Data Center Fabric Manager Enterprise User Manual v10.3.X (53-1001357-01, November 2009)

DCFM Enterprise User Manual 485

53-1001357-01

Tape Pools tab

Tape pools are managed from the Tape Pools tab.

Figure 192 displays the tape pools tab.

FIGURE 192 Encryption Group Properties - Tape Pools tab

• If you want to remove a tape pool, select one or more tape pools in the list and click Remove.

• To modify the tape pool, remove the entry and add a new tape pool. See “Adding tape pools” on

page 486 for more information.

Tape pools overview

Tape cartridges and volumes may be organized into a tape pool (a collection of tape media). The

same data encryption keys are used for all cartridges and volumes in the pool. Tape pools are used

by backup application programs to group all the tape volumes used in a single backup or in a

backup plan. The tape pool name or number used must be the same name or number used by the

host backup application. If the same tape pool name or number is configured for an encryption

group, tapes in that tape pool are encrypted according to the tape pool settings instead of the tape

LUN settings.

Encryption switches and encryption blades support tape encryption at the tape pool level (for most

backup applications) and at the LUN (tape drive) level. Since Tape Pool policies override the LUN

(tape drive) policies, the LUN pool policies are used only if no tape pools exist, or if the tape

media/volume does not belong to any configured tape pools.

All encryption engines in the encryption group share the tape pool definitions. Tapes can be

encrypted by an encryption engine, where the container for the tape target LUN is hosted. The tape

media is mounted on the tape target LUN.

Tape pool definitions are not needed to read a tape. Tape pool definitions are only used when

writing to tape.