1 Introduction

Oracle's StorageTek T10000 tape drive family provides a range of small, modular, high-performance units designed for high-capacity data storage. The tape drive is either rack mounted or used in various StorageTek libraries (see Figure 1-1). There are four models in the T10000 drive family: T10000A, T10000B, T10000C, and T10000D.

Note:

The tape drives are also called T10000, tape drive, or just drive throughout this guide.

Figure 1-1 T10000 Tape Drive Configurations

Illustration Legend:

1 - SL3000 configuration
2 - SL8500 configuration
3 - Rack tray

Description

The tape drive is 8.89 centimeters (3.5 inches) high, 14.6 centimeters (5.75 inches) wide, and 42.55 centimeters (16.75 inches) deep. The drive uses a single-reel tape cartridge and a technology called partial response, maximum likelihood (PRML) to provide the high-density data format that allows the:

• T10000A to record and store up to 500 gigabytes (GB) of uncompressed data

• T10000B to record and store up to 1 terabyte (TB) of uncompressed data

• T10000C to record and store up to 5.5 terabytes (TB) of uncompressed data

• T10000D to record and store up to 8.5 terabytes (TB) of uncompressed data

The host connections to the tape drive are fiber-optic, and provide a high rate of data transfer.

Tape Drive Components

The tape drive contains the following electrical and mechanical components:

• Control processor: Controls all drive functions and contains the embedded firmware.

• ADC technology: Performs data compression and decompression. ADC is an adaptive lossless data compression technique.

• Specialized buffers: Hold the data in a form written on tape and read back to the host.

• Read and Write circuitry (Read/Write heads): Uses PRML complemented by head technologies that write data to the tape and read it back. Dual head and 32-channel technology increases data integrity, promotes longer media life, and achieves high transfer rates.

  Note:

  The T10000A or B drives use magneto-resistive (MR) heads while the T10000C or D drives use giant magneto-resistive (GMR) heads.

• Encryption circuitry: When enabled, encrypts and decrypts data.

• Head cleaner: Removes loose debris from the head during a cartridge unload.

• Data buffer: The T10000A or B drives have a 256 megabyte data buffer. The T10000C or D drive has a 2 gigabyte data buffer.

• Variable speed servo system: A variable speed servo system allows the tape drive to run at discrete speeds and tension.

• Loader: Loads the cartridge and engages it with the cartridge motor.

• Threader: Threads tape through the tape path to the take up reel during a load and returns the tape to the cartridge during an unload.

• Tape path: Guides the tape past the heads.

• Ethernet port: Provides a connection that supports items such as encryption keys, the virtual operator panel, or the Service Delivery Platform (SDP). The drives support IPv4 and IPv6 addresses (see "Network Selections").

• Tape Transport Interface (TTI): Transfers commands and status between the drive and the library.

• RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system: Provides an interface to a memory chip in the tape cartridge.

Figure 1-2 shows elements of the tape path in the T10000A or B tape drive. The tape path of the T10000C or D is similar.

Figure 1-2 T10000A Tape Path

Illustration Legend:

1 - Tape cartridge and loader (elevator)
2 - Tape cartridge door
3 - Buckler
4 - Tape path rollers and guides
5 - Take-up reel, motor, and hub assembly

Small Form-factor Pluggable Modules

There are different types of small form-factor pluggable (SFP) modules depending on the wavelength (mode) and type of cable:

• Short wavelength SFP module is used with 50-micron multimode cables.

• Long wavelength SFP module is used with 9-micron single mode cables.

  Note:

  The T10000D uses a long wavelength SFP rated at 20km.

The tape drive is shipped with an SFP module in each of its two ports.

Tip:

When planning the network, make sure the SFP module supports the specific network type and configuration including HBAs, switches, wavelength, and cable types.

Power Supply Modules

Figure 1-3 shows ways to provide power to the T10000 tape drives depending on the configuration:

• In an SL3000 or SL8500 configuration: a T10000 tape drive receives operating voltages from a DC power module located inside the drive tray.

• In a rack mount configuration: the drive receives operating voltages from an AC power supply module mounted inside the rack tray (chassis).

• In an L-Series library configuration: the T10000A or B drive receives operating voltages from an external AC power supply module installed on the library tray.

• In a 9741E cabinet configuration: the T10000A drive receives operating voltages from an external AC power supply module mounted inside the cabinet.

All versions of the power supply are field replaceable units (FRUs) with no other servicing requirements. If the power module fails, replace it with another module.

Note:

Even though the power supplies look similar and have the same dimensions as other T-Series tape drive power supplies, the T10000 power supplies are unique to the particular T10000 tape drive model.

Figure 1-3 Power Supply Modules

Illustration Legend:

1 - AC power supply for the 9741E drive cabinet (T10000A only)

2 - AC power supply for the rack chassis (all T10000 models) and L-Series libraries (T10000A or B only)

3 - DC power supply (SL8500 and SL3000 libraries)

Maintenance Port Use

All Oracle service calls to tape drives under warranty or maintenance contract require physical access and connection to the drive maintenance (Ethernet) port. If a customer has an Ethernet cable physically connected to the drive requiring service, the service representative must disconnect this cable to perform the required service action.

• T10000 non-encryption drives supported by the Service Delivery Platform (SDP) require 100% dedication of the drive's Ethernet port to the SDP site unit.

• T10000 encryption-enabled drives require 100% dedication of the drive's Ethernet port to the Encryption Service Network except during service activities by Oracle or Oracle-certified service partners.

Where Encryption and SDP coexist, the Ethernet port must be concurrently shared by using the Service Network.

Note:

Oracle neither supports nor assumes any responsibility for drive functional failures that occur during the unauthorized use of the drive's maintenance port.

Unauthorized use applies to any use of the drive's Ethernet port for other than the following items:

• Encryption 1.x (not supported by the T10000C or T10000D drive)

• Encryption 2.x environments

• Virtual Operator Panel (VOP)

• Remote support platform (such as the Service Delivery Platform [SDP])

• Services Tape Health Check Tool

• StorageTek Diagnostic System (STDS)

Encryption

The tape drive has built-in encryption and works with the Oracle Key Manager (OKM) or Crypto Key Management System (KMS) to encrypt and decrypt data written by the T10000 tape drive. FIPS compliance:

• The T10000A drive with code level 1.40.108, 1.41.110, or 1.41.111 and KMS 2.1, or later, complies with FIPS 140-2 Level 1 security to data on magnetic tape.

• The T10000B drive with code level 1.40.208, 1.41.210, or 1.41.211 and KMS 2.1, or later, complies with FIPS 140-2 Level 2 security to data on magnetic tape.

• The T10000C drive with code level 1.51.318 or 1.57.308 and the OKM provides FIPS 140-2 Level 1 security to data on magnetic tape.

• The T10000D drive with code level 4.07.107 and the Oracle Key Manager provides FIPS 140-2 Level 1 security to data on magnetic tape.

Things to note about the tape drive are:

• The same drive either encrypts data or does not encrypt data, not both.

• The Ethernet port on the tape drive obtains encryption keys.

• Encryption cannot be turned off if it is activated in FIPS mode.

The data path key management (DPKM) subsystem is the third installment of encryption on StorageTek tape drives. DPKM uses the SCSI 4 commands Security Protocol In and Security Protocol Out to implement host-based key management on StorageTek encrypting tape drives. Encryption keys are delivered to the tape drive over the Fibre Channel interface (non-FIPS compliant). DPKM provides the ability to toggle the encryption state on or off on a per cartridge basis which allows the user to have a mix of encrypted and non-encrypted files on each tape cartridge. You use VOP to enable or disable the DPKM capability of the tape drive.

Tape Drive Features

The following features are available for the T10000C and T10000D tape drives. Some of the feature descriptions refer to white papers which are located at:

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/server-storage/sun-tape-storage/documentation/index.html

StorageTek Data Integrity Validation

StorageTek Data Integrity Validation (DIV) ensures that a checksum, provided by an application or file system, is validated by the StorageTek T10000 for each record sent to the drive. The user-generated checksum is stored with each record on tape and can be checked on any future read or verify operation (without the added overhead of sending data to the host). Information about how to use this feature is available in:

• StorageTek T10000 Tape Drive Fibre Channel Reference Manual

• Redefining Tape Usage with StorageTek Tape Tiering Accelerator and StorageTek In-Drive Reclaim Accelerator (white paper)

The DIV feature is available for the FC tape drive and requires application support.

StorageTek Direct Copy

Note:

This feature is supported with the T10000D tape drive only.

Oracle's StorageTek Direct Copy feature enables migration of data in parallel with production processes. Copy data from any Fibre Channel tape device directly to StorageTek T10000D without burdening the host application or disk cache with CPU-intensive data migration activity. This feature is supported using Oracle Hierarchical Storage Manager 6.1. For more detailed information about this feature, contact your local sales representative to obtain a copy of the StorageTek Direct Copy User Specification.

StorageTek File Access Accelerator

Note:

This feature is supported with the T10000D tape drive only.

Oracle's StorageTek File Access Accelerator feature enables applications to recall files from StorageTek T10000D using an optimized retrieval order that minimizes the time required for the tape drive to seek to each file. The tape drive receives a list of files from the application, optimizes the order of the list to minimize seek distances between files, and returns the re-ordered list to the application. And then the application sends read requests to the tape drive in the optimized file order using standard commands. For more detailed information about this feature, contact your local sales representative to obtain a copy of the StorageTek T10000 Tape Drive Fibre Channel Interface Reference Manual.

StorageTek Maximum Capacity

Maximum Capacity allows the use of tape capacity that is normally reserved to ensure tape-to-tape copy operations succeed. The StorageTek T10000 Tape Drive Fibre Channel Interface Reference Manual describes how to use this feature. This feature can increase the capacity of the T10000C to as much as 5.5 TB or the T10000D to as much as 8.5 TB.

Maximum capacity is off by default (enabled through VOP), available on FC drives and VSM, and no application support is needed.

StorageTek File Sync Accelerator

The StorageTek File Sync Accelerator (FSA) allows applications to reduce or eliminate back hitches that are normally caused by writing a tape mark or other sync operations.

The FSA feature is on by default (disabled through VOP), available on FC and FICON drives, and no application support is needed. Refer to the white paper Maximizing Tape Performance with the StorageTek T10000 Tape Drives.

StorageTek Tape Application Accelerator

The StorageTek Tape Application Accelerator (TAA) increases write throughput to tape despite an application inserting sync commands into the data stream. When TAA is enabled, the drive converts tape marks to buffered tape marks and syncs to NO-OPs. Data writes to tape faster because buffered tape marks and NO-OPs do not cause the tape drive to empty the contents of its buffer to tape and back hitch.

The TAA feature is off by default (enabled through VOP), available on FC and FICON drives, and no application support is needed.

Before enabling the TAA configuration, the user must determine how their particular application uses write tape marks and syncs. The terms File Sync and Write Tape Mark are defined differently in FICON and Fibre Channel environments.

• When TAA is enabled in a FICON drive, File Syncs are always converted to NO-OPs and tape marks are always treated as buffered tape marks.

  Note:

  This feature must only be used in environments that handle deferred errors. When this feature is enabled, sending a tape mark does not ensure the data has successfully been written to the tape. A deferred error may be reported when buffered data is written to tape after command completion. In a FICON only environment, duplex write operations should use this feature.

• TAA operation in a Fibre Channel environment depends on whether the user's storage application automatically restarts a job following a power failure or reset condition.

  • For applications designed to restart a job following a failure event, Oracle highly recommends configuring TAA to convert File Syncs to NO-OPs but without treating tape marks as buffered tape marks.

  • For applications that are not designed to restart a job following a failure event, Oracle highly recommends duplexing output-type jobs to two tape drives.

  Refer to the white paper Maximizing Tape Performance with the StorageTek T10000 Tape Drives.

StorageTek Search Accelerator

The StorageTek Search Accelerator (SSA) allows FICON applications to search for a string up to 1024 bytes in length. This feature can enhance Mainframe HSM Audit performance in FICON environments.

The SSA feature is available on FC and FICON drives, and application support is required (an API is available). Refer to the white paper Using Oracle's StorageTek Search Accelerator.

StorageTek MIR Assisted Search

The StorageTek T10000C and T10000D tape drives support access to the Media Information Region (MIR) of the cartridge. This command is implemented using a SCSI Read Buffer command similar to the StorageTek T10000B tape drive. MIR data provides location information for tape records and can be used by an application to order which records are read first from tape. The T10000 MAS N677 engineering document describes this feature.

The MAS feature is available for the FC tape drive, and application support is required.

StorageTek In-Drive Reclaim Accelerator

Note:

This feature is supported with standard cartridges only.

The StorageTek In-Drive Reclaim Accelerator (IDR) allows applications to reclaim space on the tape without rewriting the entire tape. The application must save and manage a partition map to get the full benefit of this feature. The StorageTek Virtual Storage Manager (VSM) supports this feature with the StorageTek T10000B, T10000C, and T10000D drives. For more detailed information about this feature, contact your local sales representative to obtain a copy of the ALP User's Guide.

The IDR feature is available on FC and FICON drives, and application support is required (an API is available).

StorageTek Tape Tiering Accelerator

Note:

This feature is supported with standard cartridges only.

The StorageTek T10000C and T10000D drives have the ability to partition tape. These partitions can be organized by an application to control where file sets are located on tape. Data sets located near the beginning of tape will have faster access characteristics than data written near the end-of-tape (EOT).

• Applications now have the ability to manage the location of data on the tape.

• StorageTek Tape Tiering Accelerator (TTA) allows partitions to be read only.

• TTA allows up to:

  • 480 logical volumes on a cartridge written by a T10000C drive

  • 600 logical volumes on a cartridge written by a T10000D drive

The TTA feature is available on FC and FICON drives, and application support is required (an API is available).

For more detailed information about this feature, contact your local sales representative to obtain a copy of the ALP User's Guide.

Specifications

This section lists the performance, physical, and environmental specifications for the T10000 tape drive.

Tape Drive Performance Specifications

Capacity and Performance:

• Capacity, native

  • T10000A: 500 gigabytes (5 x 10¹¹ bytes)

  • T10000B: 1 terabyte (1 x 10¹² bytes)

  • T10000C: 5 terabytes (5 x 10¹² bytes)

  • T10000D: 8 terabytes (8 x 10¹² bytes)

  Note:

  When Max Capacity is enabled the capacity can be increased up to 5.5 terabytes for the T10000C or 8.5 terabytes for the T10000D.

• Capacity (Sport Cartridge)

  • T10000A: 120 gigabytes

  • T10000B: 240 gigabytes

  • T10000C: 1 terabyte (1 x 10¹² bytes)

  • T10000D: 1.6 terabyte (1.6 x 10¹² bytes)

• Data buffer size:

  • T10000A or B: 256 megabytes

  • T10000C or D: 2 gigabytes

• Tape speeds:

  • Read and Write

    T10000A: 2.0 and 4.95 meters/second

    T10000B:

    • T10000B-formatted cartridges: 2.0 and 3.74 meters per second

    • T10000A-formatted cartridges: 2.0 and 4.95 meters per second (read only)

    T10000C: 5.62 meters per second

    T10000D: 4.75 meters per second (additional speeds of 4.25, 3.75, 3.25, and 2.75 meters/second)

  • File search and locates:

    T10000A or B: 8 to 12 meters per second (varying speeds)

    T10000C or D: 10 to 13 meters per second (varying speeds)

  • High speed rewind:

    T10000A or B: 8 to 12 meters per second (varying speeds)

    T10000C or D: 10 to 13 meters per second (varying speeds)

Interfaces:

• Types:

  • T10000A: 2 gigabit or 4 gigabit Fibre Channel (FC) and FICON

  • T10000B/C: 4 gigabit FC and FICON

  • T10000D: 16 gigabit FC and 16 gigabit FICON

  Note:

  The 16 gigabit tape drive interfaces are compatible with 8 gigabit and 4 gigabit environments.

• Data rate:

  • T10000A or B: 120 megabytes per second

  • T10000C: 252 megabytes per second (native sustained) and 240 megabytes/second (full file host)

  • T10000D: 252 megabytes per second (native sustained)

    Note:

    The actual data rate achieved is a function of the complete system, including the processor, disk data rate, data block size, data compressibility, interface, I/O attachments, storage area network (SAN), and software used. Although the drives are capable of a 252 megabytes/second (T10000C or D) or 120 megabytes/second (T10000A or B) native data rate, other components may limit the actual effective date rate.

Access times:

• Tape load and thread to ready

  • T10000A or B: 16.5 seconds

  • T10000C: 13.1 seconds

  • T10000D: 13 seconds

• File access, average (includes loading)

  • T10000A or B: 62.5 seconds (30.5 seconds for Sport Cartridge)

  • T10000C: 70.1 seconds (30.6 seconds for Sport Cartridge)

  • T10000D: 62.5 seconds (28 seconds for Sport Cartridge)

• Rewind (maximum):

  • T10000A or B: 91 seconds (23 seconds for Sport Cartridge)

  • T10000C: 115 seconds (32.5 seconds for Sport Cartridge)

  • T10000D: 97 seconds (26 seconds for Sport Cartridge)

Unload time: 23 seconds

Reliability:

• Head life: 5 years

• Uncorrected bit error rate: 1 x 10^-19

Physical Specifications

• Width:

  • 146 millimeters (5.77 inches) drive [includes cartridge bezel]

  • 483 millimeters (19 inches) rackmount tray

• Depth:

  • Drive:

    433 millimeters (17 inches) T10000A or B [includes cartridge bezel and D connector]

    427 millimeters (16.8 inches) T10000C [includes cartridge bezel and SFP modules]

  • Rackmount tray: 640 millimeters (25 inches)

• Height: 81 millimeters (3.2 inches)

• Weight:

  • Rackmount tray: 18.6 kilograms (41 pounds) single drive or 25 kilograms (55 pounds) dual drive

  • SL8500 tray: 9.4 kilograms (20.75 pounds)

  • SL3000 tray: 10.1 kilograms (22.25 pounds)

  • L-series (T10000A or B only): 8.3 kilograms (18.3 pounds)

  • 9310 (T10000A only): 6.9 kilograms (15.25 pounds)

Shipping Dimensions

SL3000 library tray:

• Height: 340 millimeters (13.4 inches)

• Width: 310 millimeters (12.2 inches)

• Length: 660 millimeters (26 inches)

• Weight: 10.5 kilograms (23.1 pounds)

SL8500 library tray:

• Height: 310 millimeters (12 inches)

• Width: 330 millimeters (13 inches)

• Length: 1.02 meter (40 inches)

• Weight: 18 kilograms (26 pounds)

Environmental Requirements

Note:

Although the T10000 tape drive will function over the full list of ranges as specified below, you will achieve optimal reliability by maintaining the environment within the recommended ranges.

Temperature:

• Operating:

  Optimal: 22°C (72°F)

  Recommended: 20° – 25°C (68° – 77°F)

  Ranges: 15.6° to 32.2°C (60° to 90°F) - dry bulb

• Shipping:

  Optimal: 22°C (72°F)

  Recommended: 20° – 25°C (68° – 77°F)

  Ranges: -40° to 60°C (-40° to 140°F)

• Storing:

  Optimal: 22°C (72°F)

  Recommended: 20° – 25°C (68° – 77°F)

  Ranges: 10° to 40°C (50° to 104°F) - dry bulb

Relative Humidity:

• Operating:

  Optimal: 45%

  Recommended: 40% – 50%

  Ranges: 20% to 80%

• Shipping:

  Optimal: 45%

  Recommended: 40% – 50%

  Ranges: 10% to 95%

• Storing:

  Optimal: 45%

  Recommended: 40% – 50%

  Ranges: 10% to 95%

Wet bulb (non-condensing):

• Operating: 29°C (84°F)

• Shipping: 35°C (95°F)

• Storing: 35°C (95°F)

  Tip:

  Industry best practices recommend computer rooms maintain a relative humidity of 40% to 50% for best performance.

Airborne Contamination

Tape drives and media are subject to damage from airborne particulates. The operating environment must adhere to the requirements listed in Appendix B, "Controlling Contaminants".

Configurations

The T10000 tape drives are available in configurations for StorageTek libraries or for rack mounting.

Library Configurations

A drive tray for a library configuration contains a single tape drive (see Figure 1-1). The drive tray is designed specifically for the library model. Conversion kits are available to adapt from one library model to a different library model (see "Library Tray Kits").

• SL3000: Holds from 200 to 6,000 cartridges with up to 56 T10000 tape drives.

• SL8500: A single SL8500 holds up to 10,000 cartridges with up to 64 T10000 tape drives. A 10 module library complex can hold up to 100,000 cartridges and up to 640 tape drives.

• L-series:

  Note:

  The T10000C and T10000D tape drive are not supported in the L-series libraries.

  • L180: Holds from 84 to 174 cartridges with up to six T10000A or T10000B tape drives.

  • L700: Holds from 216 to 678 cartridges with up to 12 T10000A or T10000B tape drives.

  • L700e: Holds from 300 to 1,344 cartridges with up to 24 T10000A or T10000B tape drives when two libraries are connected with a pass-thru port (PTP).

  • L1400M: Holds from 300 to 1,344 cartridges with up to 24 T10000A or T10000B tape drives.

• 9310:

  Note:

  The T10000B, T10000C, and T10000D tape drives are not supported in the 9310 library.

  A single 9310 holds up to 6,000 cartridges with up to 80 T10000A tape drives on four drive walls with the 9741E drive cabinet.

See "Library Installation Requirements" for more information.

Rack Mount Configurations

A drive tray for a rack contains either one or two tape drives (see Figure 1-1).

A rack can hold either six manual-mount drives with one drive per tray (chassis), 12 manual-mount drives with two drives per tray, or a combination of both single-drive and dual-drive trays.

See "Rack Mount Configurations" for more information.

Virtual Operator Panel

The virtual operator panel allows operators and service representatives to monitor and perform tasks on a single tape drive. You can install the VOP software on a variety of platforms, such as Windows, Solaris, and Linux.

The VOP uses a standard RJ-45 Ethernet connection to the tape drive.

You can use VOP to perform drive operations, retrieve error information, and configure the tape drive.

Figure 1-4 shows an example of the virtual operator panel (VOP) graphical user interface (GUI) for the T10000 tape drive with the Drive Operations menu expanded.

Figure 1-4 Virtual Operator Panel

Tape Cartridge

The T10000 supports the following types of cartridges:

• StorageTek T10000 cartridge (T10000A or B drive):

  • Data: 500 gigabytes T10000A or 1 terabyte T10000B

  • Data, sport: 120 gigabytes T10000A or 240 gigabytes T10000B

  • VolSafe, capacity: 500 gigabytes T10000A or 1 terabyte T10000B

  • VolSafe, sport: 120 gigabytes T10000A or 240 gigabytes T10000B

  • Cleaning cartridge: 50 uses (CT or CL cartridge)

• StorageTek T10000 T2 cartridge (T10000C and T10000D tape drives):

  • Data, standard: 5 terabytes (T10000C) or 8 terabytes (T10000D)

  • Data, sport: 1 terabyte (T10000C) or 1.6 terabytes (T10000D)

  • VolSafe, sport: 1 terabyte (T10000C) or 1.6 terabytes (T10000D)

  • VolSafe, capacity: up to 5.5 terabytes (T10000C) or 8.5 terabytes (T10000D)

  • Cleaning cartridge: 50 uses (CL cartridge)

Included inside the cartridge is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) memory chip that stores information about the cartridge and its performance over time. A module in the drive retrieves information from the chip.

All cartridges include a cartridge label area, a cartridge door, and a write-protect switch. Figure 1-5 shows an example of the T10000 tape cartridge.

See Appendix A, "Tape Cartridges" for more information about the tape cartridges, examples of labels, and specifications.

Caution:

Servo track damage: Bulk-erase destroys pre-recorded servo tracks. Do not degauss StorageTek T10000 or T10000 T2 tape cartridges.

Figure 1-5 Tape Cartridge Introduction

Illustration Legend:

1 - Label area
2 - Door (black = data, red = sport, white = cleaning, and yellow = VolSafe
3 - Write protect switch

Cables and Connectors

The T10000 tape drive supports fiber-optic based host interfaces:

• Fibre Channel for open systems platforms

• FICON (IBM's Fibre Connection) for enterprise mainframes

Note:

The drive supports 256 concurrent hosts.

The interfaces conform to standards:

• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

• International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

• InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards (INCITS)

Specific types of cables and connectors are used with the T10000 tape drive.

Cable Guidelines

Single mode:

• Transmission: Laser

• Core and cladding: 9/125

• Color: Yellow

• Interface speed: 1, 2, 4, or 16 gigabits per second

• Distance:

  T10000A, B, or C: 2 m to 10 kilometers

  T10000D: up to 20 kilometers with the T10000D long wavelength SFP

Multimode:

• Transmission: LED

• Core and cladding: 50/125

  Important: Multimode cables with a measurement of 62.5/125 are not recommended. If you encounter them at existing installations, replace them with multimode 50/125 interface cables.

• OM2 cable:

  • Color: Orange

  • Interface speed and distance:

    1 gigabit per second, up to 500 meters

    2 gigabits per second, up to 300 meters

    4 gigabits per second, up to 150 meters

    8 gigabits per second, up to 50 meters

    16 gigabits per second, up to 35 meters

    Note:

    Exceeding these lengths could introduce problems, exceed error thresholds, and inhibit performance.

• OM4 cable

  • Color: Aqua

  • Interface speed and distance:

    4 gigabits per second, up to 400 meters

    8 gigabits per second, up to 200 meters

    16 gigabits per second, up to 130 meters

LC Connectors

LC connectors are used on fiber-optic cables and connect to the SFP modules in the tape drive interface ports and with network switches and directors.

Connectivity

The T10000 tape drive supports connection of both ports in accordance with ANSI Fibre Channel specifications.

Refer to the InterNational Committee on Information Technology Standards (INCITS) documents:

SCSI Primary Commands -3 Section 5.6

Fibre Channel Protocol -3

Note:

The drive can support two hosts if they honor the Reserve/Release or the Persistent Reserve/Release specifications.

A T10000 tape drive should not be connected to the same host port with another tape drive or disk subsystem. The stress on the HBA, due to the bandwidth needs, creates unacceptable error recovery issues between both solutions.

Interop Tool

The Interop Tool is a web-based tool designed with connectivity information on all supported products (StorageTek branded or third-party branded). The configurations listed on this website reflect the most current information reported from various sources, including internal testing labs and our technology partners.

The Interop Tool can be accessed by Oracle employees.

Network Considerations

Planning is foremost when building a storage area network (SAN). Here is a list of items to consider when designing and connecting to a network:

• Create a logical plan for connections.

• Use dual Fabrics and dual HBAs to attach servers.

• Separate vendor's and device types into zones.

• Use WWN zoning for flexibility and use Port zoning for security.

• Keep zone configurations the same on every switch in a single Fabric.

• Use unique names for aliases in a zone.

• Standardize vendors for switches and HBAs when possible.

• Use the same firmware and driver levels on similar devices.

• Use at least two links between switches for redundancy.

• Leave room for growth.

• Document and label everything; provide drawings when possible.

• Keep in mind that while large Fabrics are possible; it is best to limit the size and use multiple smaller Fabrics to reduce errors and confusion.

Binding

Some operating systems do not guarantee that devices will always have the same target ID or path after a restart. This can cause problems for applications that expect tape drives to have the same ID as before the restart.

Binding is a method that matches the World Wide Name (WWN) of a component (such as a tape drive, port, switch, or fabric) to a specific target ID in a Fibre Channel network. This capability is useful in environments that share devices.

Types of binding:

• Persistent binding secures an individual drive to an HBA.

• Port binding secures individual ports on a switch to a node.

• Switch binding secures individual switches in a fabric.

• Fabric binding secures the entire fabric in a network.

Zoning

Zoning is a method of grouping different ports and devices that connect to a switch or director. Zones:

• Enable or disable communications between devices and systems.

• Limit the access to confidential data on specific systems (security).

• Control the number of data paths between systems and devices.

• Separate different operating system types (such as Windows and UNIX).

• Restrict traffic from being re-directed.

Note:

Zoning is highly recommended in mixed environments with different devices connected to the same switch or director.

Comparisons

Some comparisons between the T10000 tape drives and other drive-types, including StorageTek T-series and Linear Tape-Open are as follows:

Capacity:

• T10000 drives:

  • T10000A: 500 gigabytes standard cartridge and 120 gigabytes sport cartridge

  • T10000B: 1 terabytes standard cartridge and 240 gigabytes sport cartridge

  • T10000C: 5 terabytes standard cartridge and 1 terabyte sport cartridge

  • T10000D: 8 terabytes standard cartridge and 1.6 terabyte sport cartridge

    Note:

    When Max Capacity is enabled the capacity can be increased up to 5.5 terabytes for the T10000C or 8.5 terabytes for the T10000D.

• T9940B: 200 gigabytes

• LTO6: 2.5 terabytes

Data rate:

• T10000 drives:

  Note:

  The actual data rate achieved is a function of the complete system, including the processor, disk data rate, data block size, data compressibility, interface, I/O attachments, storage area network (SAN), and software used. Although the drives are capable of a 252 megabytes/second (T10000C or D) or 120 megabytes/second (T10000A or B) native data rate, other components may limit the actual effective date rate.

  • T10000A or T10000B: 125 megabytes per second

  • T10000C: native sustained of 252 megabytes per second and full file host of 240 megabytes per second

  • T10000D: native sustained of 252 megabytes per second

• T9940B: 30 megabytes per second

• LTO6: 160 megabytes per second

Access time (average):

• T10000 drives:

  • T10000A or B: 62.5 seconds standard cartridge and 30.5 seconds sport cartridge

  • T10000C: 70.1 seconds standard cartridge and 30.6 seconds sport cartridge

  • T10000D: 62.5 seconds standard cartridge and 28 seconds sport cartridge

• T9940B: 59 seconds

• LTO6: 50 seconds

Read and write speed:

• T10000 drives:

  • T10000A 2.0 or 4.95 meters per second

  • T10000B: 2.0 or 3.74 meters per second

  • T10000C: 5.62 meters per second

  • T10000D: 4.75 meters per second (additional speeds of 4.25, 3.75, 3.23, and 2.75 meters per second)

• T9940B: 3.4 meters per second

• LTO6: 7.4 meters per second

Rewind time (maximum):

• T10000 drives:

  • T10000A or B: 91 seconds (23 seconds for the Sport Cartridge)

  • T10000C: 115 seconds (32.5 seconds for the Sport Cartridge)

  • T10000D: 97 seconds (26 seconds for the Sport Cartridge)

• T9940B: 90 seconds

• LTO6: 98 seconds

Media length (recordable):

• StorageTek T10000 tape cartridge: 855 meters (2805 feet)

• StorageTek T10000 T2 tape cartridge: 1107 meters (3632 feet)

• T9940 tape cartridge: 650 meters (2133 feet)

• LTO6 Ultrium data cartridge: 846 meters (2776 feet)

Tracks:

• T10000 drives:

  • T10000A: 768

  • T10000B: 1152

  • T10000C: 3584

  • T10000D: 4608

• T9940B: 576

• LTO6: 2176