SAS LTO - HBA Support for SAS Tape Drives

Asset ID:	1-71-1020986.1
Update Date:	2017-11-14
Keywords:

Solution Type Technical Instruction Sure

Solution 1020986.1 : SAS LTO - HBA Support for SAS Tape Drives

Applies to:

Sun StorageTek SL48 Tape Library - Version Not Applicable and later
HP LTO6 Tape Drive - Version All Versions and later
HP LTO5 Tape Drive - Version Not Applicable and later
Sun StorageTek SL24 Tape Autoloader - Version Not Applicable and later
HP LTO3 Tape Drive - Version Not Applicable and later
All Platforms

Goal

Tape Support for SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) drives.
We support SAS with the SL24, SL48, 1U rack mount unit. These are all HP LTO3, LTO4 and LTO5 SAS drives.
We support SAS with the SL500. These are all HP LTO5 SAS drive.

Solution

The following provides SAS HBA support information:

SAS tape drives are supported on the:
SAS-1 Pandora (PCI-Express) HBA (SG-XPCIE8SAS-E-Z)
SAS-1 Mimas (PCI-Express Module) HBA (SG-XPCIE8SAS-EB-Z)
SAS-2 Erie (PCI-Express) HBA (SGX-SAS6-EXT-Z)
SAS-2 Erie (PCI-Express Module) HBA (SGX-SAS6-EM-Z).

Caveates:

SAS-1 Pandora and Mimas HBAs work with Windows, Linux and Solaris 10 (Exception - EMC Networker does not work on Solaris).
SAS-2 Erie HBA works with Windows and Linux, does not work with Solaris. (Exception - the Erie HBA works with Solaris utilities (tar, cpio so on) it does not currently work with backup applications).
Note: The same problem is persistent in Solaris 11.

As per the release notes this HBA works with the Solaris (2-Apr-2014)
https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19965-01/pdf/E22493.pdf

Minimum Solaris required is Solaris 10 Update 10 (08/11).

SAS tape drives are not supported on SAS-Raid HBAs.
============================================
The following provides SAS HBA support information:
No SAS tape drives are supported on SAS-Raid HBAs. They need the Pandora SAS HBA.

Currently SAS is only supported on the HBA Pandora(codename) HBA p/n 375-3487.
https://mosemp.us.oracle.com/handbook_internal/Devices/SCSI/SCSI_PCIE_SAS_SATA_HBA.html

Mimas (codename) p/n 375-3486
https://mosemp.us.oracle.com/handbook_internal/Devices/SCSI/SCSI_PCIE_8Port_SAS_HBA.html

Erie (codename) p/n 375-3641 (External)
https://mosemp.us.oracle.com/handbook_internal/Devices/SCSI/SCSI_8Port_6Gbps_SAS2_HBA_LSI.html

We do NOT support tape on the following SAS HBA's

Cougar (codename) p/n 375-3536
https://mosemp.us.oracle.com/handbook_internal/Devices/SCSI/SCSI_PCIE_8Port_SAS_RAID.html

Prometheus (codename) p/n 375-3537
https://mosemp.us.oracle.com/handbook_internal/Devices/SCSI/SCSI_PCIE_8Port_SAS_RAID_Ext.html

@Provided by Stephen Baldassare and Ryan Lucas.

Note: (2-Apr-2014)

Oracle did not productize the LTO-6 SAS drive in the SL24/48 nor the SL500.

The SL150 tape library does support LTO-6 SAS.

Note: (20-Oct-2014)

SAS-2 Erie HBA + Backup Software restriction is fixed on NBU .

NETBACKUP sg Driver Cannot Attach To st Instances Under mpt_sas HBA Driver (Doc ID 1670056.1)

==========================================================================

(Update 13-Nov-2014) Stephen Baldassare

Symantec NetBackup is supported on:

- Solaris 11.1 on SRU 11.1.11.4.0 or higher (including Solaris 11.2) and Netbackup 7.5.0.6 or higher. This support is for Solaris on SPARC and x64.

- Solaris 10 SPARC with patch 150400-14 or higher and NetBackup 7.5.0.6 or higher.

- Solaris 10 x86 with patch 150401-14 or higher and NetBackup 7.5.0.6 or higher.

Note: For Solaris 10, the following Symantec Tech-Note should be referenced: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO90258

EMC NetWorker is supported on:

- NetWorker version 8.1 or higher. This includes Solaris 10 or 11 on SPARC or x64.

IBM TSM is supported on:

TSM 6.3.4 and 7.1 for Solaris 10 SPARC only.

Note: IBM has stated they will support these versions but due to inbound licensing restrictions, this has not been tested in house so caution on TSM.

ComVault Simpana is supported on:

- Simpana 10 SP4b or higher for any supported Solaris versions.

As of now ISR is considering the issue resolved and we have no plans to engage other vendors unless there is a major demand.

=====================================================================================================

Update May25-2016

Overview
With Oracle Solaris 10 Update 8 (10/09) the Oracle Solaris
engineering team re-designed the SAS driver for self-enumeration purposes and to close a security concern. While improving the safety and security of customers’environments, it was found that it disrupts communications between Oracle Solaris and common tape backup
applications. The new SAS driver, which controls the HBA card, will only allow one device driver to attach per device (sg, sgen, st, etc.).
Current Status is that ISV engineering has been working with the Solaris engineering group and the backup application vendors to resolve this issue.

Veritas NetBackup

Solaris 11.1 on SRU 11.1.11.4.0 or higher (including Solaris 11.2) and NetBackup 7.5.0.6 or higher have the necessary binaries to support SAS-2 or SAS-3 connectivity. These fixes are publicly available now.
This provides support for Solaris on SPARC or x64.

Solaris 10 SPARC with patch 150400-14 or higher and NetBackup 7.5.0.6 or higher. Solaris 10 x86 with patch 150401-14 or higher and NetBackup 7.5.0.6 or higher.

Note: For Solaris 10 the following Symantec Technote should be referenced:
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.HOWTO90258

EMC NetWorker

EMC NetWorker 8.1 and above includes a binary change to allow for the SAS-2 or SAS-3 devices to work properly. Release 8.1 and above is supported on Solaris 10 with patch 150400-14 or higher and Solaris 11.1 on SRU 11.1.11.4.0 or higher (including Solaris 11.2) on SPARC or x64.

CommVault Software (formerly Simpana)

CommVault has changed their code to work with the SAS-2 or SAS-3 devices. The fix is delivered in Simpana 10 SP4b Service Pack. They will also support SPARC and x64 across Solaris 10 with patch 150400-14 or higher and Solaris 11.1 on SRU 11.1.11.4.0 or higher (including Solaris 11.2) on SPARC or x64.

Oracle Secure Backup works with Solaris and either the SAS-2 or SAS-3 HBAs. There has never been an issue with this application

IBM Spectrum Protect (formerly Tivoli Storage Manager)

Versions
6.3.4 and 7.1 for Solaris 10 with patch 150400-14 or higher SPARC only.

For More Information on StorageTek Products Go To:
Oracle.com StorageTek Tape Page - http://www.oracle.com/us/products/servers-storage/storage/tape-storage/overview/index.html
My.Oracle StorageTek Tape Page - http://my.oracle.com/site/pd/sss/storage/tape/cnt2061331.html
Oracle Partner Network StorageTek Tape Page
Oracle Technology Network StorageTek Tape Page - http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/server-storage/sun-tape-storage/overview/index.html

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