Unable to add Tape drive to SOME servers

[Westy]

Hi,

Fairly new to VMWare but have just built a VI3 environment and converted our servers. The last to convert was the main file & backup server. All data including OS's is on the SAN. HP MSL2024 Tape drive is connected to the SAN.

Trying to add the Tape/media devices to the VM Servers. Some have added with no problems but others just throw up the error "Unable to open SCSI device '.vmfs/devices/generic/.vml....(a really long error code)"

There is no pattern to it either as far as I can see device configuration wise. If I power down the machines they will let me add the device but error on boot up saying they cannot configure SCSI device.

I am a bit confused as to why some can & some can't, Can anyone give me some pointers please as I am still a little green when it comes to the finer points of VMWare.

[piacas · Accepted solution]

Fiber attached tapes tapes drives are not supportted in ESX, and libraries aren't supportted either. Leave backups on a physical machine. If you can get the VM backups to work, you will likely have nothing but headaches with it.

Dave

[Westy]

Thanks for the prompt reply. The SAN/VMWare was a solution which was put out to tender and we have had a consultant in to do the work who is currently not here but I need to start the backups.

To clarify

I have a physical VM Management server and the backup software (HP data storage protector) is installed on there to manage the backups.

When you say leave it on a physical machine do you mean I should attach the tape library to the VMManagement Server and off the SAN through that.

Cheers

[Westy]

Sorry meant to say

When you say leave it on a physical machine do you mean I should attach the tape library to the VMManagement Server and backup the data off the SAN through that.

[piacas]

Do you have the VCB option licensed? HP released the VCB integration with DP.