced at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased load/unload life. Usage Statistics Power On Time Tape Pulled Load/Unload Cycles Percent Tape Loaded Total power on time of the drive since it was manufactured. Total tape pulled through the drive expressed in terms of the equivalent number of full volume writes or reads. Total number of tape loads for the drive since it was new. A comparison of the time the tape was in the drive with the time since the time it was loaded and the following tape load expressed as a percentage. For example, if the time between the two tape loads was 4 hours and this tape Using the Data Tapes Content panel 71

72 Table 15 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Last Used Drive tab (continued) Item Description was in the drive for the first hour of that time then the tape loaded percent will be 25%. Use this for measuring utilization of the drive from the application standpoint. Duty Cycles Power Cycles Cleans Firmware Upgrades Duty cycle of the drive since the last tape load. This is a comparison of the time the drive has been active with the time since the last tape load expressed as a percentage. For example, if the last tape load was 4 hours ago and the drive has been active for 3 hours since then, the duty cycle will be 75%. Use this for measuring utilization from the hardware standpoint. Number of drive power cycles since the drive was manufactured. Number of times the drive has been cleaned since it was manufactured. The number of times the drive has been updated with firmware. Internal Temperature Current Temperature Max Temperature (since last power cycle) The current temperature reported by the sensor located on the drive controller board. The current temperature value will be significantly higher than ambient temperature but dependent on it, as well as drive usage and air flow. The algorithm that assesses whether the drive is in specification takes account of the location of the sensor and uses that to estimate the thermal conditions of the tape path. If a warning is shown, the airflow for the drive should be improved. If this cannot be corrected, contact HP support. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert. The maximum operational temperature reported by the sensor located on the drive controller board since the last power cycle with an assessment of whether the maximum temperature of the tape path is within specification. The maximum temperature value will be significantly higher than ambient temperature but dependent on it as well as drive usage and air flow. The algorithm that assesses whether the drive is in specification takes account of the location of the sensor and uses that to estimate the thermal conditions of the tape path. If a warning is shown, the airflow for the drive should be improved. If this cannot be corrected, contact HP support. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert. 12. Click Close to exit the Drive Properties window. Viewing tape health The TapeAssure tape health panel lists: Tape Status The current status or availability of a tape. Possible values are Available, Vaulted and Retired. Available tapes are those currently residing in a tape library and available for use. Barcode The external barcode on the tape cartridge. Tape Serial Number The serial number that uniquely identifies the tape cartridge. Defined by the tape manufacturer. Library SN (or Hostname*) The hostname of the server to which the drive is attached, highlighted with an asterisk (*). Cartridge Type The vendor ID and data format supported by the cartridge. Read/Write Life (%Life Remaining) Remaining Read/Write life of the cartridge as a percentage. 72 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI

73 Load/Unload Life (%Life Remaining) Remaining Load/Unload life of the cartridge as a percentage of its recommended life. Max Internal Temperature Maximum temperature encountered by the cartridge during its lifetime (while in a drive). Effective Capacity A measure of the amount of tape used to write high quality data to the tape over its lifetime. Even if a warning is reported, the data will still have been written at high quality (unless the tape reported an error), though more tape was used to do so than recommended by HP. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert. If appropriate, maintenance recommendations are made, such as checking for Write Quality problems with drives, or retiring the tape. Service Action A recommendation for service based on the health criteria. More than one service action may apply; hover over the entry with the mouse to see a tool tip containing all recommended service actions for the drive. For information on searching for a specific tape, see Searching for a specific tape (page 73). Viewing tape utilization The TapeAssure tape utilization panel lists: Tape Status The current status or availability of a tape. Possible values are Available, Vaulted, and Retired. Available tapes are those currently residing in a tape library and available for use. Barcode The external barcode on the tape cartridge. Tape Serial Number The serial number that uniquely identifies the tape cartridge. Defined by the tape manufacturer. Library Serial Number The hostname of the server to which the drive is attached, highlighted with an asterisk (*). Cartridge Type The vendor ID and data format supported by the cartridge. Loads/Unloads (In Sample Time) The number of times this tape has been loaded into a drive in the specified time period. Data Written (In Sample Time) - The amount of data written to the tape during the selected time window. Data Read (In Sample Time) The amount of data read from the tape during the selected time window. Capacity Used (At last sample) Amount of the native capacity that contains data. Last Sample Time The time at which the last sample was taken. When a management station is reconnected to the network after more than 24 hours offline, the utilization panel display can be inaccurate. The TapeAssure data queued up on active drives and libraries arrives in bulk. To display a more accurate utilization, select Actions Choose Sample Time, and choose the next longest time frame (7 days or more). For information on searching for a specific tape, see Searching for a specific tape (page 73). Searching for a specific tape To search for a specific tape: 1. Select Actions Search to display the Search dialog box. 2. Type or select the appropriate search criteria. For example, type the appropriate information in the Tape Serial Number or Barcode field. Use more than one of the criteria to further narrow the search. 3. Click OK. Viewing tape utilization 73

74 Viewing information about the cleaning tapes Information about cleaning tapes is compiled and reported by TapeAssure. To access the cleaning tapes information or to change the status of a cleaning tape, in the navigation panel, under Cleaning Tapes, select Life. The Life screen lists all cleaning tapes, and the following information: Tape Status Indicates whether the tape is Available or Retired. Barcode The external barcode on the cleaning tape cartridge. Tape Serial Number The serial number that uniquely identifies the cleaning tape cartridge. Defined by the tape manufacturer. Library SN The HP serial number that uniquely identifies the library. Drive SN The serial number that uniquely identifies the drive in which the cleaning tape is currently located. Last Used The time at which the cleaning tape was last used. Cleans Remaining Indicates the number of times the cleaning tape can be successfully used to perform a cleaning. Status Description Based on the number of uses remaining for the cleaning tape, appropriate messages are displayed in this field. If there are 5 or fewer uses remaining on the cleaning tape, the message indicates the tape should be replaced soon. If there are no uses remaining, the message indicated the tape must be replaced now. You can change the status of cleaning tapes to Retired to indicate intent, and to have Command View TL display the tapes closer to the bottom of the list. This makes the list easier to use, as the Available tapes, the tapes you work with most often, remain at the top of the list. To change the status of a cleaning tape: 1. Select the box next to the appropriate cleaning tape or tapes. If no tape is selected, the Change Tape Status Error dialog box displays. Click OK to clear the dialog box, then select a tape or tapes. 2. Click Actions Change Tape Status Retired. NOTE: The status of a retired cleaning tape remains until a support ticket is created for that tape. At that time, the status is automatically reset to Available unless there are 0 cleanings remaining on the tape. TIP: To apply a filter to a group of drives, type the pattern filter criteria in the filter text box provided on the toolbar and click Apply the filter string entered at left. For example, to search for LTO-5 cartridges, enter LTO-5 in the filter text and click Filter. To clear the filter, click Clear filter string. For information on searching for a specific tape, see Searching for a specific tape (page 73). 74 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI

75 6 Using support tickets In the event of a hardware problem, a support ticket can provide vital information to help diagnose and resolve the problem. Much of the information stored within a device related to operational characteristics is used by various L&TT tests to analyze the health of the device. However, not all information can be used in this automated fashion. Some information requires review by qualified HP personnel to fully diagnose the situation. For this reason, a support ticket should be generated and ed for further analysis when requested. When a support ticket is generated, L&TT collects configuration information and executes a Device Analysis test on the selected device. This information can then be viewed, saved, printed, compared to another support ticket, or ed. By default, a support ticket is saved as a single compressed tar file with a.lzt extension to the logs directory. You can change the detail level of the support ticket, browse through the information, and expand or collapse specific sections of the support ticket. When generating and viewing support tickets: In the event of a device failure (or suspected failure), generate a support ticket for that device as soon as possible to increase the chance that relevant failure data is captured. If L&TT is used to generate a support ticket on a library that is managed by HP Command View for Tape Libraries Software (Command View TL), it will not include the IM and IFC logs. To ensure that all log data is captured, support should be generated using the Command View TL GUI or CLI, as documented in the HP Interface Manager and Command View for Tape Libraries Software user guide. If the library is partitioned, be careful when interpreting support tickets because the values in the logs are based on the actual physical library, not the partitioned library, so drive and slot numbers do not directly match those numbers reported by the backup application. Regardless of the selected detail level, the log file always contains all of the information collected from the product. The viewer filters and parses this information, depending on the detail level. L&TT support tickets are saved in a proprietary format and require the report viewer. When generating a support ticket for standalone devices, HP recommends that you keep the media in the drive in which it was present when the failure occurred. This allows error rate and other information relevant to that cartridge to be examined. When media is removed, many devices automatically clear this information. For tape automation products, it is generally better to have the drives empty of media to force the library drive/media log to be updated. Generating a support ticket Support tickets contain log data and other information that is primarily intended for HP support personnel and developers. Generate support tickets from the support ticket screen. The support ticket screen gives you the option of viewing, saving, or ing the report or support ticket. To access the support tickets screen: 1. Select a device in the device list. 2. Click the Support Ticket icon on the Action toolbar. 3. Select Pull support ticket from device and then click Generate Support Ticket. L&TT updates the status bar. When the support ticket is available, the View button is activated. Generating a support ticket 75

76 Viewing a support ticket After a support ticket is generated, click the View button. The ticket will be displayed as another tab. Click the + and signs to expand and collapse sections of the support ticket. Use the standard navigation keys (Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, and the arrow keys), the Windows scroll bars, and the mouse to navigate through the document. Setting the detail level Support tickets can display information in several different levels of detail, depending on the setting displayed in Current Detail Level. The following detail level settings are available: Highlights Normal More details Everything (the highest level a customer can view) Figure 19 Example report Selecting an existing support ticket Use this feature to select an existing support ticket, one that was previously pulled using the WebGUI, to or save. 1. Select a device in the device list. 2. Click the Support Ticket button on the Action toolbar. 3. In the Source pane, select Select existing Support Ticket and then click Browse. The WebGUI displays a status bar while retrieving the support tickets on the computer. 4. Select a support ticket and press OK. 76 Using support tickets

77 Saving a support ticket Use this feature to save the support ticket that was just generated or selected. Use this feature to make a local copy to view with L&TT 4.x or send to HP support from your program. To save a support ticket. 1. In the Action pane, select Save as and then click Browse. 2. Navigate to the location where you would like to save the ticket and then click Save. Sending a support ticket by Before L&TT can a support ticket, you must have your local mail server set up in the main WebGUI Configuration screen. If the mail server is not configured, save the support ticket to the local machine and send it with your application. To send a support ticket by 1. From the bottom of the Support Ticket screen, select In the To Address(es) field, enter one or more addresses. If you are working with HP Support, enter the address specified by your support engineer. To receive a copy, include your own address. 3. To send a copy to the HP engineering team, leave Also send to HP tickets mailbox checked. HP engineers use information from the support tickets in the HP tickets mailbox to improve tape drive quality and diagnostics. The support tickets do not contain confidential or identifiable information. 4. If you are working with HP support on an issue, enter your case number in the HP Support-case# field. 5. Optionally enter additional information in the Comments field. 6. Click Send . Interpreting a support ticket The information displayed in the support ticket will vary greatly depending on the device being analyzed and the detail level selected. The following report sections may or may not be displayed for any particular device: Identity This section identifies both the drive and the interfaces. Health This section contains a summary of whether the drive is Fit For Purpose (FFP). If there are any issues identified, then they are explained and corrective action suggested. The Health section also highlights remaining margin relating to the remaining life of the drive/media. Configuration This section allows you to check the configuration settings of the drive or interface. The items in this section are usually set by the backup application or HBA. Environment This section displays any known information about the environment in which the device is operating (such as temperature). Performance This section displays information regarding the recent performance of the device, such as recent native transfer rates, compression ratios, and so forth. Usage This section shows usage information for the device since it was new. History This section displays any significant events that have happened (and have been recorded by the device). For a more detailed explanation of device-specific information displayed in each section, see Device-specific report analysis (page 79). Generating a support ticket 77

78 Common information reported for all products NOTE: For standalone devices, HP recommends that you generate a support ticket when the drive still contains the media with which the drive may have failed. This allows error rate and other information relevant to that cartridge to be examined. When media is removed, many products automatically clear this information. The following information is included in the support ticket regardless of what products are being analyzed: System information provides basic host system information such as operating system, processor type, system name, physical memory size, and the current version of L&TT being used. This information also includes a snapshot of the SCSI bus configuration determined by the I/O scan, showing connected devices listed physically and logically. L&TT history provides a brief history of the L&TT functions the user has accessed such as whether ASPI was installed, how many times L&TT has been run, and which functions have been used. Understanding the margin ratings When a report is generated, several tests are performed to measure drive performance for every aspect of operation. Each function that is tested is assigned a margin rating. Margin is expressed as a percentage where 0% is no margin, but the device should still work. 100% is full margin, or production quality. A working drive will have positive margin, whereas negative margin indicates an issue. The percentages are also mapped to simple wording as follows: < 0% >= 0% and < 25% >= 25% and < 50% >= 50% Warning Fair Good Great Corrective action should be considered if the margin does not meet the levels of confidence that the data requires. For example, a nightly backup probably doesn't need the same level that a ten year archive does. In general, corrective action is only required if Warning is shown, but Fair suggests possible future issues, and corrective action could prevent such issues from occurring. Corrective action could take the form of: Cleaning the drive Trying another tape (look at the tape history to see if other drives have had similar issues) Checking the environment. Temperature extremes can have an effect. Contamination can be a significant issue. If in doubt, run the L&TT Drive Assessment test with a trusted (or new) tape. This is the test approved by HP support to give the most accurate assessment of drive health. If a drive passes this test, it is considered to be good. If it fails (and the tape is good), then HP support will exchange the drive. Things to look for After generating the report, look for the following trouble indicators: Device Analysis Rules These are device-specific items that L&TT tests. These rules are displayed in the Drive Health section under Device Analysis. This is the first place to look for health information and advice on corrective action. Drive health varying with different tapes In this case, the tapes are most likely causing the variation. Tape health varying with different drives In this case, the drives are most likely causing the variation. 78 Using support tickets

79 A drop of margin over time Rapid drops can indicate contamination. Tapes nearing the end of their working life Older tapes are less reliable and may need to be replaced. Drives nearing the end of their normal working life This is unlikely because the estimated lifespan of HP drives is very high. Device-specific report analysis LTO drives This section explains device-specific report data. Currently, the report format is only available for LTO drives and media. As support for the report format is added to other devices, the information will be added to this section. The report groups information into the following standardized sections, and wherever possible, identifies the drive and media as separate devices. Identity Health Configuration Environment Performance Usage History Identity This section shows the identification of both the drive and the interfaces. The Format entry also indicates compatibility. Health This section is split into two main sections: Device Analysis and Write/Read margin data. The Device Analysis section shows the output of the device rules. This is the first place to look for health information and advice on corrective action. The Write/Read margin data section shows the write and read margin of the last five tapes (current and previous four tapes). The summary line (top line of this section) shows the average and worst margin values found in the available history. The Current tape and four Previous tape lines show margin information for the last five tapes used. If there is a margin warning for one tape, then that suggests a suspect tape. Cross check with the cartridge history below or try the tape in another drive. If there is a margin warning for all tapes then the drive itself is suspect. Try cleaning the drive and run the Drive Assessment test to check the drive. The Head life, Reposition life, and Load/unload life lines show life figures for the drive. Configuration This section shows configuration information for the drive and its associated interface controller. In the Drive section, useful configuration information is listed which can assist with troubleshooting potential drive problems. For example, the report records the current data Generating a support ticket 79

80 LTO media compression setting of the drive, and whether the backup application has prevented media removal. In the Interface section, verify that the negotiated burst rate is as expected. This value should match the data shown for the interface controller in the Drive Identity section (the name of the controller generally indicates the maximum speed that the interface can handle). Environment This section shows temperature data for the drive. Verify that all temperatures shown are within normal limits. Performance This section shows burst performance figures for the drive, and estimated native performance figures for the last four tapes. Maximum data rates show the highest rate that the data compression engine has seen. Figures are high because of buffering. These values show the maximum possible rates with very high compression ratios. Average data rates before compression are what the host has seen. Average rates after compression are the native rates for the tape. Write and read compression ratios are calculated over the same data. These figures are reset on tape load, in which case Unknown is shown. Performance figures are estimated from various drive logs. Usage This section shows usage data for the drive since it was new, as well as the amount of data transferred over the current and previous four tapes. The Tape pulled item is expressed in full volume equivalents as that is closest to a customer model. HP media documentation also uses this unit. History This section displays drive logs that show what the drive has been doing. The event log shows high-level information on commands received, internal processing, and any errors returned to the host (including tape alert information). The event log also includes history from Device Analysis and Drive Assessment tests. The times shown are relative to the last power on. This section displays information on the currently loaded tape (header displays loaded tape), or the tape that was loaded last (header displays ejected tape). If you are using genuine HP media, more information is displayed in this section than would be with non-hp media. This section has several sections and sub-sections: The Identity section shows the identity of the media. Note that the Barcode item is not used by all products. The Health section is split into three sections: The Data on tape section shows margin measurements for the data on the tape. Data on tape is written in wraps where each wrap is a pass up or down the tape. Each generation of LTO has a different number of wraps. Each wrap has a measure of margin revealing any bad spots on the tape. The summary line (top line of the section) highlights the worst margin found and should be used for a measure of minimum quality of the whole tape. 80 Using support tickets

81 The last used wrap usually displays partially written. Only fully written wraps can be measured for margin. To the right of the margin indicator for each wrap is a text-based bar chart that graphically shows the margin rating. The zero in the middle represents 0% margin, and the carat (^) represents the actual margin of the wrap. This is helpful to visualize margin across the tape if a bad area covers more than one wrap. The Drive measurements section shows data from the error rate counters of the drives the cartridge was used in. The summary line shows the worst margin found in the available history. If there is a margin warning for one drive but good margin for the other drives, then that suggests a suspect drive. Try cleaning the drive and run the Drive Assessment test to check it. If there is a margin warning for all drives, then the cartridge itself is suspect. Cross check this information with the Drive History section of the report. The Write/read life and Load/unload life items show cartridge life estimates based on usage and published expected life figures with HP drives. Because HP drives are tuned to work with genuine HP media, HP media can be expected to have a longer usage life. The Configuration section shows whether the cartridge is write protected and WORM enabled. Note that WORM is only supported with LTO3 and later generation drives. The Environment section shows data for the current and previous drive environment. Watch for warnings even in previous drives. This information can be useful to track down system hot spots or cooling issues. The Performance section shows performance data for the cartridge in the current drive, as well as the previous two drives. Performance figures from previous drives are estimated from the amount of data transferred and the time spent pulling tape. If less than 60 seconds of tape pulling have occurred, then the message Not enough data is displayed because the estimate is likely to be inaccurate. The Usage section includes how much of the cartridge capacity has been used (all figures native) and usage over the available history of previous drives. The total write/read data volume and load count since new are also shown. Understanding LTO support tickets An L&TT support ticket is a collection of un-decoded device log dumps assembled into a single file in a format specific to L&TT. If the ticket is not compressed the filename ends with.ltd; if it is compressed it ends with.lzt. In both cases, if L&TT 4.x is installed on the local system, a ticket can be double-clicked in Windows and the L&TT 4.x viewer will automatically be executed to decode and view the ticket. Decoding occurs at the viewing time, which allows the latest decode capability of L&TT to be used on even old tickets. If you are in contact with HP support you will most likely be asked for the support ticket for your device. In this case, once you have pulled the ticket, you can save it and then it to HP support as an attachment. The decoding time varies with the increasing functionality of L&TT and diagnostic capability of the drives over time. This section focuses on the parts of the support ticket that are most useful and subject to less change. The details vary according to your specific configuration. You can control the level of detail in the support ticket. The following sections assume that the detail level is set at Everything. Note there is also a Factory only setting allowing HP factory and support engineers to see lower levels of log decode, but this level is restricted because the data is complex and can be ambiguous or misleading without training. For this reason HP recommends that you the original ticket (.ltd or.lzt file) to HP support so they have access to this additional information. Within the ticket, anything of note is highlighted as follows Understanding LTO support tickets 81

82 Information ( ) something to be aware of but no action is needed. Note ( ) the system is still operational but corrective/maintenance action is advised. Error ( ) there is a problem that needs attention. The system may not be operational. You can see what L&TT is trying to tell you very quickly by following the highlights for example, keep clicking on the hierarchy until the line with the highlight is fully expanded. If you want to look through the rest of the ticket for more information about the operation of the drive, refer to the following sections. System information When a ticket is first opened the system information is shown, along with the top level links for the devices. Much of the information is self explanatory, including the model type, operating system, and processor type, but there is also information about background services and driver revision that can impact the performance of your tape system. The system configuration section covers the related services that have been detected on the system, such as Windows RSM and the Insight Management agents. Any items of concern are highlighted. Figure 20 Support ticket System Configuration section When troubleshooting, check for: Tool version the version of L&TT that the ticket was pulled with. The raw data doesn t change much over time but HP recommends using the latest version of L&TT for both pulling and viewing tickets. Active services, such as Windows RSM or the Insight Management agents. Old driver revisions the most current drivers should always be used HBA configuration issues known issues that L&TT can detect are flagged Running backup applications and services can prevent L&TT from having full access to the device. When possible turn these off while using L&TT Too many (or unexpected) devices on an HBA Unexpected or missing devices Unexpected addressing 82 Using support tickets

83 NOTE: systems. More system information is available in pulled from Windows systems than non-windows Reading LTO drive support tickets Drive identity When you click the sub-ticket under 'Tape Drive at address (xxx)', LTO parses and processes the detailed drive data. At this point, the high level categories of drive data are shown with data from the drive organized in the appropriate category rather than as a raw log dump. (The raw log dump is available under the classic ticket section with everything detail level). In most cases additional categories between Drive and Interface cleanly separate drive issues from interface issues, which can have similar symptoms and make it difficult to find the cause of a symptom. L&TT assesses the values reported by the drive and expresses them, when appropriate, as margin: Great The value is about as good as it can be. No action need be taken. Good The value is not as good as represented by great but still has sufficient margin. No action need be taken. Fair There is still operating margin but there is some potential that the margin might drop further. No immediate action is recommended other than to monitor this metric Warn There is less operating margin than recommended by HP. This doesn t mean that the drive has or will fail, but some corrective action is recommended, such as cleaning the drive, dealing with over temperature warnings etc. When troubleshooting, check for: Any notes or errors highlighted with an icon. These can be clicked and expanded to find the specific data that triggered it. The Drive Identity section displays information about this drive. Figure 21 Support ticket Drive Identity section Drive health When troubleshooting, check for: Serial number this is needed to check warranty entitlement. SKU number (LTO 5 and later generation drives) this is the part number of the drive, which is also needed to check warranty entitlement, Firmware revision HP recommends using the most current firmware version. The Drive Health section shows the health of the drive from a number of aspects. Understanding LTO support tickets 83

84 Figure 22 Support ticket Drive health section Device Analysis - These are the rules which are run against the drive logs and highlight any concerns and recommend actions. L&TT typically tests over 20 rules and 130 subrules, covering everything from firmware version to read/write health to host polling. Some notes and errors are not currently covered in the rules so also check the notes and errors elsewhere in the ticket. Write (last n tapes) Shows the write health for the current and up to four previous tapes loaded, along with serial number and barcode information for the tape, load count, data written and an assessment of the write health in terms of margin. A minimum amount of data must have been written to be able to assess margin. Read (last n tapes) Shows the read health for the current and up to four previous tapes loaded, along with serial number and barcode information for the tape, load count, data written and an assessment of the write health in terms of margin. A minimum amount of data must have been read to be able to assess margin. Life values shows margin and life remaining for expected head, reposition, and load/unload life for the drive. These values are based lab verified life expectancy, but do not take into account environments that can artificially reduce drive life, such as contamination or environmental temperature/humidity extremes. Clean requested shows a cleaning request, if there is one, from the drive. Independent of any additional cleans that L&TT might recommend. Interface depending on the interface type, shows alarms, warnings, and error counts. Flagged if recommended limits have been exceeded. 84 Using support tickets

85 When troubleshooting, check for: Any output from the device analysis rules. This should be the first place to look. Any highlighted items. Drive configuration The Drive Configuration section shows how the drive was configured at the time the ticket was pulled, along with the interface configuration, depending on the interface type. Figure 23 Support ticket Drive Configuration section When troubleshooting, check for: Media removal - if prevented, it will not be possible to eject a tape, which could appear to be a stuck tape. This can happen after the application sets it to prevented and then aborts, leaving the drive in that state. A power cycle, forced eject or running the L&TT Set Drive Configuration utility can all be used to clear this flag and allow the tape to be removed. Data compression not enabled may not be a sign of a real issue as some applications turn off hardware compression at the end of the job and back on again before the next one. That the interface configuration is as expected which port is connected, what the negotiated speed is, that the expected host (WWN) is connected. Anything highlighted Drive environment The Drive Environment section shows the current, maximum, and minimum internal temperatures that the drive has experienced since power up. Note that these are internal temperatures measured on the circuit boards in different locations depending on the drive generation and are significantly higher than room temperature. Figure 24 Support ticket Drive Environment section When troubleshooting, check for: Understanding LTO support tickets 85

86 The margin assessment, rather than the reported temperature Over temperature (or under) will be highlighted Drive performance The Drive Performance section shows performance-related measurements for the drive base on the current and up to four previous tapes. Figure 25 Support ticket Drive Performance section Drive usage Estimated native data rate this is the rate after compression and so should be compared with the native data rate of the drive (which is shown in this section) rather than the host rate. It is an estimate but should be accurate to within 10% as long as the amount of data is at least 1 GB. The rates shown here will be the approximate host rate divided by the compression ratio (which is not known for previous tapes) but this can still give a very good idea of whether the transfers are host limited or drive limited. LTO drives have very high native transfer rates so anything unexpectedly slow is most likely to be caused by the host or, more likely, the sourcing of the data. Even a drive that is struggling will operate at more than 50% of its native transfer rate. Specified max native data rate this is a constant for each drive type. Max data rate achieved this is an internal measure on the entry to the compression engine. This is the highest data compression rate. but only very high compression ratios are likely to result in this being a bottleneck. Compression ratios only available for the current tape but can be used as an indicator for backups/restores in general as long as the type of data is similar When troubleshooting, check for: Slow transfer rates caused by the host/source data IO The Drive Usage section shows lifetime usage measurements for the drive. 86 Using support tickets

87 Figure 26 Support ticket Drive Usage section Drive history Tape Pulled expressed in full volume equivalents (FVEs), which is the equivalent of writing to or reading from a full tape once. A full volume write followed by a read will give two full volume equivalents. Duty cycle the average duty cycle over the life of the drive. This value cannot be reset. For more dynamic duty cycle reporting use TapeAssure. Native data volume this is the amount of data after compression read or written to tape. The Drive History logs present historical information for the drive. Figure 27 Support ticket Drive History section Event log shows, by power cycle, what the drive has done from the host perspective. This log is output directly from the drive firmware and is a little cryptic, but you can see the host commands and what the drive did in response, such as writing and reading. Errors returned to host if the drive had a failure it will report that back to the host which will, in turn, cause the backup to fail. The information here is from an internal firmware log and cryptic but does give a good idea what went wrong from the drive s perspective. Most importantly, if there isn t a failure reported to the host then the drive isn t the cause of the failure. Any errors in this category are highlighted. Tape load failures if a push load failure occurred it will be shown here. Any errors in this category are highlighted. Understanding LTO support tickets 87

88 Drive assessment test history records the results of the last two drive assessment tests. Recent failures are highlighted. Device analysis history records previous device analysis rules that have triggered. Rules are considered transient so they are not reported continuously once a failure has occurred so this log is used to see if anything had triggered in the past. Cartridge identity The Cartridge Identity section shows information specific to the last cartridge loaded either currently loaded or ejected. Figure 28 Support ticket Cartridge Identity section Cartridge health The Cartridge Health section shows the health of the current or last loaded tape. Figure 29 Support ticket Cartridge Health section Data on tape covers how much extra tape was used to write high quality data to tape. If there are issues with the write, more tape is used and that is shown here. If HP-branded tape is used, this can be further expanded to show the margin by wrap. A wrap is a single pass of the tape from beginning to end. A full tape volume will require 64 (depending on drive generation) wraps. A text graph is shown for each wrap with more detail on the margin value. Drive measurements gives the view of up to the last three drives that the tape was loaded in on the write and read margin for that tape. Life measurements for the tape. Not to be confused with the life measurements for the drive. Tape (usage) life is considerably shorter than drive life. Cartridge configuration The Cartridge Configuration section shows how the tape is configured. Figure 30 Support ticket Cartridge Configuration section When troubleshooting, check for: 88 Using support tickets

89 Write protected. Not an issue if set, but may cause backups to fail. (EOD) Validity can also show backup in progress, if the ticket was pulled during a backup (or the cartridge memory didn t update correctly). This will be highlighted if not set to valid. Cartridge environment The Cartridge Environment section shows the temperature margins for the tape for the recent drives it was loaded in. Figure 31 Support ticket Cartridge Environment section As with the drive margin, the actual temperatures shown are internal to the drive and significantly higher than ambient temperature. Use the margin assessment to find out if there have been temperature issues for this tape. Cartridge performance The Cartridge Performance section shows the estimated native data rate for up to the last three drives that the tape was loaded in. Due to limitations of the data in the cartridge memory, these values are native (after compression) estimates (but should be within 10%) and are not separated out between writes and reads. Figure 32 Support ticket Cartridge Performance section When troubleshooting, check for: Low data rates suggesting an IO issue with the source data Variation showing that some data sources are faster than others Cartridge usage The Cartridge Usage section shows current capacities and how much data was written/read by previous drives. Understanding LTO support tickets 89

90 Figure 33 Support ticket Cartridge Usage section Cartridge history The Cartridge History section shows anything specific for this tape that was identified from the history logs of the drive. The section is still in development and not fully populated. Classic support ticket The Classic Support Ticket section is the original, basic decode of the support ticket before the above categories were introduced. These logs are still viewable, but cryptic and not necessary for assessing the health of the drive or tape. This section is not be covered in the user guide. 90 Using support tickets

91 7 Frequently asked questions This chapter addresses several of the most common questions regarding L&TT software. Why should I run L&TT tests? (page 91) Where can I find information about media compatibility with my hardware? (page 91) Where can I find information about hardware and software compatibility? (page 92) Where can I find information about drive cleaning requirements? (page 92) How do I use L&TT to find my drive serial number? (page 92) How do I verify that my drive firmware is up to date? (page 92) How do I check if my drive is OK? (page 93) Why is the Assessment test recommended? (page 93) Was my backup successful (LTO only)? (page 93) How many more uses are left in this cleaning cartridge? (page 93) How fast will my backups be? (page 94) How fast will my restores be? (page 94) How do I verify the capacity of a tape? (page 94) How do I send a support ticket? (page 94) When installing L&TT, should I uninstall my previous version first? (page 94) What are the minimum system requirements? (page 94) Does HP TapeAssure support non-hp devices? (page 94) Will TapeAssure disrupt backups? (page 95) Is HP TapeAssure compatible with my backup application? (page 95) Can I stop the LTT Service pulling tickets? (page 95) Is TapeAssure monitoring in-band or out-of-band? (page 95) When should I install the LTT Service? (page 95) Can I set up TapeAssure to send me the service actions by ? (page 95) What if I want to change the WebGUI server that is collecting monitoring data? (page 95) Why aren t my drives being monitored? (page 95) Is there a non-english version of L&TT? (page 96) What is a filter driver? Is it safe? (page 96) Can I uninstall the LTT service? (page 96) Does L&TT 5.x support DDS/DAT devices? (page 96) Why should I run L&TT tests? L&TT tests are specifically designed to diagnose problems with tape and optical devices. The tests check the internal drive registers for logged data that come from normal operations, and perform other data-gathering operations. The test help pinpoint the problem and prevent a drive swap that won't resolve the issue. Where can I find information about media compatibility with my hardware? The links in this section provide information about media compatibility with various hardware. Why should I run L&TT tests? 91

92 NOTE: NOTE: You must be connected to the Internet to view these links. The recommended media for each type of drive is its native media. To access the One Stop Compatibility chart for media, see For device-specific information about media and cleaning cartridge compatibility for LTO drives, see locale=en_us Where can I find information about hardware and software compatibility? The links in this section provide information about hardware and software compatibility. NOTE: You must be connected to the Internet to view these links. What hardware is my drive supported on? What software is my drive supported on? Is my device supported by L&TT? What hardware/software is my library/autoloader supported on? Is there a matrix that cross references a drive's product name, format, and part number? For general information about tape product compatibility, see products/storageworks/tapecompatibility.html. Where can I find information about drive cleaning requirements? The following link provides information about cleaning requirements for various drives. NOTE: You must be connected to the Internet to view these links. What are cleaning requirements for my LTO drive? To access the combined tape cleaning matrix for all tape drive types, see h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/techsupport/document.jsp?objectid=c In case of any conflicting information, this matrix is the final reference. How do I use L&TT to find my drive serial number? Select the device and click the Identity icon on the toolbar. The device information screen displays the serial number. If for some reason the serial number is not displayed on the device information screen, generate a support ticket for the device and examine the drive details. How do I verify that my drive's firmware is up to date? Check the HP website to find the most current version of the drive firmware and compare this version to the firmware installed on your drive. To find firmware files on the HP website: 1. Browse to 2. Select your region or country. 3. Click Drivers & Software and then search for your tape drive. 4. Navigate to the Driver section for you tape drive to see the current and previous firmware versions. 92 Frequently asked questions

93 How do I check if my drive is OK? Quick check Generate a support ticket for the drive and look at the device analysis section. This section examines the logs within the drive and gives an assessment of health along with appropriate recommendations. If you are still uncertain, run the Drive Assessment test. For more information on support tickets, see Using support tickets (page 75). Fifteen minute check Run the Drive Assessment test with a known, good (preferably new) tape. This test measures the health of the drive and provides recommendations if issues are found. If the test passes, the drive is OK. If the test fails but the tape is good, then the drive needs attention. For more information, see Assessment test (page 26). Why is the Assessment test recommended? The Assessment test incorporates all of HP s expertise for each specific drive type based on in-house and field failure information. The test measures drive health and gives an accurate assessment as to whether or not a drive/tape combination will perform backups and restore well. HP recommends that you use a known, good (preferably new) tape to ensure that the test is measuring the health of the drive. If the Assessment test fails with a good tape, a faulty drive is indicated. If the test passes, then the drive is fine. If you have a problem and your drive is OK, examine other system components or the overall configuration to determine where the problem is. For additional information about the LTO drive assessment test, see About the LTO drive assessment test (page 27) Was my backup successful? The easiest way to tell whether a backup was successful is to check the write quality of the drive under the Health Section in TapeAssure. You can also check a support ticket after the backup. To determine whether a backup to LTO tape was successful by checking a support ticket: 1. Perform the backup as you normally would. 2. Generate a support ticket for the drive to which the backup was performed. 3. Locate the Loaded Tape > Cartridge Health section of the support ticket and examine the margins. Also, check the following information: Data on tape measures the quality of the data written on the tape. Drive measurements measures the quality of the data as viewed by the drives that wrote it. If any of these parameters are suspect, you should repeat the backup using a different drive/tape combination. How many more uses are left in this cleaning cartridge? 1. Perform a clean as you normally would. 2. After the clean is finished, generate a support ticket for the drive that was just cleaned. 3. Examine the Loaded Tape > Cartridge Usage section of the support ticket to see the number of cleans performed, and the estimated number of cleans remaining. How do I check if my drive is OK? 93

94 How fast will my backups be? To determine backup performance, you must measure how fast the system reads from the disk subsystem and writes to tape. Backup performance is no faster than the slowest of these two measurements. Use the System Performance Backup Pre-test to measure the speed of the disk subsystem. See Performing the System Performance Backup Pre-Test (page 48). Use the Drive Performance test to measure the speed of the tape drive. See Drive Performance test (page 45). How fast will my restores be? To determine restore performance, you must measure how fast the system reads from tape and writes to the disk subsystem. Restore performance is no faster than the slowest of these two measurements. Use the Device Performance test to measure the speed of the tape drive. Note that tape drives write and read at the same speed. See Drive Performance test (page 45). Use the System Performance Restore Pre-test to measure the speed of the disk subsystem. See Performing the System Performance Restore Performance Test (GUI) (page 47). How do I verify the capacity of a tape? To determine tape capacity: CAUTION: This procedure will overwrite any data on the tape and can take up to two hours, depending on the speed of your system. 1. Insert the tape in the appropriate drive. 2. Run the Device Performance test on the drive. Select one test set with your choice of compression ratio. This will fill the tape and measure both capacity and performance. See Drive Performance test (page 45). How do I send a support ticket? Use the support ticket option if possible. See Sending a report or support ticket by (page 77). If the above option is not possible, save the ticket to a single directory. Then archive the files into a compressed archive and attach the archive file to an . See Saving a report or support ticket (page 77). When installing L&TT, should I uninstall my previous version first? For the first release of the WebGUI and LTT Service, uninstall any existing installation of the L&TT 5.1 WebGUI or LTT Service first. L&TT 5.x can coexist with L&TT 4.x, so you can leave both versions of L&TT installed on a system. What are the minimum system requirements? Minimum system requirements are listed in L&TT 5.x minimum system requirements (page 113). Loading on the server for either the LTT Service or the WebGUI is minimal. Does HP TapeAssure support non-hp devices? No. Non-HP devices do not have the rich log content that is needed for TapeAssure functionality 94 Frequently asked questions

95 Will TapeAssure disrupt backups? No. Even in the standalone configuration, the TapeAssure data is only pulled from the drive once every six hours and it only takes around 10 seconds to do so. Even if the data is pulled more frequently and during the backup, the only affect is that the backup slows down during the data extraction (10 seconds) and then returns to normal data rates. The drive logs are extremely rich and contain all the data for the backup process in a single extraction at the end. There is no need for regular polling as used by other tape drive monitoring solutions. HP has extensively tested TapeAssure with all the major backup applications. Is HP TapeAssure compatible with my backup application? Yes. TapeAssure is independent of backup applications. Can I stop the LTT Service pulling tickets? Yes. Use the Windows Computer Manager service management application and pause or stop the LTT Service. The service can be re-started at any time. Is TapeAssure monitoring in-band or out-of-band? The LTT Service for standalone tape drives accesses the tape drive through the host interface port and is therefore in-band. however this is done only once every six hours and is very fast. When should I install the LTT Service? The LTT Service should be installed as part of the initial set up of the server or backup system. It is an always-on monitoring system and diagnostics, unlike the 4.x L&TT version, which is a post-issue diagnostics application. Once the LTT Service is installed and running it needs no further maintenance. Data is simply viewed via the L&TT WebGUI. Can I set up TapeAssure to send me the service actions by ? No, this is not available from L&TT at this time. For tape libraries, you can use Command View TL to be notified of service actions. What if I want to change the WebGUI server that is collecting monitoring data? The L&TT WebGUI server is set up as a configuration for the LTT Service. If the URL of the server is changed in the configuration file the TapeAssure data will be sent to the new location. NOTE: If the URL is invalid or there is a problem with the WebGUI server, the TapeAssure data will remain on the backup server until the problem is resolved. Data is not lost unless the capacity set in the configuration is exceeded at which point you must remove the old data to make way for the most recent. Why aren t my drives being monitored? There are a number of reasons why drive data might not appear on the WebGUI or Command View TL TapeAssure tab. Follow the checks in Troubleshooting the LTT Service (page 98) which trace the whole process from drive discovery through to presentation on the Command View TL GUI or L&TT WebGUI. Will TapeAssure disrupt backups? 95

96 Is there a non-english version of L&TT? Neither the LTT Service nor the WebGUI are localized and there are no plans to do so at the current time. If you have a localization request please get in touch through the contact address. If we receive sufficient requests we will consider supporting that in a future release. What is a filter driver? Is it safe? A filter driver is a small piece of code that fits in the I/O stack between the top level class driver (for example, Tape0) and the driver for the HBA. It passes commands from the application down and responses from the drive back up while also allowing commands and responses to be sent and received by the LTT Service. These apparently concurrent IO requests are synchronized so that the drive only receives one at a time. The filter driver is small, fast and has been extremely well tested against all major backup applications on a large variety of hardware and operating systems. It is very robust and has been digitally signed by Microsoft. Can I uninstall the LTT service? Yes. Follow the normal removal process as for any application. The system might need to be re-booted afterwards. The filter driver is installed and uninstalled as part of the LTT Service. Does L&TT 5.x support DDS/DAT devices? Not at this time. 96 Frequently asked questions

97 8 Troubleshooting Troubleshooting the WebGUI The L&TT WebGUI is a web-based client for the LTT Service and stores the data it needs in a database, which runs as a background service. If you run into any difficulty with the operation of the WebGUI it is safe to exit the browser tabs or the browser window and try again. No configuration data is lost during a restart. If you believe that you have encountered a software issue with the L&TT program itself, send an to LTT.team@hp.com. Please be sure, as much as possible, that it is an L&TT issue rather than a product issue. When sending the , include the following: A description of the issue What was being done. How it failed. Symptoms. Try to include the exact wording of any error messages received. This makes it much easier for the developers to find in the code. The configuration of the system System type, OS type and variant, patch status HBA type, drivers used, revisions Device type, firmware revisions Connectivity FC/SCSI, SAN, or direct connect The result log The result log is generated by the L&TT WebGUI and captures critical I/O information. The result log is in the log directory in the install directory. Attach all files in the log directory. The event log The event log is generated by the LTT Service and will be on the server running the LTT Service. For more information about the event log, see Check the event log (page 98) Attach all logs in the hpta_session folder. Be prepared to provide additional information if requested by the L&TT support team. You can also send comments, feedback, suggestions, and questions to LTT.team@hp.com. The WebGUI cannot discover devices For the WebGUI to discover devices, the LTT Service must be able to communicate with the devices, WebGUI and LTT Service must be configured to find each other, and the firewall must be configured to allow communication between the two processes. Check the monitored drive list in the LTT Service installation: a. On the server running the LTT Service, navigate to the logs folder in the installation directory, usually b. Open monitored_drivelist.txt in Notepad. This file should list all the standalone drives and library drives connected to the system. If the file does not list the connected devices, verify that the Windows device manager is operating correctly. c. Check the firewall settings on the system where the WebGUI is installed. For the necessary configurations, see Installation prerequisites (page 16) d. Restart the LTT Service from the Services list in Windows computer management Troubleshooting the WebGUI 97

98 Troubleshooting the LTT Service The LTT Service requires the following processes to be working: Drive discovery Ticket pulling via the filter driver Sending tickets to Command View TL Receiving, accepting, and processing tickets into the Command View TL database Presenting the TapeAssure data via the Command View TL GUI The following checks guide you through a full verification of these processes, enabling you to diagnose issues. HP recommends that you follow them in the order listed. Check the event log The LTT Service event log contains any events from the LTT Service. The log is located in the event_list.txt in the LTT Service config folder. Additional events might be added in future releases. See the list in the config folder for the version that goes with your version of L&TT. Table 16 LTT Server Events Event ID Description LTT Service is now started. LTT service is now stopped. Recommended actions No action required. Start the LTT Service for collection of tape drive data. 103 The configured limit for ticket In the sta_config.cfg file, increase the value of storage space has been exceeded. MAX_TICKET_STORE. The LTT Service will not pull any tickets until additional space is In the sta_config.cfg file, verify that the management station available. IP address and port number are correct. Verify that the WebGUI or Command View TL management station is running. 104 LTT Service is not able to In the sta_config.cfg file, verify that the management station communicate with the WebGUI or IP address and port number are correct. Command View TL management station. Verify that the WebGUI or Command View TL management station is running The LTT Service has identified an HP tape drive connected to the system. LTT Service is currently monitoring this tape drive. A tape drive that was being monitored has been disconnected from the system and is no longer being monitored by the LTT Service. A configuration value has been modified in sta_config.cfg. No action required. Check the status of the tape drive. No action required. Check compatibility 1. Verify that the LTT Service is installed on the backup server that is connected to the drives to be monitored. 2. Verify that the backup server configuration (hardware and operating system) are supported by the LTT Service. 3. Verify that Command View TL is version 2.6 or later, and is installed on a supported server configuration. 98 Troubleshooting

99 4. Verify that the drives to be monitored are LTO3 or a later generation. NOTE: There is no workaround for incompatible hardware. Check the filter driver installation 1. Verify that the filter driver system file, hptapefltr.sys, is listed in the Windows driver directory: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\hptapefltr.sys Troubleshooting the LTT Service 99

100 2. Use Windows Device Manager to verify that the filter driver is listed for each drive being monitored. Right click the drive that you want to check to display the properties of that drive. Click the Driver tab to display the Driver properties. Click the Driver Details button to display the location of the driver files. 100 Troubleshooting

101 Check that the LTT Service is running Use the Windows Computer Management application to verify that the LTT Service is running. The LTT Service should be configured to start automatically. NOTE: If the service is not shown at all re-install the LTT Service and reboot the server. Open Windows Task Manager to check that the process hp_taserv.exe is running. If it is not running, start or restart the service.. Troubleshooting the LTT Service 101

102 Verify TapeAssure drive discovery This procedure will allow you to check log files to verify that TapeAssure has discovered the drives in your system. 1. When TapeAssure discovers drives, it creates a folder for each drive in the logs\tktstorage folder under the installation folder. Navigate to the \logs\tkstorage folder to check that a folder exists for each drive serial number. 2. If a drive is not listed, but the LTT Service is running (which you previously checked), use Windows Device Manager to check that Windows has discovered the drives. 3. If Windows has not discovered the drives, select Action > Scan for hardware changes to force a re-scan. 4. If this does not work, check power, cabling, interface cards, etc. as you would for a normal drive detection issue. TapeAssure can only work with drives that Windows can identify. 102 Troubleshooting

103 5. Once TapeAssure discovers the drives, it will pull a single ticket from each one. Check the monitored_drivelist.txt summary file in the logs folder under the install directory to verify that at least one ticket has been pulled from each drive. Check the configuration file The configuration file controls when tickets are pulled and where they are sent. For a full description, see Setting service configurations (page 13). When diagnosing TapeAssure issues, the key configuration parameters to check are: MANAGEMENT_STATION_IP verify that this is the IP address of the Command View TL management station MANAGEMENT_STATION_PORT verify that this is the port number of the Command View TL management station. Most likely this will be 8099 unless the port number has been changed using Command View TL. POLLING_INTERVAL verify that tickets are pulled frequently enough to match your backup model. The default is one ticket every six hours or four tickets per day, which gives TapeAssure enough resolution to monitor a nightly backup. Pulling tickets will not disturb backups even if they occur concurrently and frequently but it is good practice to reduce ticket pulling frequency to only what is needed. Check the LTT Service log for sent tickets As tickets are sent to Command View TL, a log entry is made in the TapeAssure.log file, which is found in the logs folder in the install directory. The entry shows the ticket name, which includes the drive serial number and the time at which the ticket was sent. Verify that there are references to drive tickets being sent for all the drives being monitored. If this is not the case, one of the previous steps must not be working. You can force a re-send of a ticket for all connected drives by restarting the LTT Service. Troubleshooting the LTT Service 103

104 NOTE: The management station IP address is also referenced in this log entry and so can be checked. Any issues with pulling and/or sending tickets are detailed in the log file. In this example the port number for the management station is incorrect. The errors refer to a gsoap call, which is the protocol used for sending the tickets. In this example too much disk space has been consumed by tickets and/or log files compared with that allocated in the configuration file. 104 Troubleshooting

105 If tickets are not sent successfully, they remain in the logs/tktstorage folder for their respective drive. Once the issue is resolved (such as the correct IP address and port are configured for the management station) then any tickets in these folders will be re-sent to Command View TL. These folders are normally empty though you may see tickets appear for up to five minutes as they are pulled, stored, and sent to Command View TL. Check the Command View TL Device Analysis Service log for received tickets As tickets are received by Command View TL, entries are made in the das_[0..9].log (Device Analysis Service) file which is found in the log folder in the Command View TL install directory: C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Command View TL\log There can be multiple log files starting with das_0.log and working up to das_9.log. This is done to limit disk usage and you must identify which of these is the most recent file (sort by Date Modified) to find the most recent log entries. The log is very detailed and records a large number of low level steps, but if you can see the drive tickets referenced in that file, they are being received by Command View TL. Check the Command View TL or L&TT WebGUI Device Analysis log for rejected tickets Each received ticket is checked for completeness and for any corruption. Incomplete or corrupt tickets are rejected to avoid inconsistencies in the database. Troubleshooting the LTT Service 105

106 If a ticket is rejected, it is recorded in the da.log file (Device Analysis) which is found in the log folder in the Command View TL or L&TT WebGUI install directory: C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Command View TL\log C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Library aand Tape Tools WebGUI\log for LTT WebGUI\log The fields that are incomplete or corrupt are listed in the log entry, which might help isolate the root cause of the problem. If a ticket is rejected it is moved into a holding folder so that it can be viewed with L&TT and checked: C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Command View TL\log\tickets C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Library and Tape TOols WebGUI\log\ tickets for LTT WebGUI Tickets in this directory are not transient so it is good practice to check this folder occasionally to see if there are any new tickets which may indicate issues in the ticket processing process that should be followed up by going back through the checks above. If the LTT Service doesn t recognize tape drives In a rare case, when the LTT Service first runs, the devices might not be recognized and warning symbols are displayed for the device drivers in Windows. If this happens, disable and re-enable the drivers in Windows. If the LTT Service is not responding message is reported multiple times The LTT Service is not responding message is displayed in the WebGUI when the WebGUI does not receive updates from the LTT Service when expected. This happens in certain cases when the drive becomes unresponsive and takes longer to process the SCSI commands used to communicate with the LTT Service, which times out after 3 minutes. 106 Troubleshooting