2 Virtual Tape Devices
In this chapter:
• Overview
• Emulation types
• Creating and configuring Virtual Tape Devices
• VTL devices on an Ethernet network
• VTL devices on Fibre Channel
Overview
Virtual Tape Devices are backup targets on the HP StoreOnce Backup System to which the backup
application on the hosts write data. They appear to the host as a locally-attached physical tape
library or autoloader, but physically, they use disk space on the HP StoreOnce Backup System
which, as in tape terminology, is referred to as slots or cartridges.
Each storage slot contains a cartridge. The difference between an autoloader and a library is that
a library can support multiple tape drives whereas an autoloader only has one tape drive. Libraries
provide considerable storage capacity and full support for tape rotation strategies. (It may be
necessary to upgrade your backup application to support libraries.)
Emulation types
The HP D2D Backup System supports a wide range of library and drive emulation types. The
options available vary according to the HP D2D Backup System model. If the emulation type is not
in the dropdown list on the Devices page of the Web Management Interface, it is not supported
on your model. For example, HP D2D2500 Series do not support the ESL-e and EML-e Library
emulation types.
• D2DBS Generic Library: This is a tape library device which allows you to configure many
drives per library and many cartridges per library
G2 products
◦ HP D2D2502/2504: up to 16 (HP D2D2502) and 32 (HP D2D2504) drives per library
and up to 96 cartridges per library
◦ HP D2D4106/4112: up to 64 (HP D2D4106) and 96 (HP D2D4112) drives per library
and up to 1024 cartridges per library
◦ HP D2D4312 and HP D2D4324: up to 200 drives per library and up to 4096 cartridges
per library
Discontinued G1 products
◦ HP D2D2503: one drive per library and up to 48 cartridges per library
◦ HP D2D2502/2504: up to four drives per library and up to 48 cartridges per library
◦ HP D2D4004/4009: up to four drives per library and up to 96 cartridges per library
◦ HP D2D4112: up to four drives per library and up to 144 cartridges per library
If it is supported by your backup application, this is the preferred emulation type to be used
because it does not emulate any physical library types in existence and is, therefore, clearly
identifiable as a D2D device. It is the most flexible emulation type available; however, backup
application support varies by software vendor.
If you have selected D2DBS Generic for the Library Emulation Type, you will be able to select
Ultrium VT for the drive emulation. This is a generic Ultrium device which is clearly identifiable
Overview 7