Dell PowerVault with a Mac backup host

[kgleason]

Hello all,

 

I currently have several PowerPC based Mac servers, and I am reworking my backup solution. I would like to run a Dell PowerVault 124T using a SCSI connection from a PowerPC based Mac (running either 10.4 server or 10.5 server).

 

It would appear that there has been a driver update recently that supports the PV124T, but I am not sure if support was added for the Mac product or not.

 

So does anyone know if Retrospect 6 for PowerPC based Mac will support that model tape drive, and if so, will I be able to use LTO4 tapes, or would I be better off with something like LTO2?

 

Thanks in advance.

[rhwalker]

Here's the Retrospect Driver Update ("RDU") version history:

Macintosh RDU version history

 

Note that PowerVault 124T support seems to have been added quite a while back:

6.1.11.101

...

Additional changes with this release

 

-Properly recognize Dell PV-124T tape libraries

Current RDU version is 6.1.15.101. Download here:

Macintosh Retrospect Updates

 

Here's the result of a search in the Retrospect Supported Devices database for the PowerVault 124T:

Retrospect Supported Devices - PowerVault 124T

 

Now, whether it works, I don't know because our tape is Exabyte VXA-2 1x10 1U autoloader (SCSI).

 

If you get a SCSI card, ATTO is the only brand supported. PPC (PCI-X) would take the ATTO UL4D, Intel (PCI-e) would take the ATTO UL5D or UL5D low profile.

 

Our UL4D works fine in our Xserve G5 with Retrospect on Mac OS Server 10.4.x.

 

Russ