HP StoreEver MSL6480 Tape Library User and Service Guide

SAS specifications
The server must have an HP or third party SAS host bus adapter with an external connector.
Table 4 SAS drive interface speeds
Supported speedsLTO generation
1.5 Gb, 3 Gb, 6 GbLTO-5, LTO-6
The device uses multiple LUNs to communicate with the Library. Most SAS RAID controllers do not
support multiple LUNs. To verify that your HBA is supported on your server and qualified for the
library, see the EBS matrix on the EBS website: www.hp. com/go/ebs.
Most SAS HBA ports provide four SAS channels. Each tape drive uses one channel. The SAS fanout
cable recommended for this product will connect up to four SAS tape drives to a single SAS HBA
port.
Any of the four drive cable ends can be used for any of the tape drives. If you use a different cable,
verify that the mini-SAS connectors on the tape drive end are 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 or later generation 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.
See for more information, see “Planning the SAS configuration” (page 21).
Tape cartridges
The tape library requires that all tape cartridges have high-quality labels with the proper format
for the tape. The library does not support unlabeled tapes. Tapes with poor quality or incorrectly
formatted labels can cause library errors.
Use the Ultrium data and cleaning tape cartridges designed for your model of library. You can
order data and cleaning cartridges at www.hp.com/go/storagemedia.
Table 5 LTO-5 tape drive
Part numberCartridge type
C7975AHP LTO5 Ultrium 3 TB RW Data Cartridge, blue
C7975WHP LTO5 Ultrium 3 TB WORM Data Cartridge, two-tone (blue and gray)
C7978AHP Ultrium universal cleaning cartridge, (50 cleans), orange
Table 6 LTO-6 tape drive
Part numberCartridge type
C7976AHP LTO-6 Ultrium 6650 MP RW Data Cartridge, purple
C7976BHP LTO-6 Ultrium 6650 BaFe RW Data Cartridge, purple
C7978AHP Ultrium universal cleaning cartridge, (50 cleans), orange
14 Features and overview