mhVTL setup and configuration

[blan]

Hi all,

I need to do demos of Veeam 7 with use of a tape library. I figured it would be nice if I can get a virtual tape library configured in my virtual lab. However I'm having difficulty getting this to work and I'm a newbie to working in Linux. Does Veeam provide support on configuring mhVTL?

[Gostev]

Hi, Bernard! We do not, as this is not a Veeam product. But check with tsightler, as he used to have pre-built mhVTL-based appliance for demo purposes. Thanks!

[tsightler]

You can still download the OVF for the appliance at the link below. I'm actually planning to do a significant update to this appliance once Ubuntu 14.04 officially drops in a couple of months. I'm hoping at that point I can just use the built in VTL in tgtd which will simplify the configuration and shrink the size and resources, and everything can be updated with normal apt-get. I'm also thinking it will be faster since it doesn't have to pass data so many times, but for now, the appliance here has proven to be a solid, reliable option for demo purposes.

http://www.sightunseen.org/files/mhvtl.zip

Let me know if you have any questions. By default it emulates an HP MSL2024, but it includes the mhVTL web interface and you can setup whatever you want. You'll also need to have plenty of space for the virtual tapes.

[blan]

Great! This is a huge help. I've already imported the OVF.

Thanks!!!

[EddyChong]

Hi tsightler，

Just want to check with you is there any update for your demo mhvtl? I've downloaded the current edition and after setting up the ip address, I just get my Veeam backup server (Windows 2012R2) connect to the iscsi target.

I have installed HP tape library and media changer driver (Download from HP, have to install otherwise it couldn't recognize the drive), and at the end Veeam server also manage to see the media changer as HP MSL G3 Series 1068. But it shows 2 drives as empty drives.
Media Library


Drive


Device Manager


Is there anything i still need to configure?

Thank you

[veremin]

Might be a silly question, but have you tried to inventory a library in order to populate tapes inserted in drives? Thanks.

[EddyChong]

Hi Vladimir,

Yes. I did but finished with errors. "Library does not contain any enabled tape drive"


Is this tested in win2012r2 environment? May be is the driver issue. If that is the case i might bring up a 2008r2 veeam backup server and test.

Thank you

[veremin]

I would try with different drivers, indeed. Also, I would double-check the connection between library and drives, whether interface are connected correctly, etc. Thanks.

[EddyChong]

Connection has no issue. the interface are very straight forward, same subnet in my lab. I suspect i need to allow my veeam server to connect to mhvtl volume. I'll try that out later. Thanks

[Dima P.]

Hello Eddy,

If you load tape into the drive by mhVTL and then run inventory thru VBR, would the result be the same?

[nicklasccs]

Hi tsightler,

Good day to you

I had downloaded the MHVTL zip file, but I do not know the password. Possible to share the ID & PASSWORD?

Thanks

Nicklas

[tsightler]

All of the information about the VM, including passwords, is included the description of the VM which you should see when you import the OVF or view the VM in the vCenter client after it's important. The root password was "mhvtl" and the MHVTL web interface I believe was "mhvtl" for both the user and password.

[Dima P.]

Yup, checked - all the info is displayed in the VM's notes.