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Administrator's Guide


Planning for Tivoli Data Protection for NDMP

Most of the planning required to implement a Tivoli Data Protection for NDMP environment is related to device configuration. You have choices about how to connect and use the libraries and drives.

Planning for Tape Libraries and Drives used in NDMP Operations

Many of the configuration choices you have for libraries and drives are determined by the hardware features of your libraries. You can set up NDMP operations with any supported library and drives. However, the more features your library has, the more flexibility you can exercise in your implementation.

You might start by answering the following questions:

Determining Where to Attach the Tape Library Robotics

One of the first steps in planning for Tivoli Data Protection for NDMP is to determine where to attach the tape library. You must determine whether to attach the library robotics to the Tivoli Storage Manager server or to the NAS file server. Regardless of where you connect library robotics, tape drives must always be connected to the NAS file server for NDMP operations.

Distance and your available hardware connections are factors to consider. If the library does not have separate ports for robotics control and drive access, the library must be attached to the NAS file server because the NAS file server must have access to the drives. If your library has separate ports for robotics control and drive access, you can choose to attach the library robotics to either the Tivoli Storage Manager server or the NAS file server.

If the NAS file server is at a different location than the Tivoli Storage Manager server, the distance may mean that you must attach the library to the NAS file server.

You have the option of dedicating the library to NDMP operations, or of using the library for NDMP operations as well as most traditional Tivoli Storage Manager operations.

Configuration 1 -- Library Connected to the Tivoli Storage Manager Server

In this configuration, the tape library must have separate ports for robotics control and for drive access. In addition, the library must be within Fibre-Channel range or SCSI bus range of both the Tivoli Storage Manager server and the NAS file server.

In this configuration, the Tivoli Storage Manager server controls the library through a direct, physical connection to the library robotics control port. For NDMP operations, the drives in the library are connected directly to the NAS file server. The NAS file server transfers data to the tape drive at the request of the Tivoli Storage Manager server. To also use the drives for Tivoli Storage Manager operations, connect the Tivoli Storage Manager server to the tape drives and define the paths from the Tivoli Storage Manager server to the tape drives. This configuration also supports a Tivoli Storage Manager storage agent having access to the drives for its LAN-free operations, and the Tivoli Storage Manager server can be a library manager.

Figure 11. Configuration 1-Library Connected to Tivoli Storage Manager Server

Library Connected to Tivoli Storage Manager Server

Configuration 2 -- Library Connected to the NAS File Server

In this configuration, the library robotics and the drives must be physically connected directly to the NAS file server. No physical connection is required between the Tivoli Storage Manager server and the library.

The Tivoli Storage Manager server controls library robotics by sending library commands across the network to the NAS file server. The NAS file server passes the commands to the tape library. Any responses generated by the library are sent to the NAS file server, and passed back across the network to the Tivoli Storage Manager server. This configuration supports a physically distant Tivoli Storage Manager server and NAS file server. For example, the Tivoli Storage Manager server could be in one city, while the NAS file server and tape library are in another city.

Figure 12. Configuration 2-Library Connected to the NAS File Server

Library Connected to the NAS File Server

Determining How to Use the Drives in the Library

Drives can be used for multiple purposes because of the flexible configurations allowed by Tivoli Storage Manager. For NDMP operations, the NAS file server must have access to the drive. The Tivoli Storage Manager server can also have access to the same drive, depending on your hardware connections and limitations. All drives are defined to the Tivoli Storage Manager server. However, the same drive may be defined for both traditional Tivoli Storage Manager operations and NDMP operations. Figure 13 illustrates one possible configuration. The Tivoli Storage Manager server has access to drives 2 and 3, and each NAS file server has access to drives 1 and 2.

Figure 13. Tivoli Storage Manager Drive Usage Example

Tivoli Storage Manager Drive Usage Example

To create the configuration shown in the figure, you would do the following:

  1. Define all three drives to Tivoli Storage Manager.
  2. Define paths from the Tivoli Storage Manager server to drives 2 and 3. Because drive 1 is not accessed by the server, no path is defined.
  3. Define each NAS file server as a separate data mover.
  4. Define paths from each data mover to drive 1 and to drive 2.

See Step 6. Defining Tape Drives and Paths for NDMP Operations for more information.


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