HP StoreEver MSL2024, MSL4048, MSL8048, and MSL8096 Tape Libraries User and Service Guide (AK378-96059, December 2012)

Any of the four drive cable ends can be used for any of the tape drives. If you use a different cable,
verify that the mini-SAS connectors on the tape drive end are keyed for location 4.
CAUTION: High quality SAS cables rated at the transfer rate of the SAS components are required.
Always verify that the SAS cable you are using is rated for the data transfer speed of the interface
of your components. SAS cables described as "equalized" may not support 6 Gb/s data rates
and should not be used with LTO-5 tape drives unless these cables are verified for 6 Gb/s data
rates. For optimum performance, only use HP cables of the length specified as qualified for your
products.
For more information about SAS, see “About SAS” (page 41).
LTO-4 and later generation tape drives and encryption
The LTO-4 and later generation tape drives include hardware capable of encrypting data while
writing data, and decrypting data when reading. Hardware encryption can be used with or without
compression while maintaining the full speed and capacity of the tape drive and media.
Encryption is the process of changing data into a form that cannot be read until it is deciphered
with the key used to encrypt the data, protecting the data from unauthorized access and use. LTO
tape drives use the 256-bit version of the industry-standard AES encrypting algorithm to protect
your data.
To make use of this feature you need:
• The HP 1/8 G2 & MSL Encryption Kit or a backup application that supports hardware
encryption.
• LTO-4 or later generation media; no encryption will be performed when writing LTO-3 and
earlier generations of tape.
Table 9 Backward read compatibility
LTO-6 driveLTO-5 driveLTO-4 drive
IncompatibleIncompatibleIncompatibleLTO-1 media
IncompatibleIncompatibleRead onlyLTO-2 media
IncompatibleRead onlyRead/Write (no encryption)LTO-3 media
Read onlyRead/WriteRead/WriteLTO-4 media — unencrypted
Read only with encryption
key
Read/Write with
encryption key
Read/Write with
encryption key
LTO-4 media — encrypted
Read onlyRead/WriteIncompatibleLTO-5 media — unencrypted
Read/Write with encryption
key
Read/Write with
encryption key
IncompatibleLTO-5 media — encrypted
Read/WriteIncompatibleIncompatibleLTO-6 media — unencrypted
Read/Write with encryption
key
IncompatibleIncompatibleLTO-6 media — encrypted
Your company policy will determine when you need to use encryption. For example, it may be
mandatory for company confidential and financial data, but not for personal data. Company policy
will also define how encryption keys should be generated and managed. Backup applications that
support encryption will generate a key for you or allow you to enter a key manually.
Using the Encryption Kit
The encryption kit includes two USB key server tokens. One key server token is available for use
as a backup for the other. Alternatively, you can save the encryption keys to a file and store that
file in a safe location.
LTO-4 and later generation tape drives and encryption 17