When AIX changer does not recognize

• Title

  Binding to the ATAPE driver for IBM devices on AIX.

• Description

  From release 8.x of NetVault: Backup, only devices using the ATAPE driver are supported on AIX platforms. Tape devices configured on AIX with another driver (for example SCTAPE) cannot be configured in NetVault: Backup. A device scan from NetVault will not discover these devices.

  This solution provides a process to attempt to bind devices with the ATAPE driver.
   

• Resolution

  Assuming the tape device uses the device file /dev/rmt0, and the device is on the NetVault Supported devices matrix, determine the existing driver attached to the device:
  
  # odmget -q name=rmt0 CuDv
  …
  ddins = "sctape"
  …
  
  The DDINS value shows the driver this device is using, in this case, it is sctape.
  
  Remove this device file:
  # rmdev –dl rmt0
  
  Download and install the atape driver.
  http://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral
  
  The driver can be found by selecting “Storage Systems” -> “Tape Systems” -> “Tape device drivers and software” -> “Tape device drivers” -> “AIX”. Browse for fixes, and select to download “Atape_Driver_for_AIX”. Installation instructions can be found on this page.
  
  After installing atape, rescan the device tree to re-create the rmt0 device
  # cfgmgr –v rmt0
  
  Confirm that the new device is using the atape driver
  # odmget -q name=rmt0 CuDv
  
  If the DDINS value shows atape, NetVault Backup will be able to discover the device in a device scan, and the device can be configured for backups.
  
  If the device file wont recreate with the atape device, escalate to IBM for assistance.
  Note that some IBM devices such as the IBM FC5746 cannot use atape device driver.

cf ) www.quest.com

cf ) http://www.hep.phy.cam.ac.uk/netvault/documentation/AIX_Device_Driver_Install_Implementation_Guide.pdf