2 different LTO drives in one Tape Library

[Spongebob.]

Hi!
We operate an Overland Tandberg (BDT Flexstor) T24 tape changer unit with one Ultrium 7 LTO-7 drive inside.
We use this with Windows 10 and Veeam Backup and Replication.
The tape changer can however handle 2 drives.
We would like to put an LTO-8 drive into the other empty drive slot.
Here's the question: can Veeam Backup and Replication handle an LTO-7 and LTO-8 together in the same library?
What do I need to watch out for?
thanks
Spongebob

[david.domask]

Hi Spongebob.,

Within a library partition, only one generation of tape drive is supported. So mixing both the LTO7 and 8 together in the same library is not a supported configuration.

If your library supports partitioning however, you can create a partition for the LTO8 drive separately, then add both libraries to your media pool and set how you want the multiple libraries to behave (active:active where both are used simultaneously, or active:passive where one library is used only as failover)

[Spongebob.]

Hi,
how can I find out if my drive supports partitioning? The manufacturer does not respond to support issues on it anymore as it has been discontinued/fallen out of the support. Does a Tandberg NEO 24 BDT Flexstor II support partitioning?
thanks!

[david.domask]

Regrettably I cannot find a reliable source on that; one document I found suggested it could but regrettably I'm not immediately familiar with that model. I would try to find a copy of the administrators guide for the hardware and there should be some instruction for library partitioning. Effectively this just lets the hardware create a virtual library partition (usually presented over iscsi) and the tape hardware handles the tape/drive management itself.

But try to find a copy of your hardware's administration guide, it will tell if it's possible or check the WebUI maybe there' a help section.

[RobTurk]

Does a Tandberg NEO 24 BDT Flexstor II support partitioning?

Hi,
Through my contacts at BDT (the OEM manufacturer) I can confirm that your library does not support partitioning. The design of this library predates the time when this functionality was required.