TapeAlert^TM:
A New Approach to Tape Drive Management

Introduction

Tape storage systems have a vital role to play in backing up essential data safely and securely. Yet until now, there has been no reliable way to identify errors and potential problems that may compromise their effectiveness or reliability.

Thanks to a new industry standard developed by Hewlett-Packard, however, that situation has changed. TapeAlert is a tape drive status monitoring and messaging utility that makes it easy to detect problems which could have an impact on backup quality. From the use of worn-out tapes to defects in the drive hardware TapeAlert provides easy-to-understand warnings of errors as they arise, and suggests a course of action to remedy the problem.

To take advantage of TapeAlert, you need:

• TapeAlert-compatible tape drives
• TapeAlert-compatible backup software

Network administrators will also find it extremely valuable to have TapeAlert for OpenView, which extends the benefits of TapeAlert across the network.

How it Works

TapeAlert compatible tape drives - such as the latest DDS-3 DAT drives from Hewlett-Packard - are delivered with TapeAlert features built in as standard. The internal TapeAlert firmware constantly monitors the drive hardware and the media, checking for errors and potential difficulties. Any problems identified are flagged on a new SCSI log page, where 64 bytes have been reserved for use by TapeAlert.

After a backup has been completed, the TapeAlert-compatible backup application will automatically read the drive's TapeAlert SCSI log page to check for any problems. If an error is flagged, the backup software displays a clear warning message on the user's screen, and adds the TapeAlert messages to its logs. These messages are standard across all applications that support TapeAlert, and are designed to give clear explanation of the problem and suggested resolution. For example, a user attempting to backup onto a worn-out tape would encounter the message:

WARNING: The tape cartridge has reached the end of its useful life:
1. Copy and data you need to another tape
2. Discard the old tape

Errors Monitored

TapeAlert currently checks for errors occurring in the following main categories:

• Drive recoverable read problems
• Drive recoverable write problems
• Drive unrecoverable read problems
• Drive unrecoverable write problems
• Drive hardware defects
• Worn-out media
• Expired cleaning tapes
• Wrong media used
• Abnormal error conditions

TapeAlert for OpenView

TapeAlert for OpenView allows you to bring all TapeAlert-compatible tape drives on the network under the control of the network administrator. It integrates all the features and functions of TapeAlert into HP's network management utility, OpenView for Windows. As a result, tape drives can now be monitored and controlled remotely in the same way as other network elements such as disk drives and printers.

With TapeAlert for OpenView installed, error messages flagged by tape drives are passed to the backup applications in the usual way. The software then forwards the information to the network management console through the server's SNMP interface. 

An OpenView alarm is then activated on the management console, alerting the network manager to the tape drives problem. The icon for the relevant server will change colour, with the colour indicating the severity of the alarm as follows: 

TapeAlert for OpenView also provides a graphical view of the tape drives on the selected server. Detailed configuration information is shown, together with a history of previous errors recorded.

For each alarm, TapeAlert provides a brief description of the error, together with the date and time of occurrence and an indication of severity. By clicking on the "More Info" button, it is possible to drill down to details such as the device and media involved, and suggestions for correcting the problem. For consistency and convenience, the error messages are identical to those displayed locally by TapeAlert. 

As a result, it is easy for network managers to identify the source of problems occurring on any TapeAlert-enabled drive on the network. 

A New Standard

TapeAlert has been developed by Hewlett-Packard as a proposed new standard tape drive management. All new tape drives from Hewlett-Packard will be fully compatible with TapeAlert, and many major manufacturers and software companies are expected to adopt the standard. Software companies adopting the standard currently include:

• Computer Associates Software
• Seagate Software
• Stac
• Legato
• Novastor

The TapeAlert standard has been designed to allow easy integration into backup applications from any software vendor. Applications which comply fully with the requirements for TapeAlert will be awarded the use of the TapeAlert logo.

Designed for the Future 

TapeAlert is an advanced technological standard which provides a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art features and functions. However, it has also been designed to allow considerable expansion and development in the future, as new possibilities and opportunities open up.

Summary

Reliable, high-quality backups are essential to safeguard the vast amount of data stored on computer systems today. TapeAlert is an innovative standard that enhances reliability by monitoring tape drives and associated media during backup procedures. 

Offering clear warnings of problems as they arise, TapeAlert allows users and network managers to eliminate unnecessary errors and ensure that data integrity and security is never compromised. Already gaining substantial support across the industry, TapeAlert is set to become the established standard for tape drive management.