HP StorageWorks 6105 Virtual Library System AF728A Prospecto

Appendix B: How virtual tape libraries appear to the 
backup application 

One of the key selling features of virtual tape is that, to the backup application, the virtual tape 
libraries you have created appear like real physical libraries, ensuring that well-established backup 
strategies and processes can be continued after the seamless introduction of a virtual library system. 
The fact that the virtual library appears as a real physical library also ensures that the backup 
application can monitor and catalog the virtual tape media usage so that restores are quick and 
efficient. The use of media and object copy functionality in the backup application is also simple  
to implement with a virtual tape library because the backup application sees the devices as being  
the same. Following is an example of how a physical library and a virtual library are presented to  
use within HP OpenView Storage Data Protector 5.5. Figure 15 shows how a physical two-drive 
HP StorageWorks MSL6030 library is displayed. It shows two Ultrium 2 drives and 30 slots; some of 
the slots have media in them with barcodes. 

 

Figure 15. How a physical library device is displayed in Storage Data Protector 

Physical 
Library with 2 
Ultrium2 tape 
drives.

Physical bar-
coded media

 

 
 

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