Qualstar Q1 User manual

Qualstar Q1
User Manual
Document No. 511015 Rev. 07-01-19

Copyright Notice
Copyright©2015 by Qualstar Corporation — All Rights Reserved
Information contained in this document is copyrighted by Qualstar Corporation. It is
intended for use by Qualstar's customers and prospective customers to evaluate,
integrate, operate and maintain Qualstar products. Customers and prospective
customers may reproduce this document as needed for these uses. Reproduction in
whole or in part for any other use or by any other party is prohibited without prior
written permission from Qualstar Corporation.
Every effort has been made to keep the information contained in this document
current and accurate as of the date of publication or revision. However, no guarantee
is given or implied that the document is error-free or that it is accurate with regard to
any specification. Qualstar reserves the right to modify the design or specification
without notice.
Qualstar and the Qualstar logo are registered trademarks of Qualstar Corporation.
Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Notices
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
European Union Directive 89/336/EEC and Standard EN55022
(Electromagnetic Compatibility)
511015 Rev. 07-01-19 i

Warning
This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio
interference in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.
European Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
Qualstar encourages its customers to use current recycling practices in order to
reduce the burden that waste electronic products place on the environment.
In accordance with environmental directives that are being implemented in many
countries (refer to the European Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment - WEEE)
Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
Qualstar products have been manufactured to be compliant with European Union
Directive 2011/65/EU on the restriction of the use of hazardous substances in
electrical and electronic equipment. RoHS Compliant means that based on
information provided by our suppliers, the product does not contain in excess of the
maximum concentration values allowable under EU Directive 2011/65/EU, unless the
substance is in an application that is exempt under RoHS.
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DANGER High voltage
‐
Risk of electric shock
 Do not remove power supply cover. No user‐serviceable parts are inside.
 Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.
WARNING Risk of damage to devices
 Do not move unit while it is operating.
CAUTION Static sensitive
‐
Risk of damage to devices
A discharge of static electricity damages static‐sensitive devices
Proper packaging and grounding techniques are necessary precautions
to prevent damage.
NOTE
 Ventilation – Place the product so that its location does
not
interfere with proper ventilation.
Heat – Place the product so that its location is away from heat
sources.
Power sources – Connect the product to a power source only
of the type directed in the operating instructions or as marked
on the product.
Power cord protection – Place the AC line cord so that it is
not possible to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon
or against it.
 Object and liquid entry – Insure that objects do not fall
and liquids are not spilled into the product’s enclosure.
 Vibration and motion – Do not move the unit while it is
in operation. Do not subject the unit to vibration while it is
operating.
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Technical Support Information
The best source for service-related information is your system reseller. Alternately,
you can contact the Qualstar Technical Support Department
Qualstar Corporation
1267 Flynn Road,
Camarillo,CA 93012
Attn: Technical Support
Phone: [phone]
Toll Free: [phone] option 4
Monday – Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PST
After Hours Support is available for those customers that have purchased
Premium Level Service and/or Onsite service contracts.
After hours support: [phone]
E-Mail suppo[email protected]
E-Mail: [e-mail]
Web: www.qualstar.com
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Table of Contents
1. Qualstar Q1 ........................................................................................................................ 1-1
1.1 Overview........................................................................................................................ 1-1
1.1.1 Flexible Operation; Standalone or Networked.................................................... 1-1
1.1.2 Monitoring: Remote Desktop and traditional monitor ....................................... 1-2
1.1.3 The LTFS Format.................................................................................................. 1-2
1.1.4 Qualstar Software ................................................................................................. 1-2
1.1.5 Qualstar Q1 ........................................................................................................... 1-4
1.2 Included In Your Package............................................................................................ 1-7
1.3 Other items you will/may need:................................................................................... 1-8
1.4 Stand-Alone Operation................................................................................................. 1-8
1.4.1 Set-up and Power On ............................................................................................ 1-9
1.4.2 LTFS Configuration – assigning a drive letter ................................................. 1-13
1.4.3 Becoming familiar using LTFS tape, how long it takes to mount, etc............. 1-13
1.5 Network Operation..................................................................................................... 1-14
1.6 Asset Management ..................................................................................................... 1-15
2. Qualstar Queue Application .......................................................................................... 2-1
2.1 Overview........................................................................................................................ 2-1
2.2 Queue Main Window .................................................................................................... 2-1
2.3 Actions Menu ................................................................................................................ 2-2
2.3.1 Clear Task List ...................................................................................................... 2-2
2.3.2 Clear Log Files....................................................................................................... 2-3
2.3.3 Clear Watched Folder ........................................................................................... 2-3
2.3.4 Options Menu ........................................................................................................ 2-3
2.3.5 Path for Watch Folder........................................................................................... 2-4
2.3.6 Queue Folders vs. Queue Files ............................................................................. 2-5
2.4 Scan Interval................................................................................................................. 2-5
2.5 Task 1, 2 and 3.............................................................................................................. 2-5
2.6 Delete Files/Folders After Processing ......................................................................... 2-6
3. Qualstar DMC Software.................................................................................................. 3-1
3.1 Overview........................................................................................................................ 3-1
3.2 Basic Operation ............................................................................................................ 3-1
3.3 To Start DMC................................................................................................................ 3-2
3.4 Main Screen .................................................................................................................. 3-3
3.5 Initiating a Copy ........................................................................................................... 3-5
3.6 Destination Folder Name ............................................................................................. 3-6
3.7 Special Features in DMC for handling P2 and RED media ...................................... 3-7
3.8 Verification.................................................................................................................... 3-8
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3.9 Configuring DMC Software........................................................................................ 3-11
3.10 Care of LTO-6 Products in Extreme Conditions ................................................... 3-13
Appendix A LTFS Tape Operations .............................................................. Appendix 1
A.1 Please follow these guidelines to ensure data integrity................................Appendix 1
A.1.1 How to Create a Drive Dump and find the LTFS log file ......................Appendix 2
A.1.2 Additional useful tips and notes..............................................................Appendix 3
A.1.3 Using an LTFS drive in Windows Explorer............................................Appendix 4
A.1.4 Assigning a drive letter to a tape drive...................................................Appendix 5
A.1.5 How to Eject a tape that is stuck in the drive ........................................Appendix 7
A.1.6 Formatting Media.....................................................................................Appendix 7
A.1.7 Accessing Media Information ................................................................Appendix 10
A.1.8 Checking and Recovering Media ...........................................................Appendix 11
A.1.9 Rolling Back Media ................................................................................Appendix 13
A.1.10 File Name Characters ........................................................................Appendix 15
A.1.11 Error Codes and Messages.................................................................Appendix 16
A.1.12 Cleaning the Drive Head....................................................................Appendix 23
Appendix B Restoring a System Backup Image......................................... Appendix 1
B.1 Support.............................................................................................................Appendix 7
vi 511015 Rev. 07-01-19

1. Qualstar Q1
1.1 Overview
The Qualstar Q1 is an economical and easy to use solution to add LTO tape archive
and backup to your facility or production.
It takes advantage of the industry standard LTFS (linear tape file system) allowing
you to use Windows Explorer to browse the contents of your tapes, and copy files
between tape cartridges and other storage devices such as local hard disk, memory
cards, and networked storage.
The Q1 features software that will automatically discover new sources of data and
copy or move them to tape or other locations that you specify. Simply plugging in your
memory card can trigger a process to copy the content to hard disk, tape and network
storage.
Incorporating LTO-6 or LTO-7 tape drives, transfer speeds exceed those of asingle
eSATA drive,reaching over 100 MB/sec when transferring large files from fast data
sources.
Qualstar also offers tape library solutions that can meet needs ranging from
small organizations to the enterprise data center. Contact us for more information.
1.1.1 Flexible Operation; Standalone or Networked
The Q1 can be used “stand-alone” to record data from directly attached sources such
as memory cards or it may be network connected and have data sent to it for
recording.
Stand-alone operation
The Qualstar Q1 can be used on its own, without any additional computer
required….it is a stand-alone data recording system in its own right.
•Frees up all your other systems for the tasks you bought them for: editing, compositing,
etc.
•Direct copy from locally attached sources to the Q1’s LTO tape frees your network from
unnecessary data traffic and is the fastest way to archive all the data that is currently
on external drives.
•USB 2.0 and 3.0 connections are available for directly connecting external drives or
camera card readers
•Mac-formatted drives can be accessed with the optional MacDrive software installed
Network operation
For those organizations where the data to be archived is on network-attached storage
or storage located on networked computers, the most efficient workflow is often to
archive over the network. Qualstar has developed software to facilitate archive and
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retrieval over the network. And the Q1 can also be made a SAN client for direct copy
from SAN to tape.
Connect a computer (desktop or laptop) directly to the Q1 with simple network cable
for easy backup from single computer.
1.1.2 Monitoring: Remote Desktop and traditional monitor
Several monitoring options are available to configure the Qualstar Q1 and initiate and
track archive progress.
It is recommended that the initial unit setup is done with a traditional computer
keyboard, mouse, and monitor directly connected to the Qualstar Q1.
Over the network, remote desktop may be used after the Q1 is connected to the users
network.
3rd party browser and client-based Asset Management software is another way to
interact with the Q1.
1.1.3 The LTFS Format
Because the Qualstar Q1 is designed, for use with LTFS, the universal file system for
tape drives, access to your data on the tape is as easy as drag-and-drop or copy/paste.
When you insert a tape, you see the files on the tape in the same directory structure
you see when you connect an external drive. LTO tape is the fastest tape archive
available to date: with transfer speeds over 100 MB/sec when copying directly to/from
a fast external drive. And because LTFS is a standard, the tapes you create on a
Qualstar Q1 will be accessible to all others following this standard.
1.1.4 Qualstar Software
The Q1 includes software to improve your workflow, taking into consideration the
needs of the data manager on-set and in the post production facility as well as the
unique characteristics of tape.
The LTFS format makes the internal tape drive “look” a lot like a hard drive
however, it’s still a linear medium with slow seek times. It does not access data with
the speed of a random access disk drive. Qualstar software is ONLY available for use
on the Qualstar Q1
oQualstar DMC (Data Move Copy) software
Qualstar DMC software was designed for desktop redundant data backup and
provides efficient, verified backup.
Ideal for the backup of camera memory cards since it copies to multiple destinations
in the same time it would take to copy to a single destination it’s also the best way to
archive to two tapes simultaneously. (Requires 2nd external drive attachment)
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Features include automated folder-naming, optional checksum verification, and pre-
checking that there is enough space on the destination drive before initiating the copy
operation.
oQualstar Queue software
Qualstar Queue software was designed specifically for use in a networked
environment to manage multiple users simultaneously writing to the tape drive. The
application will queue the writes in a folder before transfer to tape so that the files are
written contiguously. This yields fast backup speeds during recording and faster data
retrieval from tape during recovery. Qualstar Queue software can be configured to
perform three tasks (which be defined by batch file) on any queued file. Organizations
have used this feature to additionally automatically copy to an FTP site or perform
transcoding before actual data transfer.
oPlayers for major file types
In addition Q1s come configured with video players preinstalled for the major file
types so you can review footage easily on the Q1: REDCINE-X, P2 Viewer, XDCAM
Browser, Canon XF Viewer and Scratch Player are supported.
oSystem Backup and Recovery software
Qualstar ships the Q1 system with the facility to recover from software corruption,
should it occur. There is no need to re-install software from scratch. Using the
included memory stick containing imaging/recovery software from a leading
manufacturer you can restore to a “factory fresh” image in less than 15 minutes. See
Appendix B for information on recovery.
Note: As technology advances, we strive to stay ahead of the curve and are continually
upgrading our hardware solutions. As such, your model may not correspond to a
diagram or photo below but general connections should be similar. If you have any
questions about your particular configuration, please call Qualstar.
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1.1.5 Qualstar Q1
Figure 1-1 Front View with CF and SD Card Slots
Eject Button
(Disabled with LTFS)
LTO Tape Drive
CF Card Slot
MS Card Slot
Power On Button
SD Card Slot
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Figure 1-2 Rear View showing Connectors
Audio
Green line-out
USB 3.0 (Qty 4)
Network 1Gb
HDMI video
DVI
P/S 2
USB 2.0 (Qty 2)
Wireless
connectors
Power
External SAS
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Figure 1-3 Rear View with Connections
Monitor connected
DVI
USB keyboard and
mouse connected
to USB 2.0 ports
Power
Network cable
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1.2 Included In Your Package
1B Serial Number
Please take note of the serial# on the back of your Q1. It begins with 1B followed by 4
digits. We will ask you for the 1B serial# during all support calls and it will be
required for all RMA’s (return authorizations for service).
AC Power cable
USB stick with Recovery Image
This is a unique and valuable part of your Qualstar solution. Keep this in a safe place.
At the time of shipping your system, we create a “Backup Image”. This is a file with
file extension .tib that is saved on your L drive in the “System Backups” folder on the
internal hard drive and also on this USB stick.
Should the software on your Qualstar system become corrupt or should the internal
hard drive ever fail, you can restore your software to the original factory defaults
quickly using this USB stick. Instructions can be found in Appendix B.
Manuals
All relevant documentation is collected and put in the “Manuals and Utilities” folder
on the desktop of the Qualstar Q1, available to you as soon as you power on the
system. Please open this folder to review the available documentation.
Wireless Adapter
Use this to communicate wirelessly, it is NOT recommended to transfer files to tape
over the wireless network (it’s
very slow). For data transfers over the network from
other computers always use wired network port.
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1.3 Other items you will/may need:
LTO tapes
Tapes are available from a number of sources including Qualstar. All windows-based
Q1s currently use IBM tape drives.
LTO Cleaning Tape
Your tape drive will indicate when it is time to clean the heads by displaying a “C” on
the single character display on the drive. You will need to have a cleaning tape on
hand at this time. Tapes are available for purchase from Qualstar. Make sure that the
manufacturer of your cleaning tape matches the manufacturer of the tape drive for
proper operation and that it is correct for LTO-6. All Qualstar windows-based Q1s
currently use IBM tape drives.
Network cable
If you are connecting to a wired network, you’ll need a Cat5e or Cat6 (preferred)
network cable.
Keyboard, video monitor and mouse
For stand-alone operation you will need a video display monitor, keyboard, and mouse
to set up and control.
1.4 Stand-Alone Operation
You do not need another computer to utilize the Qualstar Q1. It may be used, on its
own, as a stand-alone tape archive solution. This frees up other machines in your
facility from having to be involved in the archive task. The Qualstar Q1 is especially
suited to this task because of the high-speed interconnects offered.
Card readers built-in:
•Fast (USB 3.0 speed) CF and SD card reader
High speed interconnects:
•USB 3.0 ports
•USB 2.0 ports (slower, but still useful in some cases)
•Gigabit Ethernet
Connect external drive or REDMAG, P2, SxS card readers to transfer data directly to
LTO tape.
For Mac-formatted drives we have tested MacDrive software and approved it for use
on the Qualstar Q1.
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1.4.1 Set-up and Power On
1. Connect your monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Connect the AC power and turn the
power supply switch on the rear of the unit to the “On” position.
2. Press the RED power button on the front of the unit to turn it on, and wait for
the system to boot Windows.
You will see the following icons on your desktop:
3. If you double-click the “Computer” icon you will see the drives displayed in
Windows Explorer:
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The C, D and L letters are partitions contained on the internal hard drive. We will
explain the use of these drives in a moment.
The “T” drive listed under “Devices with Removable Storage” is the LTO tape drive
under LTFS management.
Notice that the “T” drive shows no capacity bar graph which indicates that no tape
media is inserted.
When a piece of LTO tape media is inserted into the drive and loaded, the T drive
letter icon will appear as shown below if you have inserted a tape that has been
formatted and has data on it: See Appendix A for detailed notes on LTFS operation.
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The screen shot above shows that the LTFS tape is now recognized and 2.18 TB of free
space is remaining on the tape cartridge.
Note: Although LTO-6 tape is nominally 2.5 TB of data storage, the actual available
user data space is 2.18TB due to the LTFS system.
Following is a listing of the possible icons displayed in conjunction with
LTFS
MEDIUM ICON RIGHT-CLICK MENU
OPTIONS
The medium is not inserted. Properties is available. The Check
and Rollback buttons are
unavailable.
The medium is not ready. One of the following
operations is running: load, format, check,
rollback, or eject.
Properties is available. The Check
and Rollback buttons are
unavailable.
The medium is inserted, but is not an LTO 6
medium. Eject and Properties are available.
The Check and Rollback buttons
are unavailable.
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MEDIUM ICON RIGHT-CLICK MENU
OPTIONS
The LTFS-formatted medium is mounted. All options are available.
The write-protected LTFS-formatted medium is
mounted. Eject and Properties are available.
The Check and Rollback buttons
are unavailable.
A write error occurred during the write
operation. The LTFS-formatted medium is
read-only and must be ejected and reinserted
to write data.
Eject and Properties are available.
The Check and Rollback buttons
are unavailable.
The LTO 5 medium is inserted, but not
formatted for LTFS. Format, Eject, and Properties are
available. The Check and Rollback
buttons are unavailable.
The LTFS-formatted medium is inserted, but
the data has inconsistencies. A check and
recover operation is required to use the
medium.
All options are available.
If the tape you insert has not been previously formatted for usage with LTFS, the tape
icon associated with your ‘T:” drive will have a yellow warning sign and no capacity
indicator bar will appear. To format a inserted LTO tape for LTFS usage right-click on
the icon and select format to format the tape or, alternately you may double-click the
“Format” icon on the desktop.
CAUTION
Formatting an LTO tape to the LTFS format will erase any previous data recorded
to the tape!
The computer will prompt you to confirm that you really wish to format the inserted
tape. All data will be lost on the tape.
If after initial tape insertion, the T icon has a tape with a large red X on it, the tape
may not be LTO6 stock. A smaller red x in a circle means the tape is the correct
format however the data on the tape may be corrupt. It is important before system
shutdown/restart to always SAFELY EJECT the tape via the desktop before initiating
shut down/restart of the Qualstar Q1. The process of ejecting the tape media forces
the LTFS system to update the file index on tape and properly “close” the tape volume
maintaining integrity of the LTFS file system. . To eject the tape double-click the
“Eject tape” icon short cut on the desktop or right-click on the “T:” Tape Drive letter
and select “eject”.
511015 Rev. 07-01-19 Qualstar Q1 1-12