Sun Microsystems SL8500 manual Library Management Software, Fibre Channel

Library Management Software

■Mbps—megabits per second, a unit of measure for data transfer speed (a megabit is equal to one million bits). Newer versions of Ethernet, called Gig-E or 1000Base-T support data transfers of 1 gigabit (1,000 Mbps).

■Multi-homed—the host system contains more than one network interface—this does not imply redundancy.

■Netmask:—also known as network mask or subnet mask. This entry makes the library accessible through a subnet on a larger network, using a number from 0 to 32; for example, 126.80.70.121/23.

■Redundant TCP/IP—relates to dynamic routing or switching from a primary interface to a secondary interface in the event of a network failure on one interface.

■Static Routing—routing information in the host system is manually configured by the system administrator. This is the only routing method supported by SL8500.

■TCP/IP—Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol

TCP is one of the main protocols in networks that enable two hosts to establish a connection and exchange streams of data. TCP guarantees delivery of data and also guarantees that packets are delivered in the order they were sent.

IP specifies the format of packets and the addressing scheme.

Fibre Channel

Topologies include:

■Switched Fabric

Note – This topology is the only one supported for library-attached drives.

A switched fabric provides dynamic interconnections between nodes and multiple, simultaneous Fibre Channel connections for the network.

If the library is connected to a Fibre Channel switch or fabric-capable host, it configures itself as a switched topology. A switched fabric topology can support up to 16 million ports logged into the fabric.

■Arbitrated Loop

Note – The library does not support forcing Arbitrated Loop connection by setting a Hard ALPA (Arbitrated Loop Physical Address).

Library Management Software

Library management software components control the library and manage the library database. They also retain volume location and attribute information, plus perform activities such as mounts and dismounts, enters and ejects.

Sun offers several software components depending on the platform, connection type, and operating system.

42 StreamLine™ SL8500 Modular Library System User's Guide • March 2007 Revision K • 96154