The IBM ProtecTIER(R) offering is a high performance, high capacity, disk-based data storage system. It can use the ProtecTIER Virtual Tape, or VT, service to emulate traditional tape libraries. In this way, the backup application perceives that the data is being stored on tape cartridges while the data is actually stored on one or more disk arrays. A repository includes at least one virtual tape library, which includes virtual tape drives, virtual cartridges, and slots. A virtual robot moves virtual cartridges among virtual slots and drives.
In this e-Learning module, you will learn how to use the IBM ProtecTIER Manager interface to perform several common virtual tape library administration tasks. For information about emulating a storage server using OpenStorage technology, see the OpenStorage Systems e-Learning module. For information about using the File System Interface, see the File System Interface e-Learning module.
You begin by creating a repository. If you are working with the IBM System Storage TS7650 ProtecTIER Deduplication Appliance product, a repository has already been created for you, so you can skip this step. If you are working with the IBM System Storage TS7650G ProtecTIER Deduplication Gateway product, you need to create a repository. There are four steps in repository creation: complete repository planning; then create a LUN; create the file system; and then use the Create Repository wizard.
You first need to determine the optimum number of LUNs, repository size and metadata file system arrangement for the repository you are going to create. To do this, open the IBM ProtecTIER Manager user interface and select Create repository planning. A wizard opens. Select Virtual Tape Library as the backup interface. Enter the repository size, estimated factoring ratio, throughput, RAID configuration, and disk size. A summary report is displayed.
The next step is LUN creation, which is performed using the disk-array user interface. To maximize performance, use RAID 10 for the metadata LUNs and RAID 5 for the user-data LUNs. Consult the disk-array documentation for more details on how to perform this task.
The next step is to create the file system for a repository. You can do this using the fsCreate tool.
First, log in to a ProtecTIER node server. Open a Secure Shell (or SSH) session, log in, and type cd /opt/dtc/app/sbin command to change the directory.
Use the fsCreate commands to list the available new multipath devices, register them, mount them, and start services on the node. You can also use the fsCreate commands to display file systems that are part of the repository, to verify that you created the file system. See the User Guide for more information about using the fsCreate commands.
Your next step when creating a repository is completing the Create Repository wizard. Open the IBM ProtecTIER Manager and navigate to the Nodes pane. Select the node and select Create repository to open the wizard.
Enter the name of the server on which the repository is being created, and a name for the repository.
Then enter information about the repository size, including the factoring ratio, throughput, RAID configuration, and disk size of the server on which the repository is being created. You can refer to the capacity planning summary report to gather this information.
Then, verify the amount of disk space allocated for metadata and user data. Click Advanced.
A list of file systems is displayed. Validate that the file systems are assigned to metadata and user data as you had planned and make corrective actions if needed. For example, if you planned for 20 terabytes and you have 22 terabytes available, you will see 2 terabytes in the available file systems column, which you will move to the metadata or user data column.
Review the summary report information before completing the wizard. Your repository is then created.
If a repository already exists, you can use the ProtecTIER Manager application to increase repository capacity. This task is very similar to creating a repository. You first need to plan for the capacity increase, to determine the optimum repository size, and metadata file system arrangement for your expanded repository.
Select Repository > Increase capacity planning to open the Increase capacity planning wizard. Enter the repository size, estimated factoring ratio, RAID configuration, and disk size.
The Repository metadata storage requirements window is displayed, which lists minimum metadata file system expansion options.
Click Plan again to go back to the Increase capacity planning window and change your configuration options, or click Close.
After planning is complete, select Repository > Increase capacity. The Increase capacity wizard opens.
Enter information about the desired repository size, verify the metadata and user data sizes, and allocate available file systems. After you complete the wizard, the repository capacity is increased.
Now that you have created a repository, you need to create a virtual tape library, which will emulate a tape library. Navigate to the Systems pane. Select VT > Virtual Tape Library > Create new library, and the Create new library wizard is displayed. Enter a name for the library. For the virtual library you want to emulate, select the type of physical library, and then select the type of tape drive model.
In the next panel, enter the number of tape drives to assign to each node. To maximize load balancing, distribute tape drives across the nodes in a cluster based on the relative power of the node servers. You now need to assign drives to the front-end ports for each node. If you would like to assign one or more virtual tape drives to a port, select the port from the list. Then, select the number of virtual tape drives to assign to that port. You can use the Select All and Equally divide buttons to help with virtual tape assignment. Select the Robot check box if you want the library virtual robot to be accessible through this port. Ensure that you have configured the backup application and operating system appropriately before enabling multiple paths to the robot. For more details, consult the control path failover information in your backup application documentation. Next, enter the number of cartridges that you want in the library. The Virtual cartridge size field automatically displays the maximum possible size for virtual cartridges for your system, based upon the number of cartridges you want, the total amount of available storage space in the repository, and the current HyperFactor® ratio. Selecting the Max. cartridge growth check box limits the maximum amount of nominal data that a cartridge can contain. Finally, enter a value for the barcode seed, which is the barcode that is assigned to the first cartridge created.
Enter the number of cartridge slots and import and export slots that you want to have in the library. Several items to keep in mind are: the number of slots must be equal to or greater than the number of cartridges you are creating; you will need import and export slots if you plan to perform replication; create more slots than tapes in a library, to make it easier to accommodate future growth. Review the summary and click Finish.
After the new library is created, it is displayed. See the User Guide for more information on creating a library.
The ProtecTIER system enables you to change the parameters of libraries you have created, including the assignment of virtual devices, addition of virtual tape drives, and expansion of library capacity.
Select a library and select VT > VT Library > Change dimensions to open the Change dimensions wizard.
In the next window, you can change the number of tape drives that you want to have in the node.
Here, you can select or deselect ports that have tape drives assigned, you can change the number of virtual tape drives assigned to a port, and you can change selections to indicate whether you want the library virtual robot to be available through a port. You can click Track Changes to display the modifications that the ProtecTIER system might need to make in response to the changes you define.
In the next panel, you can make changes to the number of slots you want in the library.
View the summary report and click Finish to implement your library modifications.
A brief system outage occurs as your changes are implemented.
In this e-Learning module, you learned how to use the IBM ProtecTIER Manager interface to perform several common virtual tape library administration tasks. For more information, see the other e-Learning modules and help topics in this information center.