9840C tape storage for HP NonStop S-series Servers product announcement

September 16, 2004

9840C tape drives utilize StorageTek 9840C tape drive technology, which provides high capacity, high performance, and reliability, resulting in excellent media and tape library investment protection.

HP announces the availability of the 9840C tape drives for use with HP NonStop servers.

9840C tape drives for NonStop servers are based on the 9840 media format. The StorageTek access-centric 9840C tape drive is ideal for applications that demand high data throughput and fast recall. The StorageTek T9840C tape drive stores up to 40 gigabytes native on a single cartridge.

Key features and benefits

• Utilizes the successful StorageTek 9840 tape technology
• Provides extraordinarily fast restore using a mid-point load tape cartridge technology
• Provides backward-read compatibility with 9840 media written on earlier HP NonStop CT9840x Tape Drives
• Supports the StorageTek 9840 Volsafe data cartridge, providing up to 40 gigabytes (native) of non-erasable, non-rewritable, write once, read many (WORM) storage

What's new

The StorageTek 9840C tape drive is available in two library configurations. These include one for the HP CTL700/CTL700M Tape Library and one for the StorageTek 9310 Powderhorn tape library. Complete ordering information for these two models is provided below.

The 9840C tape drives for use with HP NonStop servers provide a replacement path for the 9840A products, which were discontinued from sales, effective on August 31, 2004. Customers choosing to replace a 9840A tape drive and those adding to their 9840 media operations capacity must be aware that the 9840C products are capable of reading media written with the earlier 9840A tape drives; however, they are not capable of writing in a format that is readable with a 9840A tape drive. Moreover, data written with a 9840C tape drive is not readable to a 9840A tape drive. Additionally, from an HP NonStop Kernel Operating System Release Version Update (RVU) and dependent product perspective, the 9840C tape drives require Open System Management (OSM) and RVU G06.24 of the NonStop Kernel Operating System. For servers running G06.16 and later RVUs, the 9840C tape drive is supported where OSM is installed along with prerequisite software product revisions (SPRs). The specific SPRs are listed in the ordering information detail below.

As a result of the media read/write, operating system, and service subsystem requirements described here, it is very important that customers considering the 9840C tape drive develop a migration or transition strategy in order to introduce the 9840C product into their operations environment.

Benefits of StorageTek 9840C tape drive products

The StorageTek 9840C tape drive products provide the following benefits:

• Native 9840 media cartridge capacity of 40 gigabytes
• Up to 2:1 compression, with a potential for up to 80 gigabytes per media cartridge
• Backward-read compatibility for 9840 media written on 9840A tape drives
• Support for the StorageTek 9840 Volsafe media cartridge, providing up to 40 gigabytes (native) of non-erasable, non-rewritable, WORM storage

• Hardware
  • NonStop S-series S74000 Server or later PMF SCSI Port
  • IOMF2 SCSI Port (product number 1980)
  • HP ServerNet Device Adapter SCSI Port (product numbers 6760 and 6762)
• Software
  • NonStop Kernel Operating System, RVU G06.24 and later, or RVU G06.16 and later with OSM and OSM prerequisite SPRs as follows. OSM SPRs part numbers, product name:
    • T2723AAL - OSM Connection Library
    • T2724AAL - OSM Provider Interface Library
    • T2725AAL - OSM Configuration
    • T2726AAL - OSM XML API
    • T2727AAL - OSM CIMOM
    • T2728AAL - OSM Service Provider
    • T2730AAL - OSM Event Viewer
    • T2751AAL - OSM Web-Based Suite
• Ordering information (part number, description)
  • CT9841FC-1 - 9840C Tape Drive for CTL700/CTL700M Tape Libraries
  • CT9841FC-4 - 9840C Tape Drive for STK 9310 Powderhorn Tape Libraries
  • Required Fibre Channel converter: CT9800FC - Fibre Channel Converter
  • Controller hardware options (Any NonStop S-series S74000 Server or later PMF CRU SCSI Port)
    • 1980 - IOMF2 SCSI Port
    • 6760 and 6762 - ServerNet/DA with SCSI PIC
    • 9840C tape drives are attached to NonStop servers using a copper SCSI cable, a Fibre Channel Converter (CT9800FC), and a 62.5/125um multimode fiber cable as described and listed below. The connection sequence is as follows: Host SCSI port -> copper SCSI cable -> CT9800FC -> 62.5/125um fiber cable -> CT9841FC-x tape drive
  • Copper SCSI cables
    • 519-001W - SCSI Cable, 1 m (3.3 ft)
    • 519-003W - SCSI Cable, 3 m (9.8 ft)
    • 519-015W - SCSI Cable, 15 m (49.2 ft)
    • 519-020W - SCSI Cable, 20 m (65.6 ft)
    • 519-023W - SCSI Cable, 23 m (75.4 ft)
  • Fiber cables - 62.5/125um multimode fiber cables for use with the CT9841FC-x Tape Drives are available from HP as listed below. Attachment at distances up to 500 meters is supported; however, customers choosing to install these tape drives at distances greater than 125 meters must obtain and install 62.5/125um multimode fiber-optic cable. The length of a customer-supplied 62.5/125um fiber cable may not exceed 500 meters.
    • M8910-10 - 10-meter LC-SC, MMF Cables
    • M8910-20 - 20-meter LC-SC, MMF Cables
    • M8910-50 - 50-meter LC-SC, MMF Cables
    • M8910125 - 125-meter LC-SC, MMF Cables
  • The following enclosure products are supported for use with the CT9800FC Fibre Channel Converters:
    • 7290 - Half-Height NonStop S-series Enclosure, (optional)
    • 7291 - Half-Height NonStop S-series Enclosure Add-on (optional)

This news is published on NonStop Computing websites. September 2004.