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dean132
Contributor
Contributor

Please Help!!! Local Tape Drive Issues with ESXi 4.1 U1

Hello, I have a Dell Poweredge T410 with a local LTO4 tape drive. I have installed ESXi 4.1 U1 on the server and then installed an SBS 2011 VM. I am trying to install the local tape drive to the VM, I have been able to run an inventory on the tape but when I try to run a backup I get the following error from backup exec

The job failed with the following error: An invalid command was sent to the storage device.
The storage device may no longer be accessible to the operating system. Review the event logs for more information.

I have read VMWares KB on how to add a drive, but I am having trouble determining which is the correct Virtual Device Node to install the SCSI device too, the runtime name of the drive under configuration, storage adapters is vmhba3:C0:T0:L0, what Virtual Device Node should I be configuring the SCSI device to use, it is currently set to 0:2, does this even make a difference. Does anyone have any advice on how to get this working.

Please help.

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dean132
Contributor
Contributor

Also when I try to configure pass through the device is not listed so I need to add the device using the SCSI device.

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DSTAVERT
Immortal
Immortal

VMware does not support tape drives or libraries other than attached to parallel SCSI controllers. Drives attached to other types of controllers may work but support must come directly from the manufacturer.

There are multiple posts in the forums about passing tape device through to the VM guests. I would use your controller model and tape as search terms in the forums.

Here is a KB article that may help. Many are similar. http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1031497

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator
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dquintana
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Hello dean,

I don't recommend you to use Tape Drivers in ESXi, because the system is very unstable and all the time results in PSOD or several disconnections from the VM.

Maybe a small server can act as a good bkp server without problems.

Don't forget award points / no olvides puntar las respuestas.

---
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dean132
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for your response, can you tell by looking at the runtime name if what virtual device node I should be setting it too, if I could confirm that I have it set properly then I can start looking at other issues.

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DSTAVERT
Immortal
Immortal

Do you have a dedicted controller for the tape device?

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator
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dean132
Contributor
Contributor

Yes an H200, but when I try to add it to use as a pass through device it is not listed, which is why I am adding a virtual SCSI device. 

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dean132
Contributor
Contributor

Unfortunately this is the only server onsite, our Dell account manager told us this would be supported. I have called Dell and they are refusing to give support. Could some one please tell me which virtual device I should be setting the tape drive to by looking at the runtime name above???

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DSTAVERT
Immortal
Immortal

I would try 0:0

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator
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