How to configure DD VTL in SAN

How to configure DD VTL in SAN

Introduction

Data Domain (DD) provides the best VTL feature in the industry. I’d like to share something about configuring DD VTL in SAN to be used by an open system.

You may need to purchase the DD VTL license from EMC as well asadditional tape libraries and tape drive licenses from your backup software vendor so that your backup software can use the D D VTL feature.

The main steps required to prepare the SAN and the Data Domain VTL feature for use with a backup application on a backup server (host) system are:

1. Connect all cables.

2. If you are using a Fibre Channel switch or fabric, configure the zoning.

3. Configure VTL libraries and groups on the Data Domain system.

4. Discover and configure the VTL devices on the host.

5. Configure the backup application to recognize and operate with the VTL.

Detailed Information

1. Connect all cables.

The standard configuration uses a single dual-port FC adapter card in your Data Domain system. Three different speeds (2Gb, 4Gb, and 8Gb) of FC adapter cards are available as well, depending on the Data Domain system, and it is necessary to connect them to the SAN switch.

2. If you are using a Fibre Channel switch or fabric, configure the zoning.

Use a single backup host or filer HBA port in a zone with a single Data Domain system port. This technique, called the single-initiator single-target zoning, can reduce message traffic around the SAN when configuration changes occur.

a. Identify the WWPNs of the HBAs in the Data Domain system
# vtl port show hardware

Port Model Firmware WWNN WWPN

---- ------- ------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

6a QLE2462 4.06.00 [IP] 20:00:00:1b:32:01:e2:1c 21:00:00:1b:32:01:e2:1c

6b QLE2462 4.06.00 [IP] 20:01:00:1b:32:21:e2:1c 21:01:00:1b:32:21:e2:1c

---- ------- ------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

b. Identify the WWPNs of the HBAs in hosts, below are commands.

Linux systool -c fc_host -v

Solaris fcinfo hba-port

Windows HBAmanagement utility

AIX lscfg -v -l fcsX

HP-UX ioscan –funCfc

NetApp storage show adapter

VNX server_sysconfig server_# -pci

Isilon isi fc list

c. Validate zoning.

3. Configure VTL in DD
a. Create the library

b. Create tape

c. Load tapes

d. Activate ports

e. Set alias for initiator

f. Configure VTL access group and bind the initiator and target

4. Discover and configure VTL on the hosts
a. Configure the host operating system Fibre Channel driver for LUN-persistent binding or, preferably, use persistently-named operating system device special files.
b. Dedicate an HBA port on the backup host for use with the Data Domain VTL LUNs.

How to configure DD VTL in a Networker 8 environment.

1. Discover DD VTL on storage node