HP StoreEver 1/8 G2 Tape Autoloader User and Service Guide (AK377-96024, December 2012)

Interface specifications and requirements for Fibre Channel drives
The Fibre Channel tape drive can be connected directly to the server with a host bus adapter (HBA)
or through a storage area network (SAN).
Table 5 FC drive interface speeds
Supported speedsLTO generation
2 Gb, 4 Gb, 8 GbLTO-5, LTO-6
If you plan to connect the autoloader directly to the server, you will need a 2 Gb, 4 Gb, or 8 Gb
Fibre Channel HBA. An 8 Gb HBA is recommended for LTO-5 and LTO-6 tape drives for optimal
performance. To verify that your HBA is supported on your server and qualified for the autoloader,
check the EBS compatibility matrix at www.hp.com/go/ebs.
In a SAN installation, all switches between the host and the autoloader must be of the appropriate
type. For example, a 2 Gb switch in the path may result in performance degradation when backing
up highly compressible data to a 4 Gb tape drive. Configure zoning so only the backup servers
may access the autoloader.
You must provide a Fibre Channel cable for each tape drive. The maximum cable length (in meters)
is based on the tape drive and external cable type, as shown:
8 Gb4 Gb2 GbCable typeDrive type
Not supported0.5 – 150 m0.5 – 300 mOM2All
0.5 – 50 m0.5 – 150 m0.5 – 300 mOM3, OM4LTO-5 Ultrium
3000
0.5 – 150 m0.5 – 380 m0.5 – 500 mOM3, OM4LTO-6 Ultrium
6250
Interface specifications and requirements for SAS drives
The server must have an HP or third party SAS host bus adapter with an external connector.
Table 6 SAS drive interface speeds
Supported speedsLTO generation
1.5 Gb, 3 GbLTO-4
1.5 Gb, 3 Gb, 6 GbLTO-5, LTO-6
The device uses multiple LUNs to communicate with the autoloader. Most SAS RAID controllers do
not support multiple LUNs. To find a SAS HBA that is supported on your server and qualified with
the autoloader, see the EBS compatibility matrix at www.hp.com/go/ebs.
Most SAS HBA ports provide four SAS channels. The autoloader only uses one channel. The HP
cable supplied with the autoloader has one connector on each end, using only one of the four
channels. To use the other channels, you can purchase a SAS fanout cable, which will connect up
to four SAS tape drives to a single HBA port. When using a different cable, verify that the mini-SAS
connector for the tape drive end is keyed for location 4.
CAUTION: High quality SAS cables rated at the transfer rate of the SAS components are required.
Always verify that the SAS cable you are using is rated for the data transfer speed of the interface
of your components. SAS cables described as "equalized" may not support 6 Gb/s data rates
and should not be used with LTO-5 tape drives unless these cables are verified for 6 Gb/s data
rates. For optimum performance, only use HP cables of the length specified as qualified for your
products.
For more information about SAS, see “About SAS” (page 18).
10 Features and overview