IBM Support

Installing the lin_tape device driver

Question & Answer


Question

To manage IBM libraries and drives on a Linux platform for a Tivoli Storage Manager server or storage agent, follow the detailed steps to configure the lin_tape device driver.

Answer

The following packages are required to manage IBM libraries and IBM drives on a Linux system:

lin_tape

    The device driver for managing IBM libraries and IBM drives

lin_taped
    The lin_taped daemon program can automatically create or delete special files under the /dev directory that correspond to the attached or detached tape devices.

ITDT
    ITDT is a tape utility program that exercises or tests the functions of the Linux device driver.

1) Steps to download the lin_tape and ITDT packages :



Download the lin_tape packages from Fix Central by referencing Technote 1428656.

Select the following :

Product Group - Storage system
Product Family - Tape systems
Product Type - Tape device drives and software
Product :
For lin_tape and lin_taped, select tape device drivers
For ITDT, select tape diagnostic tool ITDT
Platform : choose appropriate operating system

After selecting the above, you will be prompted to download the package. For example, the following device driver package is listed :

lin_tape-1.61.0-sles11.x86_64

This package contains the following :

-install.README
-lin_tape: lin_tape-1.61.0-1.src.rpm
-lin_tape.fixlist
-lin_taped:lin_taped-1.61.0-sles11.x86_64.rpm
-lin_tape.README

2) Steps to install lin_tape or lin_tape-1.61.0-1.src.rpm from previous example:



Use the following command :

rpmbuild --rebuild lin_tape-1.61.0-1.src.rpm

The output of the command is very large. Near the end, the command output looks like the following example:

# rpmbuild --rebuildlin_tape-1.61.0-1.src.rpm |tee lin-install.log Installing lin_tape-1.61.0-1.src.rpm
Executing(%prep): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.53402
....
Checking for unpackaged file(s): /usr/lib/rpm/check-files /var/tmp/lin_tape-1.61.0-1-root-root
Wrote: /usr/src/packages/RPMS/x86_64/lin_tape-1.61.0-1.x86_64.rpm
Executing(%clean): /bin/sh -e /var/tmp/rpm-tmp.91513
...
+ exit 0

In this output, notice the line:

Wrote: /usr/src/packages/RPMS/x86_64/lin_tape-1.61.0-1.x86_64.rpm

The file that is named on this line, /usr/src/packages/RPMS/x86_64/lin_tape-1.61.0-1.x86_64.rpm, is the build package.

Run the following command to install the build package:

rpm -iv /usr/src/packages/RPMS/x86_64/lin_tape-1.61.0-1.x86_64.rpm

The command creates /dev/IBMtape and /dev/IBMchanger drives for an IBM library and drives.

3) Steps to install lin_taped or lin_taped-1.61.0-sles11.x86_64.rpm from previous example :

Run the following command to install lin_taped:

rpm -iv lin_taped-1.61.0-sles11.x86_64.rpm


4) Steps to install ITDT:

Obtain proper ITDT code from IBM Fix Central. You will be prompted to download the package. For example :

itdtinst6.0.0.037LinuxX86_64

Install ITDT with the following commands :

chmod 700 itdtinst6.0.0.037LinuxX86_64
./itdtinst6.0.0.037LinuxX86_64

For more information on installation and usage of ITDT, refer to chapter 9 of the the "IBM Tape Device Drivers Installation and User's Guide" manual.

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Document Information

Modified date:
17 June 2018

UID

swg21397283

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