IBM VXA-2 - Tape Drive - VXAtape User manual

xSeries Server
VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive
User’s Guide
Important:
Please review the maintenance information in “Using cleaning cartridges” on page 3-4
and Appendix A, “Maintaining the tape drive”, on page A-1 as periodic maintenance is
not covered by the IBM warranty. Repairs or exchanges resulting from improper
maintenance or use of unsupported media may result in billable service charges.


xSeries Server
VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive
User’s Guide


Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in
Appendix D, “Warranty information”, on page D-1 and Appendix E, “Notices”, on
page E-1.
First Edition (February 2003)
© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2003. All rights reserved.
US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract
with IBM Corp.

Contents
Safety ...............v
About this book ...........vii
Registering your option ..........vii
Chapter 1. Introduction .......1-1
Software description ...........1-1
Chapter 2. Installation ........2-1
Installation requirements..........2-1
Preparing for installation .........2-1
Setting the SCSI ID and termination ......2-2
Mounting the drive ...........2-3
Attaching the cables ...........2-3
Completing the installation and turning on the
device ................2-4
Updating the configuration .........2-4
Installing backup and restore software .....2-4
Chapter 3. Using the tape drive ....3-1
Front panel LEDs ............3-2
Loading data cartridges ..........3-4
Unloading data cartridges .........3-4
Using cleaning cartridges .........3-4
Setting write protection on the tape cartridge . . . 3-5
Resetting the drive............3-6
Packaging the drive for shipping .......3-6
Appendix A. Maintaining the tape
drive ...............A-1
Types of tape cartridges ..........A-1
Recommendations for data cartridge usage . . . A-2
Data cartridge erasure ..........A-2
Storage and shipping environments ......A-2
Tape cartridge storage .........A-3
Operating in harsh environments ......A-4
Placing the cartridge labels.........A-5
Ordering tape cartridges .........A-5
Appendix B. Product specifications B-1
Data capacities .............B-1
Size and weight ............B-1
Tape drive conditions...........B-2
Tape cartridge conditions .........B-2
Appendix C. Problem solving ....C-1
Appendix D. Warranty information . . D-1
Warranty period ............D-1
Service and support ...........D-1
Warranty information on the World Wide Web D-1
Online technical support ........D-1
Telephone technical support .......D-1
IBM Statement of Limited Warranty Z125-4753-06
8/2000 ...............D-3
Part 1 - General Terms .........D-3
Part 2 - Country-unique Terms ......D-5
Appendix E. Notices ........E-1
Trademarks ..............E-2
Electronic emission notices .........E-2
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
statement ..............E-2
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2003 iii

iv VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive: User’s Guide

Safety
Before installing this product, read the Safety Information.
Antes de instalar este produto, leia as Informações de Segurança.
Pred instalací tohoto produktu si prectete prírucku bezpecnostních instrukcí.
Læs sikkerhedsforskrifterne, før du installerer dette produkt.
Ennen kuin asennat tämän tuotteen, lue turvaohjeet kohdasta Safety Information.
Avant d’installer ce produit, lisez les consignes de sécurité.
Vor der Installation dieses Produkts die Sicherheitshinweise lesen.
Prima di installare questo prodotto, leggere le Informazioni sulla Sicurezza.
Lees voordat u dit product installeert eerst de veiligheidsvoorschriften.
Les sikkerhetsinformasjonen (Safety Information) før du installerer dette produktet.
Antes de instalar este produto, leia as Informações sobre Segurança.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2003 v

Antes de instalar este producto lea la información de seguridad.
Läs säkerhetsinformationen innan du installerar den här produkten.
vi VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive: User’s Guide

About this book
This User’s Guide the provides installation instructions and information required for
ongoing use and maintenance of the IBM
®
VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive. This
manual contains the following information:
Chapter 1, “Introduction” provides an introduction to the VXA-2 Internal Tape
Drive.
Chapter 2, “Installation” provides procedures for installing the tape drive in your
xSeries
™
server.
Chapter 3, “Using the tape drive” provides information on how to use the drive.
This chapter contains information about caring for data cartridges, using cleaning
cartridges, and setting write protection on cartridges.
Appendix A, “Maintaining the tape drive” contains information on maintaining
your tape drive and caring for your storage media.
Appendix B, “Product specifications” provides information on product
specifications and requirements.
Appendix C, “Problem solving” provides solutions to problems that might occur
while using the tape drive.
Appendix D, “Warranty information” provides warranty information.
Appendix E, “Notices” contains trademarks and legal notices.
Note: The illustrations in this manual might differ slightly from your hardware.
Be sure to retain your proof of purchase. It might be required for warranty service.
Registering your option
Thank you for purchasing an IBM xSeries Server option. Please take a few
moments to register your product and provide us with information that will help
IBM to better serve you in the future. Your feedback is valuable to us in
developing products and services that are important to you, as well as in
developing better ways to communicate with you. Register your option on the
http://www.ibm.com/pc/register IBM Web site.
IBM will send you information and updates on your registered product unless you
indicate on the Web site questionnaire that you do not want to receive further
information.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2003 vii

viii VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive: User’s Guide

Chapter 1. Introduction
The IBM VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive is a versatile backup and restore device for
low to mid-range servers. This SCSI tape drive is capable of storing up to 80
gigabytes (GB) of native data on a 230-meter VXA tape. It can transfer data at a
sustained rate of up to 6 megabytes (MB) per second. Both capacity and transfer
rates are further enhanced with its onboard hardware data compression feature.
In addition to this user’s guide, the option package contains:
vIBM VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive
vMounting screws
vBackup application CDs (trial versions)
vCleaning cartridge
vQuick Start Guide
vDevice drivers (on the Documentation CD)
vSCSI cable
Contact your place of purchase if an item is missing or damaged. Be sure to retain
your proof of purchase and packing material. They might be required to receive
warranty service.
Software description
The IBM VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive option package includes trial-version backup
application CDs. These CDs contain popular backup and restore applications for
Microsoft
®
Windows
®
2000, Novell NetWare, and Linux. You can install the
appropriate application for your computer system by following the installation
instructions that come with the CD you select. These trial versions expire after 30
to 90 days, depending on the application you use.
Use the trial period to determine the best application for your specific computer
configuration. For information on purchasing a permanent installation copy of the
Figure 1-1. VXA-2 tape drive
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2003 1-1

desired tape drive backup application, go to the IBM tape drive Web site at
http://www.pc.ibm.com/ww/eserver/xseries/tape.html or follow the instructions
from the CD.
The CDs also contain backup applications that are used with other products but
are not applicable to the VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive. For a current list of supported
tape drive configurations, go to the http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/compat IBM
Server Compatibility Web page, select Tape Backup Units, and search for
″59P6746.″
1-2 VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive: User’s Guide

Chapter 2. Installation
The VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive is compatible with several xSeries servers. For a list
of supported servers go to http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/compat and click on ″Tape
Backup Units.″Refer to the documentation that comes with the server for
instructions on installing the tape drive. If you cannot locate your xSeries server
user manual, follow the instructions in the following sections to install the tape
drive.
Installation requirements
To install the tape drive in your xSeries server, you will need the following:
vA low voltage differential (Ultra2) SCSI host adapter
vDocumentation for your computer, SCSI bus adapter, or external enclosure
vPhillips head and flat blade screwdrivers for the mounting screws, and for
opening your computer
vFlat-nose pliers (optional) to install and remove jumpers
vAn available 5.25-inch half high drive bay
Preparing for installation
To prepare for installation, complete the following procedure:
1. Touch a known grounded surface to discharge static electricity from your body
and ensure that the work area is free from conditions that could cause ESD.
2. Turn off all devices attached to the computer in which you plan to install the
drive, then turn off the computer.
3. Disconnect all power cables.
4. Remove the drive bay’s cover plate according to the system manufacturer’s
instructions.
5. Before opening the static-protective bag containing the tape drive, touch the
bag to an unpainted metal surface on the computer for at least two seconds.
Remove the drive from the static-protective bag. If you must put the drive
down, place the drive on the static-protective bag. Do not touch any exposed
components of the tape drive. Instead, handle it carefully by the edges.
Attention: Tape drives are sensitive to static electricity discharge. The drive is
wrapped in a static-protective bag to prevent damage.
The tape drive complies with industry-standard, 5.25-inch half-high form factor
mounting requirements and can be mounted either horizontally or vertically, but
not upside down. When installing the tape drive, refer to Figure 2-1 on page 2-2 for
the location of the back-panel components.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2003 2-1

Setting the SCSI ID and termination
The drive is shipped with a SCSI ID of 0. If you want to change the default ID,
install the jumpers on the jumper block (3 in Figure 2-1) for the desired ID, as
shown in Figure 2-2. (If necessary, use flat-nose pliers to remove the jumpers.) If
you need an additional jumper, usea2mmjumper.
You can use the connector (1 in Figure 2-1) to enable the terminator power
signal. (The drive is shipped from the factory with termination power disabled.) To
enable termination power, place a jumper across the far right pins on the auxiliary
connector. Make sure the jumper is firmly in place. Be sure to usea2mmjumper.
Note: To protect the drive components if termination power is shorted, the tape
drive includes a self-resetting power fuse.
1 Term power connector 3 SCSI ID jumpers
2 SCSI connector 4 Power connector
Figure 2-1. Back-panel components
Address 0
Address 15
Address 1 Address 8 Address 9
Address 2 Address 3 Address 10 Address 11
Address 4 Address 5 Address 12 Address 13
Address 6 Address 7 Address 14
Figure 2-2. SCSI ID settings
Figure 2-3. Term power enabled
2-2 VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive: User’s Guide

Mounting the drive
Generally, you will mount the tape drive and then attach the SCSI and power
cables. However, if there is insufficient working space to attach the connectors after
mounting the drive, attach the cables first.
Slide the drive into the server bay or external enclosure. Ensure that no cables are
caught or crimped between the drive and the chassis. Using the screws provided
with the tape drive, secure the drive in the drive bay using one of the screw
mounting combinations.
Attention:
To avoid damaging the drive, follow these precautions:
vUse only the M3 x 0.5x4mmPhillips screws provided.
vEnsure that the chassis is not distorted. (Alignment to the horizontal or
vertical plane should not exceed ±10°.)
vEnsure that no objects (screw heads, cables, or adjacent devices) are pressing
against the frame.
vDo not use a combination of the two sets of mounting holes.
vDo not obstruct the drive’s ventilation slots (top and rear).
Attaching the cables
Locate the host system’s internal power cable and connect it to the drive’s power
connector (1 in Figure 2-4). The enclosure’s power cable connector must be an
AMP 1-480424-0 series, or equivalent.
Using the provided SCSI cable, attach the non-terminated end to the host system’s
SCSI adapter and the terminated end to the back of the tape drive (2 in
Figure 2-4).
Attention: To avoid damaging the tape drive, make certain you connect pin 1
on the cable to pin 1 on the drive. Pin 1 is on the right, top row of the connector
pins.
Figure 2-4. Installing the SCSI cable
Chapter 2. Installation 2-3

Completing the installation and turning on the device
Before completing the installation, check your work to ensure that the power and
SCSI connectors are securely attached, and that the cables are properly routed.
Then, power on the host system.
During the tape drive’s power-on self-test, the LEDs scroll sequentially right to left,
then left to right. For more information, see Table 3-1 on page 3-3.
Updating the configuration
For most computers, the configuration-setup utility program automatically
recognizes the new tape drive. However, you might need to provide information
about your system changes after you restart your computer.
Ensure that the appropriate advanced SCSI programming interface (ASPI) device
drivers are installed to support the tape drive. Device drivers are usually provided
with the SCSI adapter.
If your computer does not recognize the tape drive after startup or if you receive
startup errors, run the configuration-setup utility program as described in the
documentation that comes with your computer.
Installing backup and restore software
The tape drive is used for backing up and restoring data. Consequently, to use the
drive, you must install an appropriate backup and restore application for your
computer operating system. Use the instruction below that best fits your situation:
vIf you are using software not included in the option package, follow the
directions that come with your software.
vIf you are using the trial software that comes with the option, insert a trial
application CD into the CD-ROM drive and follow the on-screen installation and
operating instructions.
vIf you are using the hardware installation support that your operating system
provides, and the operating system requests a device driver, insert the
Documentation CD and look in the ″device driver″folder.
2-4 VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive: User’s Guide

Chapter 3. Using the tape drive
This section provides information on using the tape drive. Figure 3-1 shows the
front panel of the tape drive and identifies the components.
1 Ready LED 4 Fault LED
2 Activity LED 5 Eject button
3 Cleaning LED
Figure 3-1. Front view of the tape drive
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2003 3-1

Front panel LEDs
The tape drive contains four LEDs to indicate its operational status, as shown in
Table 3-1 on page 3-3.
3-2 VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive: User’s Guide

Table 3-1. Definition of status light combinations
Operation LED #1 Ready
(green)
LED #2
Activity
(green)
LED #3
Cleaning
(amber)
LED #4 Fault
(amber)
Power-on self-test Flashing Off Off Off
Power On LED Test On for 2.0
seconds
On for 2.0
seconds
On for 2.0
seconds
On for 2.0
seconds
No tape loaded Off Off On
1
/Off Off
Tape loaded, no
activity
On Off On
1
/Off Off
Data or Cleaning
Cartridge loaded,
activity
On Flashing On
1
/Off Off
Cleaning Cartridge
loaded, cleaning
failed
1
Off Off On
1
Off
Tape loading or
unloading
1
Off Flashing On
1
/Off Off
Unrecoverable drive
failure
2
On/Off Off On
1
/Off Flashing
2
Firmware Download Flashing Off On
1
/Off Off
Firmware Update Flashing Flashing On
1
/Off Off
Microcode Download
failure
3
Off Off On
1
/Off Flashing
2
Over Temperature
4
Off Off On
1
/Off On
Notes:
1. A solid amber LED indicates the drive needs cleaning. The drive will continue to
function, but, needs cleaning as soon as possible. A power cycle must not turn off this
indicator.
2. The Fault LED will flash to indicate an unrecoverable error. An unrecoverable error is
an error condition that results in the drive not being able to function unless initiator,
operator, or service intervention is applied. An unrecoverable drive failure is usually
the result of a hardware error condition. One of the following actions will be needed to
clear the flashing Fault LED:
vHard SCSI Reset
vCartridge Eject
vPower Cycle
vRetry Microcode Download
An unrecoverable cartridge (media) failure is usually the result of a defective cartridge,
media, or cartridge state and will require the drive to eject the cartridge (if possible) to
clear the flashing LED.
3. The firmware download failed and the drive is not functional. The drive boot code is in
control and the microcode download should be retried.
4. The Fault LED will be on solid to indicate an over temperature condition.
Chapter 3. Using the tape drive 3-3

Loading data cartridges
The tape drive uses data-quality VXA tape data cartridges, in various lengths,
available from IBM. These cartridges do not require formatting or other media
conditioning before use. See “Data capacities” on page B-1 for the capacities of the
VXA tape cartridges. See “Storage and shipping environments” on page A-2 for
storage guidelines.
Attention: The VXA-2 tape drive only operates with IBM recommended VXA
data cartridges. Do not attempt to use other types of cartridges, or you may
damage the tape drive.
Insert the front of the cartridge through the tape drive door into the loader
mechanism. (The colored write-protect tab on the cartridge should be closest to the
drive’s eject button.) Gently push the cartridge until the drive’s loader mechanism
activates the tape-loading process. The drive will then pull the cartridge the
remaining distance into the drive.
The tape drive loads the tape in approximately 40 seconds, during which time, the
Activity LED flashes green. When the Activity LED is steady green, the tape drive
is ready to begin write and read operations.
Unloading data cartridges
To unload a cartridge, press the eject button. The tape drive completes any
command in process, writes any buffered information to tape, rewinds to the
beginning of the tape, and ejects the cartridge in approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
Using cleaning cartridges
Clean the tape drive whenever the Cleaning LED status light comes on or a
system I/O error related to the device occurs.
Attention: Only use the IBM recommended VXA cleaning cartridges to clean
the tape drive. Use of other than recommended cleaning cartridges can damage
your drive and may void the warranty.
To clean the tape drive:
1. Make sure that the power is on.
2. If a tape cartridge is in the tape drive, eject and remove the cartridge.
Notes:
a. Cleaning cartridges can be used approximately 20 times. Once a cleaning
cartridge has been used to its maximum number of uses, the cartridge is
considered expired. The tape drive will detect, and automatically eject, an
expired cartridge. Never attempt to reuse an expired cleaning cartridge as it
will reintroduce debris removed during a previous cleaning of the tape
drive.
b. The IBM cleaning cartridge is shipped with a label on it that has 20 boxes
that are designed to be used to log the use of the cartridge. Each time the
cartridge is used, mark one of the boxes on the label with a pen or marker.
When all of the boxes have been marked, discard the cleaning cartridge.
3. Grasp the cleaning cartridge by the outer edges, with the window side up and
the write-protect switch facing you.
3-4 VXA-2 Internal Tape Drive: User’s Guide