HP Library and Tape Tools WebGUI and LTT Service User Guide Product version: 5.1 Abstract HP Library and Tape Tools (L&TT) is a comprehensive application that provides functions for identifying, testing, updating, and troubleshooting a wide variety of data storage hardware and media.
© Copyright 2013 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Hewlett-Packard Company makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Hewlett-Packard shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
Contents 1 Introduction...............................................................................................7 What’s new in L&TT 5.1.............................................................................................................8 Comparison with L&TT 4.x.........................................................................................................8 Software features...............................................................................................................
LTO Cooling Check test.......................................................................................................41 LTO Media Assessment test..................................................................................................41 LTO Stuck Tape test............................................................................................................43 LTO Encryption test.............................................................................................................
Drive usage.......................................................................................................................85 Drive history......................................................................................................................86 Cartridge identity...............................................................................................................87 Cartridge health.................................................................................................
If the LTT Service is not responding message is reported multiple times....................................105 Troubleshooting devices.........................................................................................................106 Using L&TT to troubleshoot tape devices..............................................................................106 Are you performing regular maintenance?......................................................................106 Is the drive connected properly?...
1 Introduction HP Library and Tape Tools (L&TT) is a collection of storage hardware management and diagnostic tools for HP tape mechanisms, tape automation, magneto-optical and archival products. L&TT assembles these tools into a single, convenient program. LTT 5.x is a new architecture that combines the diagnostics functionality of L&TT 4.x with the monitoring capability of TapeAssure, and that can be installed in different configurations to offer flexible usage models all accessed through a web based GUI.
What’s new in L&TT 5.1 • The installation process is much easier. Single server — When the LTT Service and WebGUI are installed on the same server, both components will configure automatically. The WebGUI will automatically register with the LTT Service and the LTT Service will automatically configure to send monitoring data to the WebGUI. This applies to all WebGUIs that register, even when there are multiple registered WebGUIs receiving data from the LTT Service.
Table 1 Differences between L&TT 4.x and 5.x Characteristic L&TT 5.x L&TT 4.x Architecture LTT 5.x has two components; the LTT Service which runs on the server for the device and the WebGUI which runs on any Windows system that can talk to the LTT Service (including the same server). LTT 4.x is a single application which must run on the device server.
• There is no get files from web assistance for locating firmware files in L&TT 5.1. This means that you must download the firmware for your drive from the hp.com support website. • LTT 5.1 is unable to show advisories. • L&TT 5.1 cannot run tests on a library and its drives together. • L&TT 5.1 requires that a suitable library device driver is installed on the server hosting the library. Without the driver, L&TT can only access the drives.
Command View TL The L&TT WebGUI and Command View TL can coexist on the same server but must be run in separate browsers. Finding additional information The HP website provides the current version of L&TT for download, and general information about the tool. Access the website at: http://www.hp.
2 Installing L&TT Installation process overview 1. Download and install the LTT Service on all the Windows device servers. This might require a reboot of the server running the LTT Service. If a reboot of the device server is requested after installing the LTT Service but that is not practical at the time you can still download and install LTT 4.x to run diagnostics. The device server can be rebooted at a later time when it is more convenient enabling the monitoring and remote diagnostics at that time.
Ports used on the server running the LTT Service On the backup server, open: • 8999 to receive requests from the WebGUI Ports used on the computer running the WebGUI On the user interface computer, open: • 6000 — 6010 to receive test updates from the LTT Service • 8200 — 8210 to receive TapeAssure tickets from the LTT Service Installing the LTT Service The L&TT diagnostic functionality is provided by the LTT Service.
6. Optional: Configure the service’s monitoring functionality by modifying the config\ sta_service.cfg file in the installation directory. NOTE: In L&TT 5.1 the addresses of the WebGUIs are automatically configured during registration and are available in the config\RegisteredUsers.txt file in the installation directory. a. b. In environments containing both tape libraries and standalone tape drives, use the Command View TL management station to manage the standalone drives and library drives.
• MAX_TICKET_STORE The maximum disk space allocated for local ticket storage (in MB) before being sent to the management station. Defaults to 100 MB, must be at least 10 MB. Changes to this parameter are dynamic and will take effect immediately. • MANAGEMENT_STATION_IP The IP address of the Command View TL management station receiving monitoring data. Can be an IPv4 or IPv6 address, or domain name. Changes to this parameter are dynamic and will take effect immediately.
NOTE: Disabling monitoring through the configuration file will stop the service from pulling any further support tickets from that drive. However, any pending tickets for that drive to be sent to the management station. NOTE: The LTT Service does not pull TapeAssure tickets from drives in libraries; these tickets are pulled by the libraries themselves. Tickets pulled by libraries must be sent to CommandView TL rather than to the LTT Service.
Upgrading from L&TT 5.0 To upgrade from L&TT 5.0 to L&TT 5.1, follow the installation process. The software will be updated and all database information, including TapeAssure data, LTT Service registrations, and device information will be retained. Installation prerequisites Download link http://www.hp.com/support/tapetools Install time (typical) 10 - 15 minutes Software dependencies The WebGUI requires a web browser with Adobe Flash. When using Mozilla Firefox, set dom.
Configuring Firefox for use with the WebGUI 1. Open Mozilla Firefox, type about:config in the address bar, and press Enter. The browser will display a warning message. Accept the warning. 2. 3. The browser will display a list of settings that can be modified. Type dom in the search field and press Enter. If dom.allow_scripts_to_close_windows is set to false, double-click it to set the value to true.
3 Using the L&TT WebGUI Starting the L&TT WebGUI Start the L&TT WebGUI from the desktop shortcut or from the Windows start menu by selecting Library and Tape Tools WebGUI. The GUI will start in a new browser window. Navigating the L&TT WebGUI Most windows are divided vertically into two panels. The left panel contains a list showing a hierarchical structure. The right panel displays additional information about items selected in the left panel. Some panels show data in columns.
Figure 3 All LTT Service Hosts window Automatic discovery of service host When the LTT Service and WebGUI are installed on the same server, the WebGUI will automatically discover the LTT Service and add a localhost entry. The LTT Service must be installed first for the WebGUI to discover it, otherwise it will needed to be added. Adding a service host You must add a service host for diagnostic access to devices on that host and the LTT Service must be running on that host.
2. In the toolbar, double-click the host name in the host list, or select Actions→Run Diagnostics or click the Run Diagnostics button. Either a new browser tab or window will display a list of devices attached to the selected service host, depending on your browser configuration. The WebGUI is easier to use if new windows open in tabs by default. For instructions on configuring your browser, see the browser documentation.
• Write Protected • Barcode • TapeAssure cartridge write health summary — Assessment of the cartridge’s health based on recent write operations. To see a list of cartridges compatible with the drive, click Drive/Cartridge Compatibility Information. Using the Support Ticket screen In the event of a hardware problem, a support ticket can provide vital information to help diagnose and resolve the problem.
Figure 6 Sending a support ticket by e-mail To send the support ticket via e-mail: NOTE: The e-mail server must be configured before support tickets can be sent via e-mail. For instructions on configuring the e-mail server, see “Configuring the e-mail server” (page 25). 1. 2. 3. 4. In the Action pane, select Email. When sending the support ticket to HP support, enter the support case number and check the box. Enter the e-mail address. Optionally include comments.
Figure 7 Test/Utility screen For information about the available tests and utilities, see “Tests and utilities” (page 27). To run a test or utility: 1. In the Test/Utility pane, select Run a Test or Run a Utility. 2. Select the device. CAUTION: Running tests can be destructive to data if a backup operation is in progress. Verify that all backup services are stopped before running tests. 3. 4. 5. Select the test group to run. Click Options and enter any necessary options. Click Start.
Figure 8 Firmware screen To update firmware: 1. Download the firmware file for your device from the HP website and place it on your local computer. 2. In the Firmware pane, check the device. 3. Click From local machine and browse to the location of the downloaded file on your local computer. 4. Click Start Update. To e-mail firmware update results: NOTE: The e-mail server must be configured before support tickets can be sent via e-mail.
1. On the main screen in the left navigation pane, click Configuration. The Email Configuration screen appears. 2. 3. 4. 26 Enter the address of the SMTP server. Enter the address for the e-mail message’s reply to field. This address will be displayed as the “from” address of the e-mail messages from L&TT. Click Save.
4 Tests and utilities Diagnostic tests CAUTION: Some tests are destructive to data on the media. When a test is destructive to data, this is indicated in the test description. To prevent data loss, use media that is either new or that contains unimportant data that can be erased. Do not attempt to perform a test unless you are thoroughly familiar with its usage, or have been instructed to do so by HP support personnel. NOTE: L&TT tests are constantly updated to improve test coverage and problem diagnosis.
• Performs an unload/load cycle, checking for any mechanical issues • Writes two wraps of data using varying tape speeds in both directions measuring write and read-while-write margin NOTE: If the drive to be tested in part of an autoloader or library, the autoloader or library should be in random mode prior to running the test.
Error rate tests The error rate tests are a series of short tests at a variety of tape speeds in both directions. A typical test will perform 60–70 individual error rate tests and each one will check error rate margin, variations across all the heads, and accuracy following tracks.
The error rate tests for each direction cover different parts of the tape and are run at different speeds, as shown in “Multiple tests run in each direction” (page 30). This allows the test to characterize the drive for each direction, testing each set of heads. Figure 11 Multiple tests run in each direction The pass/fail criteria are the same as for the support ticket — the drive must be able to write high quality data using no more than 20% additional tape to do so.
• Amount of data written compared to the amount attempted. • Amount of tape used to write the data. • Channel variation — a percentage comparison across all the heads (16 or 32 depending on the drive technology) • Channel variation margin — normalizes the channel variation to between 0% and 100% such that greater than 0% is acceptable (a pass) and 100% is no variation at all. • Offtrack count — the number of times the drive had to react to a track following issue.
Description Tests the hardware compression capability of your tape drive. The test writes a data pattern of known compressibility to tape. The test then rewinds the tape and reads the file just written. The read and write hardware compression ratios are calculated to ascertain that the hardware compression is working. The compression ratios are displayed and should be approximately 2:1. Anything less than 2:1 means that hardware compression is not working.
Device Self-Test Description This test executes the internal self-test of the device and reports any failures. This test is useful in confirming that the device itself is operating properly. Not all devices support an internal self-test. Command line syntax Test name: Device Self Test Options: • Looping Options—Specify Count based loop or Time based loop(min). In either case, the actual value is entered separately using the Looping value parameter.
Using the Library Exerciser test There are two versions of the Library Exerciser test depending on the model of the library or autoloader being tested. The latest version of the Library Exerciser test is used on the MSL2024, MSL4048, MSL8048, MSL8096, EML, ESL 9000, and MSL 5000/6000 libraries, and the 1/8 G2 tape autoloader. Other library models use a previous version of the Library Exerciser test (see “Using the original version” (page 35)).
Using the original version The Library Exerciser test takes a test cartridge from a mail slot and performs random slot-to-slot moves. The test then moves the test cartridge into every available drive and performs a short drive test. This test is intended to exercise the robotics and robot drive hardware. NOTE: Not all libraries are supported by the Library Exerciser test. If the test is not displayed in the list of tests, then the selected device is not supported.
• • Cartridge Load Test— Specify one of the following options for the Cartridge Load test: ◦ Off (default) ◦ Single drive ◦ Multiple drives ◦ All drives CM Integrity Mode—Specify whether to enable the CM integrity check option for LTO drives. The default setting is on. Library Quick Check test Description The Library Quick Check test performs a quick check of both the library and installed tape drives for both VLS/D2D and real libraries.
Options • Allow overwrite (default FALSE) — This test option must be set to True before the test will run. • Starting slot for locating test tapes (default 0) — The test looks for test tapes starting with the specified slot. If the end of the slot range is reached before finding the required test tapes, the test continues looking from slot 0, stopping the search when the starting slot is reached.
Options • Allow overwrite (default: FALSE) — Set to TRUE to enable test options which write to the tape. Specifically, if MB to write is greater than 0 or Run LTO drive assessment test is TRUE, the test will only run if Allow overwrite is also true. • Starting slot (defaults to 1) — Specifies the number of the slot where the test will start checking for compatible tapes. NOTE: Slot and drive numbering is one-based (the first slot is 1), which is consistent with L&TT.
◦ the test tape will be written during the assessment test. The choices are Default and Entire tape. NOTE: If Run LTO drive assessment test is TRUE and Drive type is not LTO, the test will exit. • Continue on drive errors (default: TRUE) — Specifies whether the test should continue when an unexpected drive error occurs. This check does not include some expected drive errors, such as when a drive reaches EOD before reading the specified amount of data.
labels, and keep correct inventory. The test will fail immediately upon the first robotics error. • No tapes in the selected drives. If there are tapes in any of the selected drives, the test will move the tapes back to their source slots at the beginning of the test. A working library should know the source slots for each tape, as long as the library has not been rebooted or power-cycled since the tape was loaded into the drive.
TIP: To keep log information about a tape that has been discarded from the library, copy or rename the log file before running the Library Read Write test. The test determines which tapes to use based on the test option settings for Starting slot, Number of test tapes, Drive type, Ignore barcode labels, and whether or not the tapes will be written (see Allow overwrite).
Options HP recommends using the default options, which will perform a Read Only (Backup Assessment) test and attempt to read two wraps of data from the tape. Use the Allow Overwrite and Amount of Media to Test options to modify the default behavior of the test. • Allow Overwrite (default False) — To run the Read Only (Backup Assessment) test, set the Allow Overwrite option to False, or leave it unset. To run the Overwrite (Media Assessment) test, set the Allow Overwrite option to True.
LTO Stuck Tape test Description This test tries to determine if the cartridge in the drive is physically stuck, or if it can be unloaded and recovered. When to run Run this test only if you suspect that the cartridge is stuck. Available for Standalone LTO drives only LTO Encryption test Description This test checks that the encryption capabilities of the LTO4 or later generation drive is working correctly.
Options • Test Time Limit — Specify the time limit in minutes. Enter 0 for no time limit. • Data Limit Type — Specify one of the following options to limit the amount of data written/read in each phase: ◦ Time — Limits the amount of data tested based on the time specified in Data Time Limit. ◦ Size — Limits the amount of data tested based on the size specified in Data Size Limit. ◦ Whole tape — Limits the amount of data tested based on the size of the tape.
Performance Test to identify any system bottlenecks. Use a blank tape when performing this test because this test is destructive to data on the tape. The test can also measure tape drive read performance. This test is available for all tape drives. For more information, see “Drive Performance test” (page 45). • The System Performance Test measures the performance of the system on which the LTT Service is running.
You must specify a data type for Step 1, but you can choose not to perform Steps 2 through 4 by selecting No Test (suggested starting value for steps 2 through 4 is No Test). 5. Specify the following additional parameters: • Block Mode—Choose one of the following (suggested starting value is Fixed): ◦ Fixed— The test uses a fixed block size (length) that can be specified in the Block Size menu. ◦ Variable— The test uses a different mode of data transfer.
System Performance test The System Performance Test has two modes: • The Read Performance Test measures the read performance of the disk file system (simulating a backup). The Read Performance Test is read only and safe to run on any part of your file system. • The Write Performance Test measures the write performance of the disk file system (simulating a restore). The Write Performance Test creates data in the specified directory and can also be used to create test data for general backup testing.
NOTE: The gauges in the Disc Capacity section of the screen show the amount of disk space required for the System Performance test using the current settings, and the amount of space available in the indicated file system. If the required space exceeds the available space, the Test Size gauge displays OVERFLOW, and you will be unable to start the test. 4. Click Start to perform the test.
4. Click Start to perform the test. Test results are displayed in the result log in the bottom right-hand corner of the Test/Utilities screen and are available in the WebGUI install directory, C:\Program Files (x86)\ Hewlett-Packard\Library and Tape Tools WebGUI\log and it’s there under LTTOperationLog.log. The log file contains all the previous text results and is a text file that can be viewed in any text editor or sent by e-mail.
Device Configuration test Description This utility lets you configure the drive to enable/disable data compression and to prevent/allow media removal. Options • Enable/Disable Data Compression— Specify enabled or disabled to enable or disable data compression on the drive. Specify leave unchanged to retain the current data compression setting. • Prevent/Allow Media Removal— Specify prevent or allow to prevent or allow media removal from the drive. Specify leave unchanged to retain the current setting.
When to run Run this utility when you want to erase a tape that has been written previously. Average duration Quick erase takes about one minute. Full erase takes from 2 to 4 hours. Secure erase takes between 10 to 25 hours. Other notes Any data on tape will no longer be accessible after this test. The test will not run with a tape that has been partitioned. Available for Ultrium 1 and 2, LTO3, LTO4, LTO5, and LTO6.
5 Using TapeAssure in the L&TT WebGUI The TapeAssure section of the L&TT WebGUI provides a centralized view of health, performance, and utilization data for tape drives and tape cartridges. NOTE: The L&TT WebGUI only provides access to TapeAssure functionality for standalone tape drives. For tape drives in libraries, you can access TapeAssure functionality from Command View TL. See the Command View TL user guide for instructions on using TapeAssure with library drives.
• Read Quality — A measure of the ease with which data was read back from the most recently loaded tape followed by the amount of data read from the tape since it was last loaded. Even if the warning is given, the data will have been read back correctly (unless the drive reported an error) though more error correction was required than recommended. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert If appropriate, maintenance recommendations are made, such as to clean the drive and/or replace the tape.
Viewing drive utilization To access utilization information for a specific drive: 1. In the ALL LTT Service Hosts screen, select the service host associated with the tape drive. 2. In the left panel, click TapeAssure. 3. In the navigation panel under Drives, select Utilization. A list of the tape drives managed by the selected service host appears. The TapeAssure Utilization window lists: • Library SN (or Hostname)—Shows the hostname of the server to which the drive is attached.
Table 3 Viewing Drive Properties (continued) Item Description Serial Number The serial number of the drive. This is a static value and will change if a drive has been replaced. Use the serial number when contacting HP support. Last Loaded Tape The serial number and barcode of the last tape loaded into the drive. Last Sample Time The time at which the last sample was taken. This information remains visible when any tab is selected. 5. Click the Overview tab. The Overview page appears.
Table 4 Information available from the Drive Properties window Overview tab (continued) Item Description is complete but if the backup aborts it is possible that media removal will still be prevented. Refer to HP support documentation for resolution. Negotiated SCSI Burst Rate property 6. The negotiated SCSI data rate. Click the Health tab. The Health page appears. Figure 13 Drive Properties window Health tab Information provided on the Health page is explained in Table 5 (page 56).
Table 5 Information available from the Drive Properties window Health tab (continued) Item Description Read Health A measure of the ease with which data was read back from the most recently loaded tape with the amount of data read from the tape since it was last loaded. Even if the warning is given, the data will have been read back correctly (unless the drive reported an error) but more error correction was required than recommended. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert.
Figure 14 Advanced LTO Drive Properties Environment tab Information provided on the Environment page is explained in Table 6 (page 58). Table 6 Information available from the Drive Properties window Environment tab Item Description Internal Temperature Current Temperature The current temperature reported by the sensor located on the drive controller board. The current temperature value will be significantly higher than ambient temperature but dependent on it, as well as drive usage and air flow.
Table 6 Information available from the Drive Properties window Environment tab (continued) Item Description support. Note that a warning will normally trigger an alert. 8. Click the Performance tab. The Performance page appears. Figure 15 Drive Properties window Performance tab Information provided on the Performance page is explained in Table 7 (page 59).
9. Click the Usage tab. The Usage page appears. Figure 16 Drive Properties window Usage tab Information provided on the Usage page is explained in Table 8 (page 60). Table 8 Information available from the Drive Properties window Usage tab Item Description Usage Statistics 60 Power On Time Total power on time of the drive since it was manufactured. Tape Pulled Total tape pulled through the drive expressed in terms of the equivalent number of full volume writes or reads.
10. Click the Last Loaded Tape tab. The Last Loaded Tape page appears. Figure 17 Drive Properties window Last Loaded Tape tab Information provided on the Last Loaded Tape page is explained in Table 9 (page 62).
Table 9 Information available from the Drive Properties window Last Loaded Tape tab Item Description Identity Barcode The reference defined within the user environment to identify the cartridge. This is the most useful reference for normal use as it should be visible within the application and is usually found on a printed label on the front of the cartridge. It is different from the cartridge serial number, which is defined at manufacture and used by HP support.
Table 9 Information available from the Drive Properties window Last Loaded Tape tab (continued) Item Description An estimate of the percentage or remaining load/unload life of the cartridge based on the number of loads/unloads compared with HP recommendation. When this figure reaches 0%, the cartridge should be retired. Usage Native Capacity The maximum capacity of the tape. Native Capacity Used The amount of data stored on the tape.
4. • Partitioned—Indicates whether the cartridge has been partitioned or not. • Partition 0 Native Capacity (Free/Total)— The maximum capacity of partition 0 of the tape. • Partition 1 Native Capacity (Free/Total)—The maximum capacity of partition 1 of the tape. • Encrypted Data—Indicates whether the cartridge contains encrypted data or not. • WORM—Indicates whether this is a WORM cartridge—Write Once Read Many. Data written to these cartridges cannot be overwritten or erased.
At the top of the dialog box, above the tabs, the following information appears: Table 10 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties dialog box Item Description Tape identification Identifies the tape cartridge ID and media format. Health The current status of the drive. Cartridge ID Identifies the tape by serial number and barcode. Media Format Identifies the data format supported by the tape. Last Used Drive Identifies the most recent drive in which the tape was used.
Table 11 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Overview tab (continued) Item Description Vendor The manufacturer of the cartridge. Capacity The maximum capacity of the tape. Configuration 8. Encrypted Data Indicates whether the cartridge contains encrypted data or not. WORM Indicates whether this is a WORM cartridge—Write Once Read Many. Data written to these cartridges cannot be overwritten or erased.
Table 12 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Health tab (continued) Item Description Read/Write Life An assessment of whether the cartridge read/write life remaining is within specification followed by an estimate of the remaining cartridge read/write life. Based on the amount of tape pulled over drive heads compared with HP recommended tape life (normally expressed in terms of 'full volume equivalents' which is the volume of data needed to completely fill a tape).
Table 13 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Performance tab (continued) Item Description Read Compression Ratio The average read compression ratio of the data read from tape since the last load. Last Sample Time The time at which the last sample was taken. 10. Click the Usage tab to view the following information about the selected tape.
Table 14 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Usage tab (continued) Item Description be retired at the next maintenance period. HP recommends HP media for increased load/unload life. An estimate of the percentage of remaining read/write life of the cartridge. Based on the amount of tape pulled over drive heads compared with HP recommended tape life (normally expressed in terms of full volume equivalents,which is the volume of data needed to completely fill a tape).
Table 15 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Last Used Drive tab (continued) Item Description Data Compression Usually set by the backup application. If enabled, the drive will perform hardware data compression. Refer to the backup application to configure data compression for backups. Media Removal (application controller) Usually set by the backup application. If prevented then the tape cannot be removed from the drive.
Table 15 Information available from the LTO Tape Properties window Last Used Drive tab (continued) Item Description was in the drive for the first hour of that time then the tape loaded percent will be 25%. Use this for measuring utilization of the drive from the application standpoint. Duty Cycles Duty cycle of the drive since the last tape load. This is a comparison of the time the drive has been active with the time since the last tape load expressed as a percentage.
• Load/Unload Life (%Life Remaining)—Remaining Load/Unload life of the cartridge as a percentage of its recommended life. • Max Internal Temperature—Maximum temperature encountered by the cartridge during its lifetime (while in a drive). • Effective Capacity—A measure of the amount of tape used to write high quality data to the tape over its lifetime.
Viewing information about the cleaning tapes Information about cleaning tapes is compiled and reported by TapeAssure. To access the cleaning tapes information or to change the status of a cleaning tape, in the navigation panel, under Cleaning Tapes, select Life. The Life screen lists all cleaning tapes, and the following information: • Tape Status—Indicates whether the tape is Available or Retired. • Barcode—The external barcode on the cleaning tape cartridge.
6 Using support tickets In the event of a hardware problem, a support ticket can provide vital information to help diagnose and resolve the problem. Much of the information stored within a device related to operational characteristics is used by various L&TT tests to analyze the health of the device. However, not all information can be used in this automated fashion. Some information requires review by qualified HP personnel to fully diagnose the situation.
Viewing a support ticket After a support ticket is generated, click the View button. The ticket will be displayed as another tab. Click the “+” and “–” signs to expand and collapse sections of the support ticket. Use the standard navigation keys (Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, and the arrow keys), the Windows scroll bars, and the mouse to navigate through the document.
Saving a support ticket Use this feature to save the support ticket that was just generated or selected. Use this feature to make a local copy to view with L&TT 4.x or send to HP support from your email program. To save a support ticket. 1. In the Action pane, select Save as and then click Browse. 2. Navigate to the location where you would like to save the ticket and then click Save.
Common information reported for all products NOTE: For standalone devices, HP recommends that you generate a support ticket when the drive still contains the media with which the drive may have failed. This allows error rate and other information relevant to that cartridge to be examined. When media is removed, many products automatically clear this information.
• A drop of margin over time—Rapid drops can indicate contamination. • Tapes nearing the end of their working life—Older tapes are less reliable and may need to be replaced. • Drives nearing the end of their normal working life—This is unlikely because the estimated lifespan of HP drives is very high. Device-specific report analysis This section explains device-specific report data. Currently, the report format is only available for LTO drives and media.
compression setting of the drive, and whether the backup application has prevented media removal. • In the Interface section, verify that the negotiated burst rate is as expected. This value should match the data shown for the interface controller in the Drive Identity section (the name of the controller generally indicates the maximum speed that the interface can handle). Environment This section shows temperature data for the drive. Verify that all temperatures shown are within normal limits.
The last used wrap usually displays partially written. Only fully written wraps can be measured for margin. To the right of the margin indicator for each wrap is a text-based bar chart that graphically shows the margin rating. The zero in the middle represents 0% margin, and the carat (^) represents the actual margin of the wrap. This is helpful to visualize margin across the tape if a bad area covers more than one wrap.
• Information ( • Note ( ) – the system is still operational but corrective/maintenance action is advised. • Error ( ) – there is a problem that needs attention. The system may not be operational. ) – something to be aware of but no action is needed. You can see what L&TT is trying to tell you very quickly by following the highlights – for example, keep clicking on the hierarchy until the line with the highlight is fully expanded.
NOTE: More system information is available in pulled from Windows systems than non-Windows systems. Reading LTO drive support tickets When you click the sub-ticket under 'Tape Drive at address (xxx)', LTO parses and processes the detailed drive data. At this point, the high level categories of drive data are shown with data from the drive organized in the appropriate category rather than as a raw log dump. (The raw log dump is available under the ‘classic ticket’ section with ‘everything’ detail level).
Figure 21 Support ticket Drive health section • Device Analysis - These are the ‘rules’ which are run against the drive logs and highlight any concerns and recommend actions. L&TT typically tests over 20 rules and 130 subrules, covering everything from firmware version to read/write health to host polling. Some notes and errors are not currently covered in the rules so also check the notes and errors elsewhere in the ticket.
When troubleshooting, check for: • Any output from the device analysis rules. This should be the first place to look. • Any highlighted items. Drive configuration The Drive Configuration section shows how the drive was configured at the time the ticket was pulled, along with the interface configuration, depending on the interface type.
• The margin assessment, rather than the reported temperature • Over temperature (or under) will be highlighted Drive performance The Drive Performance section shows performance-related measurements for the drive base on the current and up to four previous tapes. Figure 24 Support ticket Drive Performance section • Estimated native data rate – this is the rate after compression and so should be compared with the native data rate of the drive (which is shown in this section) rather than the host rate.
Figure 25 Support ticket Drive Usage section • Tape Pulled – expressed in full volume equivalents (FVEs), which is the equivalent of writing to or reading from a full tape once. A full volume write followed by a read will give two full volume equivalents. • Duty cycle – the average duty cycle over the life of the drive. This value cannot be reset. For more dynamic duty cycle reporting use TapeAssure. • Native data volume – this is the amount of data after compression read or written to tape.
• Drive assessment test history – records the results of the last two drive assessment tests. Recent failures are highlighted. • Device analysis history – records previous device analysis rules that have triggered. Rules are considered transient so they are not reported continuously once a failure has occurred so this log is used to see if anything had triggered in the past.
• Write protected. Not an issue if set, but may cause backups to fail. • (EOD) Validity – can also show backup in progress, if the ticket was pulled during a backup (or the cartridge memory didn’t update correctly). This will be highlighted if not set to valid. Cartridge environment The Cartridge Environment section shows the temperature margins for the tape for the recent drives it was loaded in.
Figure 32 Support ticket Cartridge Usage section Cartridge history The Cartridge History section shows anything specific for this tape that was identified from the history logs of the drive. The section is still in development and not fully populated. Classic support ticket The Classic Support Ticket section is the original, basic decode of the support ticket before the above categories were introduced.
7 Frequently asked questions This chapter addresses several of the most common questions regarding L&TT software.
NOTE: You must be connected to the Internet to view these links. NOTE: The recommended media for each type of drive is its native media. To access the One Stop Compatibility chart for media, see http://www.hp.com/go/storagemedia. For device-specific information about media and cleaning cartridge compatibility for LTO drives, see http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.
How do I check if my drive is OK? • Quick check—Generate a support ticket for the drive and look at the device analysis section. This section examines the logs within the drive and gives an assessment of health along with appropriate recommendations. If you are still uncertain, run the Drive Assessment test. For more information on support tickets, see “Using support tickets” (page 74). • Fifteen minute check—Run the Drive Assessment test with a known, good (preferably new) tape.
How fast will my backups be? To determine backup performance, you must measure how fast the system reads from the disk subsystem and writes to tape. Backup performance is no faster than the slowest of these two measurements. • Use the System Performance Backup Pre-test to measure the speed of the disk subsystem. See “Performing the System Performance Backup Pre-Test” (page 48). • Use the Drive Performance test to measure the speed of the tape drive. See “Drive Performance test” (page 45).
Will TapeAssure disrupt backups? 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.
Is there a non-English version of L&TT? • Neither the LTT Service nor the WebGUI are localized and there are no plans to do so at the current time. • If you have a localization request please get in touch through the contact e-mail address. If we receive sufficient requests we will consider supporting that in a future release.
8 Troubleshooting Troubleshooting the WebGUI The L&TT WebGUI is a web-based client for the LTT Service and stores the data it needs in a database, which runs as a background service. If you run into any difficulty with the operation of the WebGUI it is safe to exit the browser tabs or the browser window and try again. No configuration data is lost during a restart. If you believe that you have encountered a software issue with the L&TT program itself, send an e-mail to LTT.team@hp.com.
Troubleshooting the LTT Service The LTT Service requires the following processes to be working: • Drive discovery • Ticket pulling via the filter driver • Sending tickets to Command View TL • Receiving, accepting, and processing tickets into the Command View TL database • Presenting the TapeAssure data via the Command View TL GUI The following checks guide you through a full verification of these processes, enabling you to diagnose issues. HP recommends that you follow them in the order listed.
4. Verify that the drives to be monitored are LTO3 or a later generation. NOTE: There is no workaround for incompatible hardware. Check the filter driver installation 1. Verify that the filter driver system file, hptapefltr.sys, is listed in the Windows driver directory: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\hptapefltr.
2. Use Windows Device Manager to verify that the filter driver is listed for each drive being monitored. Right click the drive that you want to check to display the properties of that drive. Click the Driver tab to display the Driver properties. Click the Driver Details button to display the location of the driver files.
Check that the LTT Service is running Use the Windows Computer Management application to verify that the LTT Service is running. The LTT Service should be configured to start automatically. NOTE: If the service is not shown at all re-install the LTT Service and reboot the server. Open Windows Task Manager to check that the process hp_taserv.exe is running. If it is not running, start or restart the service..
Verify TapeAssure drive discovery This procedure will allow you to check log files to verify that TapeAssure has discovered the drives in your system. 1. When TapeAssure discovers drives, it creates a folder for each drive in the logs\tktstorage folder under the installation folder. Navigate to the \logs\tkstorage folder to check that a folder exists for each drive serial number. 2.
5. Once TapeAssure discovers the drives, it will pull a single ticket from each one. Check the monitored_drivelist.txt summary file in the logs folder under the install directory to verify that at least one ticket has been pulled from each drive. Check the configuration file The configuration file controls when tickets are pulled and where they are sent. For a full description, see “Setting service configurations” (page 14).
NOTE: The management station IP address is also referenced in this log entry and so can be checked. Any issues with pulling and/or sending tickets are detailed in the log file. In this example the port number for the management station is incorrect. The errors refer to a gSOAP call, which is the protocol used for sending the tickets. In this example too much disk space has been consumed by tickets and/or log files compared with that allocated in the configuration file.
If tickets are not sent successfully, they remain in the logs/tktstorage folder for their respective drive. Once the issue is resolved (such as the correct IP address and port are configured for the management station) then any tickets in these folders will be re-sent to Command View TL. These folders are normally empty though you may see tickets appear for up to five minutes as they are pulled, stored, and sent to Command View TL.
If a ticket is rejected, it is recorded in the da.log file (Device Analysis) which is found in the log folder in the Command View TL or L&TT WebGUI install directory: C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Command View TL\log C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\Library aand Tape Tools WebGUI\log for LTT WebGUI\log The fields that are incomplete or corrupt are listed in the log entry, which might help isolate the root cause of the problem.
If this happens, first restart the LTT Service. If it continues to happen, reboot the drive or library. Troubleshooting devices Using L&TT to troubleshoot tape devices HP requests that customers perform diagnostics on their drive before requesting a replacement. This section tells you how, why and when to run these diagnostics so that you can identify and potentially fix your problems without the need to contact HP support.
If the problem persists, run the Assessment test for your drive. If the drive passes the Assessment test, you should look elsewhere for the problem. If the drive fails, the test might provide enough information to help you resolve the problem. Otherwise, contact HP support. See “Assessment test” (page 27). Is the drive working as expected? If you suspect that your drive is not working properly, run the Assessment test for your drive.
Known issues • Device access issues (RSM on Windows) • Poor performance on Windows 2003 Server systems with EBS installations Device access issues (RSM on Windows) On many operating systems, most backup applications require exclusive access to tape devices to avoid interference between multiple processes accessing the same device.
If you find symptoms and issues that aren't included in the guide, use the feedback button at the bottom of the FireFly screen to send the information to HP. We appreciate your feedback and used to continually update and improve the utility. Troubleshooting third-party software If a backup application reports that a backup failed and you suspect that the problem lies with the tape device or media, follow the troubleshooting procedures outlined in “Using L&TT to troubleshoot tape devices” (page 106).
9 Support and other resources Getting support E-mail support is available from ltt.team@hp.com. You can expect a response within 24 hours (usually sooner) during a normal business week. Use this address to obtain support for L&TT to report bugs, provide feedback on this manual, report any issues with the L&TT website, or offer enhancement suggestions. HP appreciates feedback on how to improve future versions of L&TT. NOTE: This address is intended to provide support for L&TT software.
Table 17 Document conventions (continued) Convention Element Bold text • Keys that are pressed • Text typed into a GUI element, such as a box • GUI elements that are clicked or selected, such as menu and list items, buttons, tabs, and check boxes Italic text Text emphasis Monospace text • File and directory names • System output • Code • Commands, their arguments, and argument values Monospace, italic text • Code variables • Command variables Monospace, bold text WARNING! CAUTION: IMPORTANT: NOTE
A Supported operating systems and devices Table 18 Operating system support Operating system WebGUI supported? LTT Service supported? Windows XP Professional SP3 x86 Yes No Windows Server 2003 x64, x86 Yes Yes Windows Server 2003 IA64 No Yes Windows Server 2008 x64, x86 Yes Yes Windows Server 2008 IA64 No Yes Windows 2008 R2 x64 Yes Yes Windows 2008 R2 IA64 No Yes Windows 2012 x64 Yes No Windows Vista SP2 x86 Yes No Windows Vista SP2 x64 Yes Yes Windows 7 SP1 x86 Yes No W
Index backup determining success, 92 browser requirements, 112 buttons WebGUI, 19 documentation providing feedback, 110 drive drive properties environment tab in TapeAssure, 58 drive properties health tab in TapeAssure, 56 drive properties last loaded tape tab in TapeAssure, 61 drive properties performance tab in TapeAssure, 59 drive properties usage tab in TapeAssure, 60 drive cleaning requirements, 91 drive firmware verifying, 91 drive performance test, 45 drive serial number finding, 91 C E cartridg
WebGUI, 17 installing LTT Service, 13 O K P known issues drive access, 108 performance, 108 ports backup server, 13 GUI computer, 13 required, 12 prerequisites WebGUI, 17 L L&TT features, 10 supported operating systems, 10 supported products, 10 L&TT 4.
viewing, 22, 75 viewing L&TT 4.
