Users Guide

Chapter 5 Configuring Your Library
Working With FC I/O Blades
Dell PowerVault ML6000 User’s Guide 123
Working With Data Path
Conditioning 5
When I/O blades are installed, administrators can configure data path
conditioning, an automatic means of verifying, monitoring, and
protecting data path integrity between FC I/O blades and FC tape drives.
Data path conditioning allows you to proactively detect and resolve data
path problems before they affect backup, restore, and other data transfer
operations.
The I/O blade does not manage data path conditioning along the path
between the host and the I/O blade. It does manage data path
conditioning along the path between itself and the FC tape drives. Data
path monitoring automatically occurs at regular, configurable intervals.
The I/O blade generates a RAS ticket if the monitoring tests fail for two
intervals.
To configure data path conditioning, set the following parameters for the
selected I/O blade:
• The level at which the data path is monitored between an I/O blade
and the FC tape drives connected to it. The two levels are as follows:
•
Interface Test — performs tests to verify that FC controllers on
I/O blades are responsive to commands. This is the default level.
• Device Datapath Test — performs tests at the Interface Test level
and also performs a device inquiry on each target device.
• Test Interval — the time interval between monitoring checks. You can
configure the test interval. It can range from 5 to 2,880 minutes (48
hours). If you do not configure the test interval, the default test
interval is 60 minutes. If you disable data path conditioning and then
re-enable it in the future, the interval reverts to the default of 60
minutes regardless of whether you changed the interval previously.
Note: This operation should not be performed concurrently by
multiple administrators logged in from different locations.
You can access the appropriate screens, but you cannot apply
changes while another administrator is performing the same
operation.