Dell NetWorker 19.9 Administration Guide

Setting the common device interface

Common device interface (CDI) allows the NetWorker server to send commands to tape devices. The CDI feature is not supported within an NDMP environment. You can set CDI support in the NetWorker Administration interface.

1. In the server’s NetWorker Administration interface, click Devices.
2. Select View > Diagnostic Mode.
3. Select Devices in the navigation tree. The Devices detail table appears.
4. Double-click a device in the Devices table (or right-click the device and select Properties). The Properties window appears, with the General tab selected.
5. Select the Advanced tab. In the Device Configuration area, locate the CDI settings:
   • Not Used: Disables the CDI feature and uses standard tape driver calls for tape operations.

   • SCSI Commands: Sends explicit SCSI commands to tape devices.

     When enabled, the CDI feature:

   • Provides clearer tape status messages.
   • Informs when a tape is write protected.

   • Enables Tape Alert, which provides diagnostic information for devices.

     Although you can disable the CDI feature by selecting the Not Used option, it can be time-consuming to disable CDI on a large number of devices.

   In this situation, create an empty file named /nsr/debug directory and create an empty file that is named cdidisable. Then restart the NetWorker server. The presence of this file disables the use of CDI for that server and all the storage nodes that are controlled by that server.

   NOTE:Use of CDI does not change what is written to tape. A tape that is written with CDI enabled can be read with CDI disabled. Conversely, a tape that is written with CDI disabled can be read with CDI enabled. The CDI feature enables NetWorker software to collect better diagnostic information and facilitates tape usage when enabled. Only set or disable the CDI feature on the advice of an Customer Service representative. If tape or SCSI issues occur while the CDI feature is enabled, contact Customer Service.