Inhibiting firmware down-leveling
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The drive provides the capability to prevent loading and installing drive microcode by way of a Field Microcode Replace (FMR) tape if the firmware level contained in the
FMR tape is older than the code level already installed.
This option is controlled by the host application. No checking is done if the firmware level is loaded by way of the host interface or the library interface.
SAS interface
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The half height drives can have a dual port 12 Gbps SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) host interface. See Drive performance to find out SAS speeds of different generations
drives.
A drive with a SAS interface can be linked directly to controllers. SAS is a performance improvement over traditional SCSI because SAS enables multiple devices (up to
128) of different sizes and types to be connected simultaneously with thinner and longer cables. Its full-duplex signal transmission supports up to 12.0 Gbps. In addition,
SAS drives can be hot-plugged. The maximum SAS cable length that can be used to connect the host adapter to the tape drive varies depending on the type of SAS
connection. See Optional features for the maximum cable length that can be used.
SAS drives auto-negotiate speed. There are no configurable topologies thus no feature switches associated with SAS.
Physical characteristics
The drive contains a dual port, SFF-8644 SAS connector. A list of compatible cables is shown in Ordering optional features, replacement parts, and power cords.
Supported servers and software
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IBM has many resources where you can check what software and servers your tape drive is compatible with.
Compatible servers and software
These attachments can change throughout the lifecycle of the product. To determine the newest attachments, or to get a comprehensive list of compatible software, do
one of the following actions.
For a list of compatible software, operating systems, and servers for LTO tape drives, see https://www.ibm.com/it-infrastructure/storage/tape.
Note:
1. IBM® does not provide application software with the drive. To order software, contact your IBM sales representative, IBM Business Partner, or an
independent software provider.
2. If you attach your drive to a server with non-IBM software, contact your software vendor for a matrix of compatible hardware, software, firmware revisions,
and adapters.
For complete IBM storage interoperability information for the tape drive in a storage area network (SAN) configuration, see the IBM® Interoperation Center (SSIC) at
http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/support/storage/ssic/interoperability.wss. The SSIC has details on supported operating systems, servers, switches, and adapters.
Note: Dependent on the use of Random or Sequential Mode, the drive might require an HBA with multiple LUN supports. Also, multiple LUN supports must be enabled on
the host computer. When multiple LUN supports are not enabled, the host computer can see the tape drive, but not the library.
Supported device drivers
IBM provides device driver support for the LTO tape drives.
IBM maintains the current levels of device drivers and driver documentation on the web. Go to http://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral and follow the steps to access this
material.
1. From the Fix Central web page, choose the Select Product tab, select System Storage from the Product Group list.
2. Select Tape Systems from the System Storage list.
3. Select Tape drivers and software from the Tape systems list.
4. Select Tape device drivers from the Tape drivers and software list.
5. Select the appropriate operating system from the Platform list and click Continue.
6. Select the appropriate driver from the list.
The IBM Tape Device Drivers and Diagnostic Tool User's Guide can be found at https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/STAKKZ/dd_iug_kc/DD_kchome.html.
Supported device drivers
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Device drivers enable the drive to interact with various servers. IBM provides device driver support for its various LTO tape drives.
To properly install an IBM® device driver (if required), refer to the IBM Tape Device Drivers Installation and User's Guide. For applications that use other device drivers, see
the application's documentation to determine which drivers to use.
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