RD1000

[yoshiishi]

Hi,

I have a server with an internal RD1000 tape drive. I would like to have one of the VM be able to recognise the RD1000 and use it as a backup tape.

How can this be done?

Thanks in advance.

Pete

[adelisa]

Hi  yoshiishi,

welcome to the community.

If you have already tape drive make sure it should compatable with your vmware version.If not then before buying it  check HCL list .To configure please follow below steps.  Click the ESX/ESXi host to which the hardware is connected. Click Configuration > Storage Adapters. On the Storage Adapters list, identify the controller that has the tape attached. Under Details, record the Runtime Name of the tape device (for example, vmhba2:C0:T1:L0). For more information about the Runtime Name, see Identifying disks when working with VMware ESX (1014953). Select the virtual machine that use the tape device, and click Summary > Edit Settings. Click Hardware > Add. Select SCSI Device from the list of device types and click Next. Select the appropriate device from the SCSI Device drop down menu. Select the Virtual Device Node that matches the Target of the Runtime Name of the device, as recorded in step 7.  The Virtual Device Nodes are denoted as :.

"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader."

[yoshiishi]

Hi Adelisa,

I tried doing what you said.

Under the host, the RD1000 is recognised as device: vmhba34:C0:T0:L0 and the type is Block SCSI.

When I go to the vm and add scsi device , there is only "Unknown DP" and only one virtual device node available for selection , which is SCIS(0:0) hard disk 1.  This node however is already in  used.

Am i missing something?

[dwalkes]

Hi Pete,

If your server is new enough to support VT-D you might want to try using VMDirectPath to pass through the device by making a connection to the controller.

See

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-11089

http://www.petri.co.il/vmware-esxi4-vmdirectpath.htm

http://vm-help.com/esx40i/VMDirectPath/USB_Setup.php

Dan

[christianZ]

Hi,

in the past I tried it also unfortunately w/o success  (direct path too).

I needed it for backup - but the backup speed was extremely low.

Reg

Christian