Link between tape drive library index and its serial number on linux

Question

I need to map system devices to their index in tape library on linux. How could I know by what index number in mtx command refers to a particular drive? I can get mapping between drive serial numbers and system devices, through sg_inq or similar. But how to get tapechanger configuration about tape drive indexes?

UPDATE: Tape library I'm testing it on is MHVTL

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 26 '16 at 12:06

1

Not possible.

I've last looked at this in 2008, but there was no such universal method. Generally SCSI protocol (+descendants) for a tape library lacked at the time the possibility to ask a tape library "what is the serial number of your drive device in slot 5". At the time it could be queried only with a non-standard vendor specific methods, some had quirky ways to accomplish it.

answered Sep 26 '16 at 12:06

kubanczyk

13,812
5
41
55

But backup software such as NetBackup, TSM, Veeam do this. It should be possible somehow. – Pavel Voropaev Sep 27 '16 at 08:13
Both Netbackup and TSM have heuristics to detect a vendor. Please include the tape library brand/type in your question, if you have a specific device in mind. – kubanczyk Sep 27 '16 at 09:25
I've updated question. For my tests I'm using mhvtl. – Pavel Voropaev Sep 27 '16 at 11:46

Link between tape drive library index and its serial number on linux

1 Answers1