Defining drives

Edit online

To inform the server about a drive that can be used to access storage volumes, issue the DEFINE DRIVE command, followed by the DEFINE PATH command.

Before you begin

A drive object represents a drive mechanism within a library that uses removable media. For devices with multiple drives, including automated libraries, you must define each drive separately and associate it with a library. Drive definitions can include such information as the element address for drives in SCSI, how often a tape drive is cleaned, and whether the drive is online.

IBM Storage Protect supports tape drives that can be stand-alone or that can be part of an automated library. The preferred method is to configure the tape solution by using automated libraries.

About this task

When you issue the DEFINE DRIVE command, you must provide some or all of the following information:
Library name
The name of the library in which the drive is located.
Drive name
The name that is assigned to the drive.
Serial number
The serial number of the drive. The serial number parameter applies only to drives in SCSI. With the serial number, the server can confirm the identity of the device when you define the path or when the server uses the device.

You can specify the serial number if you choose. The default is to enable the server to obtain the serial number from the drive itself at the time that the path is defined. If you specify the serial number, the server confirms that the serial number is correct when you define the path to the drive. When you define the path, you can set the AUTODETECT=YES parameter to enable the server to correct the serial number if the number that it detects does not match what you entered when you defined the drive. As a best practice, specify the AUTODETECT=YES parameter to automatically update the serial number for the drive in the database when the path is defined.

Depending on the capabilities of the drive, the server might not be able to automatically detect the serial number. In this case, the server does not record a serial number for the device, and is not able to confirm the identity of the device when you define the path or when the server uses the device. See Impacts of device changes on the SAN.

Element address
The element address of the drive. The ELEMENT parameter applies only to drives in SCSI libraries. The element address is a number that indicates the physical location of a drive within an automated library. The server needs the element address to connect the physical location of the drive to the drive's SCSI address. The server can obtain the element address from the drive when you define the path, or you can specify the element number when you define the drive. As a best practice, specify the ELEMENT=AUTODETECT parameter for the server to automatically detect the element number when the path to the drive is defined.

Depending on the capabilities of the library, the server might not be able to automatically detect the element address. In this case, you must supply the element address when you define the drive, if the library has more than one drive. To obtain the element address, go to the IBM® Support Portal for IBM Storage Protect.

Tip: IBM tape device drivers and non-IBM tape device drivers generate different device files and formats:
  • For IBM, device names begin with rmt followed by an integer, for example, /dev/rmt0.
  • For IBM Storage Protect tape device drivers, tape device names begin with mt followed by an integer, for example /dev/mt0.
You must use the correct device file when you define a path.

Procedure

  1. Assign a drive to a library by issuing the DEFINE DRIVE command.
  2. To make the drive usable by the server, issue the DEFINE PATH command.

    For examples about configuring libraries, paths, and drives, see Example: Configure a SCSI or virtual tape library with a single drive device type and Example: Configure a SCSI or virtual tape library with multiple drive device types.