5 frequently asked questions – HP StoreEver Ultrium Tape Drives User Manual
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5 Frequently asked questions
Q: How do I get HP TapeAssure?
A: All application downloads and documentation are available from the TapeAssure website at
.
Q: What are the minimum system requirements?
A: Any server that fulfills the needs of the supported configurations detailed in
, page 9. Loading on the server for either the TapeAssure service or Command View
TL is fairly minimal.
Q: Does HP TapeAssure support non-HP devices?
A: No. Non-HP devices do not have the rich log content that is needed for TapeAssure functionality
Q: Will TapeAssure disrupt backups?
A: No. Even in the standalone configuration, the TapeAssure data is only pulled from the drive once
every six hours and it only takes around 10 seconds to do so. Even if the data is pulled more frequently
and during the backup, the only affect is that the backup slows down during the data extraction (10
seconds) and then returns to normal data rates.
The drive logs are extremely rich and contain all the data for the backup process in a single extraction
at the end. There is no need for regular polling as used by other tape drive monitoring solutions.
HP has extensively tested TapeAssure with all the major backup applications.
Q: Is HP TapeAssure compatible with my backup application?
A: Yes. TapeAssure is independent of backup applications.
Q: Can I stop the TapeAssure service pulling tickets?
A: Yes. Use the Windows Computer Manager service management application and pause or stop
the HP StorageWorks TapeAssure service. The service can be re-started at any time.
Q: Is HP TapeAssure in-band or out-of-band?
A: The library-based TapeAssure configurations access the tape drive through a library-specific
management port. These solutions are therefore out of band although they do take a little longer to
extract the data from the drive.
The TapeAssure service for standalone tape drives accesses the tape drive through the host interface
port and is therefore in-band however this is done only once every six hours and is very fast.
Q: When should I install TapeAssure?
A: TapeAssure should be installed as part of the initial set up of the server or backup system. It is an
always-on monitoring system, unlike L&TT which is a post-issue diagnostics application. Once
TapeAssure is installed and running it needs no further maintenance. Data is simply viewed via the
Command View TL GUI.
Q: Can I uninstall TapeAssure?
A: Yes. Follow the normal removal process as for any application. The system will need to be re-booted
afterwards.
User guide
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