Configuring library sharing

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Multiple IBM Storage Protect servers can share storage devices by using a storage area network (SAN). You set up one server as the library manager and the other servers as library clients.

Before you begin

Ensure that your systems meet licensing requirements for library sharing. An entitlement for IBM Storage Protect for SAN is required for each IBM Storage Protect server that is configured as a library client or a library manager in a SAN environment.

About this task

With LAN-free data movement, IBM Storage Protect client systems can directly access storage devices that are defined to an IBM Storage Protect server. Storage agents are installed and configured on the client systems to perform the data movement.

To set up library sharing, you must define one IBM Storage Protect server as the library manager for your shared library configuration. Then, you define other IBM Storage Protect servers as library clients that communicate and request storage resources from the library manager. The library manager server must be at the same version or a later version as the server or servers that are defined as library clients.

Procedure

To complete the following steps to share library resources on a SAN among IBM Storage Protect servers, complete the following steps:

  1. Set up server-to-server communications.

    To share a storage device on a SAN, define servers to each other by using the cross-define function. Each server must have a unique name.

  2. Define a shared library and set up tape devices on the server systems.

    Use the procedure that is described in Configuring libraries for use by a server to define a library for use in the shared environment. Modify the procedure to define the library as shared, by specifying the SHARED=YES parameter for the DEFINE LIBRARY command.

  3. Define the library manager server.
  4. Define the shared library on the server that is the library client.
  5. From the library manager server, define paths from the library client to each drive that the library client can access.
    The device name must reflect the way that the library client system recognizes the tape device. A path from the library manager to each tape drive must be defined in order for the library client to use the drive.

    To avoid problems, ensure that all drive path definitions that are defined for the library manager are also defined for each library client.

    For example, if the library manager defines three tape drives, the library client must also define three tape drives. To limit the number of tape drives that a library client can use at a time, use the MOUNTLIMIT parameter of the device class on the library client.
  6. Define device classes for the shared library.

    The preferred method is to make the device class names the same on both servers to avoid confusion when you define multiple device classes with the same device type and library parameters. Some operations, such as database backup, use the device class name to identify the data for backup.

    The device class parameters that are specified on the library manager override the parameters that are specified for the library client. If the device class names are different, the library manager uses the parameters that are specified in a device class that matches the device type that is specified for the library client.

  7. Define a storage pool for the shared library.
  8. Repeat the steps to configure another server as a library client.