Re: BRMS backup target options other than VTL

message: 1
date: Tue, 30 Jan 2024 13:43:33 -0500
from: "Larry \"DrFranken\" Bolhuis" <midrange@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
subject: Re: BRMS backup target options other than VTL

These be the links ye should be readin mateys!


https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-i-removable-media-power8-tape-and-optical

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-i-removable-media-power9-tape-and-optical

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-i-removable-media-power10-tape-and-optical

There ye will find this be a rule, not just a guideline:
"This adapter does not support direct attach to tape"
-- a COUPLE of them DO say: ---
"This adapter does not support direct attach to tape except for TS1160
and TS1170"

And there be the best ye can find!

- DrF




On 1/29/2024 10:43 AM, Bob Schwartz wrote:

Larry & everyone following, thank you for your posts, I appreciate the
input and opportunity to learn.

We do not have a fiber switch between the Power 8 and the Data Domain
6300 (DD).
For?now direct?attachment is my simplest and easiest option now.
I can/will order the new Power 10 server with a 16Gb HBA card.

I know that for DD to simulate the DD file system into a tape library
(VTL) it must be through the HBA FC port.
I do not want to add one or more fiber switches?at this time.

We could move to another type?of backup other than VTL, but I can't do
that now.

For now ...
1.) Find/buy?a 16 Gb HBA card for the Power 8 to connect to the new
DD6400 - this will get me through until the?Power 10 gets here.
2.) Keep the Power 8 on the DD6300 until we get the Power 10. Then
connect it to the new DD6400 at 16 Gb.

Bob Schwartz
Director of Technology Services
Glynn County Board of Education
5505 Altama Ave
Brunswick, GA 31525



On Sat, Jan 27, 2024 at 8:08?PM Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis
<midrange@xxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:midrange@xxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:

Well in theory the DD device might support iSCSI (I don't know, not
a DD
guy) but that would let you connect to it via Ethernet instead.

Don't know why the fiber channel card won't talk. Given you have a
number of devices backing up to the DD I figure you have a switch so
that should handle speed differences.

If you have no switch, then you can't go above 8G speed on the

server.

No direct attach with 16G critters.

? ? ? ? - L

On 1/26/2024 9:53 AM, Bob Schwartz wrote:
> Can BRMS backup to something other than tape/VTL?
>
> Question for the group:
> I was wondering if BRMS can backup to a backup appliance such as
a Dell-EMC
> DataProtect DD6400?
> similar to what Veeam does, using the network, over Ethernet? Or,
does BRMS
> have to see a VTL on ISCSI or FiberChannel?
> I don't want to go to the cloud - at least not now.
>
> A little background:
> We are in the middle of upgrading our DataDomain backup
appliance(s) to
> DD6400, along with other data center hardware.
> The Power 8 is scheduled to go to Power 10 in a few months.
>
> Currently our IBM Power 8 server is running IBM i/OS V7R4. We use
BRMS for
> all backup functions.
> BRMS writes to a VTL hosted on a Dell-EMC DataDomain DD6300. The
DD6300 is
> attached to the Power 8 by fiber channel
> The DD6300 also is a backup target for Veeam. We use Veeam to

backup

> everything, but the IBM i (Windows, Linux SQL ...etc.).
> The DD6300 replicates everything to an offsite DD6300 in another
facility.
>
> Problem or obstacle:
> The new DD6400 fiber channel card can't talk to the existing
fiber channel
> card in our Power 8 server.
> I can keep backing up the Power 8 to the DD6300 until the new
Power 10
> server is up and running.
>
> Thank you in advance,
>
> Bob Schwartz
> Director of Technology Services
> Glynn County Board of Education
> 5505 Altama Ave
> Brunswick, GA 31525