Automated Cartridge System Library Software (ACSLS) is Oracle's StorageTek server software that controls StorageTek automated tape libraries. An Automated Cartridge System (ACS) is a group of tape libraries connected through pass-thru-ports (PTPs). ACSLS accesses and manages information stored in one or more ACSs through command processing across a network. The software includes a system administration component and interfaces to client system applications, and library management facilities. ACSLS 8.4 is bundled with WebLogic 10.3.6.
ACSLS 8.4 uses the relational database PostgreSQL. On Solaris 11, the PostgreSQL packages are available from the Oracle Software Delivery Cloud in the same location where you find the STKacsls package. The Linux installation procedure described in this document explains the process of adding PostgreSQL packages from the Oracle yum repository after installing the Linux Product Pack.
ACSLS 8.4 has been developed and tested for the following operating system environments:
Oracle's Sun SPARC and X86 platforms running Solaris 11, Update 2 or 3.
Oracle Enterprise Linux 6.5 (ACSLS 8.4 base through patch 8.4.0-4)
Oracle Enterprise Linux 6.8 (requires ACSLS 8.4 patch 8.4.0-4)
Oracle Linux testing was performed in environments using Oracle's Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel. Other operating systems, including virtual environments, are not tested or supported.
Note:
Special device drivers are provided in ACSLS for use with logical libraries and with fibre-attached libraries, such as the SL500 and SL150. This is an issue for Solaris zoned environments. Because such device drivers are attached to the system kernel, they must reside in the global zone. In cases where such drivers are used, ACSLS cannot be installed in the local zoned environment. Logical libraries are not supported on the Linux operating system.
ACSLS 8.4 High Availability (HA) systems must be installed on their own dedicated platform pair.
Memory: 4GB minimum
To show system memory:
Solaris
prtconf | grep Mem
Linux
grep MemTotal /proc/meminfo
Swap space:
Solaris and Linux systems should be equipped with a minimum of 4GB of memory and a minimum of 2GB of swap space. When system memory exceeds 6GB, provide swap space that is no less than 30% of physical memory. To check swap space, enter one of the following operating system commands:
Solaris:
vmstat -S
The result is expressed in kilobytes.
Linux:
vmstat -s | grep total
The result is expressed in kilobytes.
File systems and required databases:
ACSLS 8.4 enables you to install in any file system. You must define the following directories before installing ACSLS.
A base directory where the ACSLS components will be installed.
A default directory for ACSLS backups. It is recommended (but not required) to place the ACSLS backup directory in a separate file system from the ACSLS base directory.
Although you can install ACSLS in any directory, the default directories used for ACSLS are:
/export/home is the default ACSLS base directory.
/export/backup is the default ACSLS backup directory.
The ACSLS base directory file system requires a minimum of 5GB free. Reserve an additional 5GB free for ACSLS backups. To view file system sizes, enter the following command:
df -h
Fibre card (optional) is optional. A suitable HBA is required for Fibre Channel operations.
For target mode operation, supporting the Logical Library feature, this HBA must be a contemporary QLogic fibre card (4Gb or higher).
For initiator mode operation, supporting a fibre-connected library such as the SL500 or SL150, ACSLS 8.4 is fully tested and certified with QLogic and Emulex HBAs.
The ACSLS 8.4 GUI can operate with most common browsers, though formal testing has been limited to recent releases of FireFox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer. The Chrome browser and earlier versions of FireFox have tested well using the default settings for ACSLS in the WebLogic server. Internet Explorer 8 (and above) and FireFox 39 (and above) require configuration settings to provide a 2048-bit self-signed digital certificate for https. See "Configuring a Self-Signed Digital Certificate for HTTPS".
To ensure uninterrupted library service and to avoid unanticipated problems due to resource contention, it is generally recommended that ACSLS run in a standalone environment on a dedicated server. However, some systems are designed to allow multiple applications to run in co-hosted fashion as though they are completely isolated from one another. Solaris Containers and Oracle Solaris VM Server for SPARC enable conditional co-hosting possibilities for use with ACSLS.
The following list details the conditions and limitations associated with the various co-hosting options for an ACSLS application.
Solaris Zones (containers)
Solaris zones enable a system administrator to partition a standard, low cost server into four independent Solaris systems, each with its own isolated file system, and its own instance of Solaris. You can assign network resources to each zone and you can reboot any local (non-global) zone without affecting applications in other zones on the same platform.
However, the ability to share kernel resources, such as device drivers, across multiple zones is tenuous at best. Ideally, an application that requires kernel drivers would reside in the global zone. However, it is generally not good practice to install an application in the global zone since any fatal condition with the application could impact all other applications running in the other zones.
ACSLS 8.4 can reside in a Solaris zone only if it does not require drivers beyond the network interface. Any use of Logical Libraries requires a target-mode fibre-channel driver, and any connection to an SL500 or SL150 library requires an initiator-mode fibre-channel driver. Either of these configurations dictates that ACSLS must be installed in the global zone.
There is no version of ACSLS HA supported for use in Solaris zones.
Oracle VM Server for SPARC
Oracle VM Server for SPARC (formerly Logical Domains or LDOMs) technology offers significant advantages over Solaris Containers to the extent that each domain is in control of its own Solaris kernel.
A Solaris administrator can partition hardware resources across the system, assigning a specific resource to a specific domain. Network resources on this virtual machine can easily be shared across any of up to 128 guest domains on the server. But applications that require access to I/O devices through the PCIe bus must be installed in special I/O domains. The number of I/O domains that you can create on the VM Server depends on the number of discrete PCIe buses on the SPARC platform. On a system with a single PCIe bus, you can have two I/O domains, and one of these must be the control domain.
Any ACSLS application that relies solely on network connectivity to the library and for client applications can be installed in a guest domain on this server. The virtual network set-up procedure is described in the document, Oracle VM Server for SPARC 2.1 Administration Guide in the section, entitled "Using Virtual Networks".
If your ACSLS 8.4 application is intended for use with logical libraries, or if you intend to connect to a fibre-channel library such as the SL500 or L700, then ACSLS must be installed in an I/O domain. Refer to the section "Setting up I/O Domains" in the Oracle VM Server for SPARC 2.1 Administration Guide.
Solaris Cluster Software is supported on the Oracle VM Server for SPARC and this platform can be employed in an ACSLS HA application. Refer to the Oracle Solaris Cluster Data Service for Oracle VM Server for SPARC Guide.