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Quantum Superloader 3, LTO-2


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I own a Quantum Superloader 3, LTO-2 SCSI and I want to convert my server to a Mac Snow Leopard server. If I do so can connect this device to the Mac Server and does Retrospect have the necessary driver that will allow me to operate it for backup purposes as I do not see any drivers at the Quantum web site?

 

This would be the latest version of Snow Leopard server and I presently own the latest version of Mac Retrospect.....I guess the other part of the question would be what software product I would need to make this happen.

 

Thanks

 

Earl

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I own a Quantum Superloader 3, LTO-2 SCSI and I want to convert my server to a Mac Snow Leopard server. If I do so can connect this device to the Mac Server and does Retrospect have the necessary driver that will allow me to operate it for backup purposes as I do not see any drivers at the Quantum web site?

There are no tape or autoloader drivers supplied with (or for) Mac OS X. Each vendor has to write their own (as has been done for Retrospect). Need more information in order to answer your question.

 

This would be the latest version of Snow Leopard server and I presently own the latest version of Mac Retrospect.....

And what version of Retrospect (x.x.x) would that be? "Latest" doesn't convey any useful information, and people post all the time and insist that they have the "latest" version, but don't. Let's just be sure.

 

And please let us know what HBA card (SCSI card) you have. It matters. Some have issues. And make sure you update the firmware and driver for the HBA.

 

I guess the other part of the question would be what software product I would need to make this happen.

If your HBA card and drive are supported by the version of Retrospect (need details), you won't have to buy any software other than Retrospect. If your HBA card and drive aren't supported by the version of Retrospect (need details), then no software you would buy will cause the drive to work with Retrospect.

 

That's why details are needed.

 

Now, back to your original question, there is only one source of traditional unix tape drivers for Mac OS X - Tolis Group sells a "tape tools" product (suite of .kext drivers) that enables standard unix programs (tar, cpio, ar, etc.) to work with tape drives on the Mac. But that's not going to help you with Retrospect.

 

Russ

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Well some of this is hypothetical as I am trying to decide a course of action. Right now I am using a Windows Small Business Server 2003 but I want to convert to a Mac server and part of my decision is knowing that I can use the Quantum Superloader which is a LTO2 HH and according to the EMC Retrospect database, it is supported. Right now I am using Retrospect 8.1, build 626. As far as a SCSI card, this has not yet been purchased and I would acquire the one recommended. I would purchase the necessary software to make it work as well.

 

Earl

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OK, if I go to Retrospect Technical Support, Storage Device Compatibility, Quantum, SCSI, LTO, Mac, I receive the following page: http://www.retrospect.com/supportupdates/technical/retrospect/search/?inputSearchManufacturer=Quantum&inputSearchInterface=SCSI&inputSearchMedia=LTO&inputSearchQualified=mac&submit=Search

 

Which tells me that the Quantum LTO-2 HH SCSI LTO is Qualified. Under the box I am told that "Qualified" means "Passed extensive in-house certification. Storage device is fully supported.....

 

So, if has been tested and fully certified on a Mac, there must be a driver someplace that works on a Mac?

 

Earl

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Ok. If you are using Retrospect 8.1.626, you do have the "latest" build.

 

Really, the only SCSI HBA card that works well on Macs is the ATTO card. If you are going to run Snow Leopard, that means that you have Intel PCIe busses, which means that the right ATTO card would be the ATTO UL5D or the ATTO UL5D Low Profile (the one that most people use in xServes). They look the same to the software and the external connectors are the same. The UL5D (not Low Profile) has additional internal connectors for connecting internal drives.

 

It's the card that is pretty much agreed to be the one to use (we have ATTO in our xServe - all problems disappeared when we replaced the Apple rebranded LSI Logic card with the ATTO).

 

The ATTO card comes with the Mac .kext driver. Retrospect has the upper level drivers to talk to the tape. I would suggest not putting any disk drives on the same SCSI channel as the tape drive and autoloader because some odd issues have been seen with that combination. Also, search these forums. I think that someone was having trouble with their LTO drives and autoloader until, at EMC Retrospect's support, they put them at certain SCSI IDs.

 

Russ

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OK, if I go to Retrospect Technical Support, Storage Device Compatibility, Quantum, SCSI, LTO, Mac, I receive the following page: http://www.retrospect.com/supportupdates/technical/retrospect/search/?inputSearchManufacturer=Quantum&inputSearchInterface=SCSI&inputSearchMedia=LTO&inputSearchQualified=mac&submit=Search

 

Which tells me that the Quantum LTO-2 HH SCSI LTO is Qualified. Under the box I am told that "Qualified" means "Passed extensive in-house certification. Storage device is fully supported.....

A couple of points.

 

First, yes, you looked in the right database to see if your device was qualified. However, that database doesn't seem to have been updated for Retrospect 8 yet.

 

Second, that said, your LTO drive is not an exotic one, but is very common, so it would be a great surprise, considering that it was supported by both the Windows version of Retrospect and Retrospect 6, if it didn't work under Retrospect 8.

 

So, if has been tested and fully certified on a Mac, there must be a driver someplace that works on a Mac?

I note that you and I were posting at the same time when you asked this question. I hope it was clear from my responses upthread that you won't need to buy any additional software. The .kext driver for the ATTO card comes with the card. All of the vendors for Mac backup software (not just EMC), as well as Apple engineers, if you ask them off-the-record, recommend the ATTO card as the one to get.

 

Retrospect (and other programs) don't talk directly to the card's .kext driver, but instead make calls to the Mac OS SCSI driver, which comes with the OS and schedules the card between competing needs for SCSI I/O, providing a clean, device-independent interface to upper level routines.

 

Retrospect just passes down the necessary SCSI commands for your drive and autoloader, and support for the drive and autoloader is within Retrospect itself (well, within Retrospect engine).

 

Oh, and here's a link to the recent thread about SCSI IDs and LTO drives. Sounds like voodoo, but I pass the information along:

Magic SCSI IDs for LTO and Retrospect 8

 

Hope this helps,

 

Russ

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