Source:Configuring Removable Media

From SEPsesam
Revision as of 15:56, 17 December 2018 by Sta (talk | contribs)
Other languages:

Template:Copyright SEP AG en

Docs latest icon.png Welcome to the latest SEP sesam documentation version 4.4.3/4.4.3 Grolar. For previous documentation version(s), check Documentation archive.


Overview

SEP sesam allows you to configure different removable media, such as RDX drives and USB drives, as your storage device. RDX is a disk-based removable storage which is intended as a replacement of a tape storage. RDX storage system offers reliable storage for backup, archive, data interchange and disaster recovery. It is based on the removable hard disk drives as well as solid state drives for storing big amounts of the backup data.

RDX uses SATA (hardware interface for connecting drives to the computer) for connecting the removable media in the drive and the USB port with external drive or SATA with internal drive for the connection to the computer. Note that WORM (Write Once Read Many) media are also available.

Configuring removable media

To configure the RDX or USB drives, proceed as follows:

  1. Create a new RDX or USB drive group.
  2. Configure and add a new RDX or USB drive.
  3. Create a new media pool for the RDX or USB drive.
  4. If required, create a new media type.
  5. Add media to a media pool.

Creating a new RDX or USB drive group

You have to create a new drive group for the removable drives (RDX or USB). From the Components -> Drives, click the New Group button and create a new drive gorup, for example, RDX or USB. RDX drive group.png

Configuring and adding new RDX or USB drive

Depending on your operating system, proceed to the relevant section below.

> Linux

> Windows

Linux

To enable SEP sesam to access the removable device, ensure that you have sufficient privileges with read and write access to the device file for the RDX or USB drive. By default, such access is granted only to the root user.

The procedure is slightly different, depending on which drive you want to configure, RDX or USB.

  • USB:
    Before you can configure the USB drive on Linux, you have to create a mountpoint in the Linux system:
  • mkdir /media/usbdisk Then you have to connect the USB drive to the system.
  • RDX:
    Before you can configure the RDX drive on Linux, you have to check which device name is used for the RDX drive. If you attach the RDX drive to the Linux system, most distributions will automatically mount it (e.g., in /media).
    • If this is not the case, check by the dmesg command, which device is used for the RDX drive (usually /dev/sdXY).
    • It is important that each time you change the RDX drive, it is detected with the same device name. You can detect it with the udev rule. For details, see About udev rules.
    • It is also recommended to format the inserted RDX tapes with a common Linux file system (ext3/reiserfs/xfs).

After you have created the drive group and connected your drive to the server, add it to the drive group as follows.

  1. From the Components -> Drives, select the RDX or USB drive group and click the New Drive button. The New drive window opens. Specify a drive name, type, and path for removable media – see device name of your drive above.
  2. Under the Drive tab, specify the following options:
    • Drive Number: will be automatically assigned
    • Drive Name: Optionally, enter a drive name, for example, Drive_16.
    • Drive Type: From the drop-down list, select DISK_CHNG.
    • Loader: From the drop-down list, select No loader.
    • Device Server: Select your backup server or the system to which the drive is attached.
    • Drive Group: Select the relevant drive group which you have configured before (RDX or USB).
    • Path for removable media: Enter the volume name of the DISK_CHNG media with the directory.
      In our example, for the RDX drive enter /media/rdx-mountpoint
      or
      for the USB drive enter mkdir /media/usbdisk.

    RDX drive linux Grolar.jpg

  3. Switch to the Options tab and proceed as follows:
    • Device Path: Mount point where the media will be mounted.
    • Auto Unload: yes
    • Mount Command: mount
    • Unmount command: umount
    • Eject command: eject
    Information sign.png Note
    Skip this step if the dynamic mount function should not be used for the USB drive.

    RDX drive linux options Grolar.jpg

  4. Click OK to add a new drive.

Windows

After you have created the drive group and connected your drive to the server, add it to the drive group as follows.

  1. From the Components -> Drives, select the RDX or USB drive group and click the New Drive button. The New drive window opens.
  2. Under the Drive tab, specify the following options:
    • Drive Number: will be automatically assigned
    • Drive Name: Optionally, enter a drive name, for example, Drive_16.
    • Drive Type: From the drop-down list, select DISK_CHNG.
    • Loader: From the drop-down list, select No Loader.
    • Device Server: Select your backup server or the system to which the drive is attached.
    • Drive Group: Select the relevant drive group which you have configured before (RDX or USB).
    • Path for removable media: Enter the volume name of the DISK_CHNG media with the directory. In our example, enter E:/SESAM-DISK for the RDX or USB drive.
    • RDX drive windows Grolar.jpg
  3. Switch to the Options tab. Specify the drive letter for the Device Path and sm_eject_media for the Eject command, as shown in the screenshot.
    RDX drive windows options Grolar.jpg
  4. Click OK to add a new drive.

Creating a new media pool for the RDX or USB drive

After you have successfully created a drive, create a new media pool.

From the Components -> Media Pools, click the New Media Pool button. In the New Media Pool window specify the name of the pool (e.g., RDX_pool or USB_pool), select the relevant RDX or USB drive group and specify the retention time. For details, see Managing EOL.
RDX new pool Grolar.jpg

Create a new media type (if required)

Under the Configuration -> Media Types, check whether a media type with enough capacity for your DISK_CHNG drive type exists (for example, DISK-RESERVE_1GB, DISK_5000, DISK_100000, etc.), as shown in the screenshot. Negative capacity values (e.g., DISK-RESERVE_1GB with the value -1.0) mean that the entire storage area of the medium, minus the specified size, is used.
RDX media type Grolar.jpg
If it does not exist, create it by clicking New in the Media Types window and specify the options, as shown in the screenshot.
RDX new media type Grolar.jpg

Adding media to a media pool

Add your first RDX or USB media to the RDX or USB media pool. You have to repeat this step for all removable media.

Information sign.png Note

On Windows, the directory which is specified as a Path for removable media has to exist on media before adding it to the media pool.

From the Components -> Media Pools, select previously created media pool (RDX_pool or USB_pool) and click the New Medium button. In the Adding a new media window specify the relevant Media Pool, Drive, Media Type, etc., as shown in the screenshot for the RDX drive. Note that in case of the USB disks, you have to select the overwrite option.
RDX add new media.jpg

Information sign.png Note
If you are unable to add new media, check the day protocol under Logging -> Day Log on the SEP sesam Server for possible errors. For details, see Day Log.

See also

DrivesMedia poolsManaging EOLMedia