HP MSL-2024 Drivers?

[david.buchanan]

Hi All,

I'm in the process of moving us from Backup Exec to Veeam for tape. We have a HP MSL-2024 connected to a server via SAS.

Backup Exec best practice is to not install any HP drivers so that is shows up as an unknown media changer, which is how we have been using our MSL-2024 up until now.

Is this approach the same for Veeam? Or do Veeam recommend I install the HP drivers for the MSL-2024?

Thanks,
David.

[Didi7]

No drivers are included in Veeam Backup & Replication. If you can see all devices in the device manager, i.e. the tape drive(s) and the medium changer, than you are fine.

Backup Exec used to bring their own drivers with their software, at least in earliers versions. IIRC the last Backup Exec 15 relies on system drivers as well.

Regards,
Didi7

[david.buchanan]

Thanks Didi7,

With BE versions prior to BE12 it installed it's own Symantec driver. However, since BE12 if you are running Server 2012 or 2012 R2 then the best practice is to actually install nothing at all so the Tape Library show up as an unknown media changer. It sounds weird I know, but that is what Symantec recommend.

So in short, there are no HP drivers installed for the tape library on the server. I'd include a screenshot but it appears I can't on these forums....

I'm wondering, should I leave it like this or actually install the HP drivers. Veeam can see the tape library and it's able to run a job.

I guess I can do some testing and see if I can better performance using the HP drivers vs the Native SCSI commands.

Thanks,
David.

[david.buchanan]

I've found my answer in case anyone else needs it:

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/backup/vsp ... brary.html
https://helpcenter.veeam.com/backup/vsp ... vices.html

Veeam support both OEM drivers and native modes (unknown medium changers), however they recommend OEM drivers where you can.

Thanks,
David.

[Didi7]

We here use different HP ProLiant servers, all of them with Windows Server 2012 R2 and latest updates from MS and latest HP ProLiant Service Pack, which should bring tape drivers from HP. We can see the medium changer and the tape drives of the connected HP MSL libraries.

Later I can check, what kind of drivers and versions are used.

If this is finally finished and up-to-date, we install VBR here and I really like it, that VBR doesn't include any tape drivers, they simply concentrate on their software and let manufacturers do their job. Pretty clever, if you ask me.

We used to have Veritas Backup Exec v10 and v11, as well as Symantec Backup Exec v12, v12.5, v2010, v2012, v2014 and now Veritas Backup Exec 15 and it was always a mess to find out, if HP tape drivers are necessary or should be re-placed with Backup Exec drivers or not.

Even Symantec or Veritas NetBackup is a mess regarding, what drivers to use and what drivers not to use for several different backup hardware.

Veritas Backup Exec 15 (v-Ray) is a nice and reliable software, but it's old-school. The v-Ray version of Veritas Backup 15 is still inferior in comparison to VBR in several aspects and even Veritas NetBackup v-Ray is not much better. NetBackup is full of nice options but it really overloads you.

Regards,
Didi7

[david.buchanan]

Thanks Didi7, that makes sense with what I'm seeing in the helpcenter.

Regards,
David.

[Didi7]

You are welcome!

[vekslyarsky]

Hello,
We have the same problem. We use VEritas BackupEXec 20.4 and Veeam B&R. Verutas works fine, but Veeam cannot see MSL 2024 with LTO-4, LTO-5 and LTO-7 drives.
We cannot see Driver Changer

[Didi7]

In case you stopped using Veritag Backup Exec, please make sure that you can see all devices in Device Manager, then make sure that the drivers used of each device are not from Veritas! Please uninstall them, then make sure that you install the latest tape drivers from Hewlett Packard.

Regards,
Didi7

[Didi7]

As far as I know, you can use native Hewlett Packard drivers instead of Veritas drivers with the latest Backup Exec version. So, in case you use Veritas Backup Exec and Veeam B&R on the same hardware, make sure that you do not use Veritas tape drivers.

Btw, bad idea to use Veritas Backup Exec and Veeam B&R on the same server, I would avoid this, if it's possible.

Regards,
Didi7

[Dima P.]

you can use native Hewlett Packard drivers instead of Veritas drivers with the latest Backup Exec version

That might be the root cause as we work with vendor's drivers. Windows device manager never finds HPE drivers correctly (at least in my labs), so just search for the driver bundle at the HPE site and install those to your machine.

bad idea to use Veritas Backup Exec and Veeam B&R on the same server

Yes, due to the exclusive lock on the device it's hard to use both solutions within single tape library, unless you have you tape library partitioned.