IBM TS3100 SAS connectivity problem, 4 ports, one cable...

[folerx]

hi
We have IBM TS3100 tape drive with two tape banks, left and right.
Tape have 4 SAS port at back side, HBA in server have one external SAS port. Host and Veeam correctly recognize tape drive, but only "half" at time.
Any recommendation what I need to configure or buy for full tape operation? HBA with 2 SAS ports?

host bus adapter LSI SATA/SAS 9212-4i4e


IBM TS3100 backside connectors:


IBM and Veeam console view:

[veremin]

Just out of curiosity - have you tried to reach IBM support with hardware configuration questions? Chances are, they are more knowledgeable in this field than members of these forums. Thanks.

[folerx]

No..i dont

[veremin]

Then, it might be a good time to do that. Thanks.

[folerx]

Will do and report back

[opg70]

For our TS3200, we had to connect a passive device that has one SAS input and 4 outputs, allowing us to connect each tape drive to the same sas port. It was an IBM 95P4996 Mini-SAS/Mini-SAS 4x Interposer. You could just use a cable though, such as this one: https://www.datastoragecables.com/sas/e ... inisas-x2/

You only need only connect one port per drive though, not both - it will work fine (such as both PORT A to the controller)

[folerx]

I dont know that exist y sas cabel.
So we need y Mini-SAS SFF8088 and I can keep current adapter? Both drives will be visible to host server, 23 tapes?
https://www.serialcables.com/largeview. ... 13&id=1377

[opg70]

That should do the job indeed. The controller cannot see the drive without a direct SAS connection to it, but it only needs one channel for communication (not the 4 in an SAS cable). As long as one drive is connected it should also be able to see all the robot's 23 slots, so it will obviously work well with 2 connections also. It may actually work with the 2 drives daisy-chained (port A on one connected to the HBA and port B connected to the other drive) as SAS is a switching serial protocol, but I haven't tested it while using a Y cable (actually an interposer in our case) works fine.

[folerx]

Ok
Will try with daisy because i have another cable.

[folerx]

Progress...
I connect cable from hba in server to lower right sas port B.
Than from lower port A to top port B.
I am also configure bot drives as control path.
Now I see both tape drive and all 23 cartridges.
I dont know I this work because cables is good or control path is ok.

[opg70]

must be because of the cabling - good to know that it works, in case our interposer has problems in the future...

[folerx]

In ibm ts3100 web console i see both loaders connected and can share tapes from left to right. But, veeam and device manager show only one device. Veeam show offline for second tape device. host wont see what ts3100 see?

[Dima P.]

Daniel,

device manager show only one device

Another drive is not showing or it's on offline state? Did you install the drivers (assuming yes if both drives are the same). Try to reboot and reinstall all the library drivers from scratch.

[folerx]

Only one drive in device manager, same drives in ts3100, same driver in os...Probably I need some workaround with cables or hba. Like to have two tape drives for parallel processing



when i play with cables and add second cable, in tape console can see that both drives is on, but OS see only one. driver is non-exclusive version.

[folerx]

Problem resolved, no problem at all, only my lack of information.
I configure 1 logical library instead two. Both tape magazines is grouped into single logical unit and act as single to drive. Now single drive (a or b) can write to both magazines and all 23 tapes as well as single cable to hba.



drive 2 disabled


all tapes visible to veeam

[Dima P.]

Mystery solved – glad to hear that you found the second logical partition of your library.

[joystick]

Hi,

I also have TS3100 library with two ULT3580-HH5 drives. Currently only managed to make use of one drive but would like to have both operational.
I'm using two SAS cables: one to connect host to drive1-portB, another to connect drive1-portA to drive2-portB.
Library shows both drives are connected:


Windows device manager shows only one tape drive, though:


But VEEAM at the same time shows both tape drives:


One of them on address 0


Another on address 1:


SCSI bus scan shows that changer0 is occupying LUN1


Which may probably conflict with Tape Drive2.

Please correct me if I'm wrong and advise how can I make both drives working.

Thank you in advance!