Configuring VSCSI Tape Using PowerVM Virtual I/O Server

Resolving The Problem

REQUIREMENTS

1. Verify the physical tape drive is supported for VSCSI configuration.  For details, see supported tape device for VSCSI and restrictions. 
   1. Note 1: The VIOS cannot use Atape drive, such as the 3580, when attempting to virtualize a SAS tape drive to AIX client.  Alternatively, the Atape driver can be used directly on the AIX OS. 
   2. Note 2: Verify tape storage compatibility for your specific environment at  IBM System Storage Interoperation Center (SSIC).
2. Allocate the physical tape device to the VIOS partition. For assistance allocating the physical resource, see Performing DLPAR Physical IO Moves with Enhanced HMC GUI or contact your VIOS Management GUI Support, such as HMC, PowerVC, etc.
3. Configured the physical tape device on the VIOS according to the tape vendor specifications. For assistance configuring the tape device, contact your local Tape Support Representative.
4. Ensure the VIO Client OS version supports Virtual I/O.  For details, see Operating Systems supported for VIOS client logical partitions.
5. This procedure assumes a virtual SCSI Client and Server adapter have been configured. For assistance with this step, see Configuring a virtual SCSI adapter using the HMC or contact VIOS Management GUI Support, such as HMC, PowerVC, etc.

Ensure all requirements have been met before continuing with the rest of this document.

1.  Verify the VIOS partition has the physical tape drive configured in Available state.
To list tape backed devices, login to VIOS as padmin and run:

$ lsdev -type tape
name status description
rmt0 Available SAS 4mm Tape Drive

To list all devices of type "tape" that can be used as backing devices, type
$ lsdev -type tape4vtd
name status description
rmt0 Available SAS 4mm Tape Drive

2.  Identify the virtual SCSI server (vhost#) adapter associated with the client partition ID you want to configure the virtual tape device for.
To list all configured vhosts:
$ lsmap -all|grep vhost         
The 3^er column in the output lists the Client Partition ID in hexadecimal value.  If the value is all zeros (0x00000000), verify the client partition is activated.

In this example, vhost0 will be used to virtualize the tape drive to AIX client partition ID 4.

3.  Export the physical tape drive thru the desired vhost adapter associated with the client partition to create the virtual target device (VTD).
$ mkvdev -vdev rmt0 -vadapter vhost0
vttape0 Available

4. Verify the new virtual target tape device. This can be done in several ways.
a. List all tape backing devices:

$ lsmap -vadapter vhost0
SVSA           Physloc                   Client Partition ID
-------------- ------------------------- -------------------
vhost0         U8203.E4A.10D4431-V2-C11  0x00000004
VTD                  vttape0
Status               Available
LUN                  0x8100000000000000
Backing device       rmt0
Physloc              U789C.001.DQD2684-P1-C4-T1-L900-L0

b. List all VTDs on a given vhost:

$ lsmap -vadapter vhost0
SVSA           Physloc                   Client Partition ID
-------------- ------------------------- -------------------
vhost0         U8203.E4A.10D4431-V2-C11  0x00000004
VTD                  vttape0
Status               Available
LUN                  0x8100000000000000
Backing device       rmt0
Physloc              U789C.001.DQD2684-P1-C4-T1-L900-L0

c. List all virtual target tape devices:
$ lsdev -type tape -virtual
vttape0 Available Virtual Target Device - Tape

5. On AIX client OS, configure the virtual tape drive by running:
# cfgmgr
# lsdev -Cc tape
For questions on other supported VIO Client OS, contact your client OS Technical Support.

Note: Once the physical tape has been exported (virtualized) to a VIO client (step 3), the VIOS itself can no longer use the physical tape drive (i.e. to create a backupios image) as long as the VTD (in this case, vttape0) remains available to the client.  Before the VIOS can use it again, the VTD must be put in Defined state or removed. For example:
To remove VTD, vttape0, type:
$ rmvdev -vtd vttape0  
or
$ rmvdev -vdev rmt0     
where rmt0 is the physical tape/backing device

To put VTD, vttape0, in a Defined state, type:
$ rmdev -dev vttape0 -ucfg

Bear in mind that putting the VTD in Defined state or removing it will cause loss of I/O to the corresponding virtual tape device (on the client OS).  Therefore, if either option is used, ensure the virtual tape device is removed from the client OS.
To remove the virtual tape device on AIX client, run:
$ rmdev -dl <rmt#>
where rmt# is the virtual tape drive configured in step 5.
To remove the virtual tape drive for other client OSs, contact your local client OS Technical Support.