Welcome to the BlackPearl FAQ section, where you will find the anwsers to all the commonly asked question regarding all things BlackPearl
The BlackPearl Database should be backed up at least once every 24 hours for Nearline Gateway system. When it is being used as Vail node the BlackPearl database should be backed up more regulary, due to the increased amount of data being generated.
A COD will be taken everytime that a configuration change happens, like enabling or disabling MFA on a user. Or once a week, which ever happens sooner.
At least 100 days worth of BlackPearl database backups should be made. T
How do I protect my Database? See the following page for information on how to protect your BlackPearl database protectingthedatabase
The BlackPearl cache is allocated physical storage on either HDDs or SSDs installed in the gateway. The cache functions as a transient location for all data transferred to the BlackPearl gateway from a client, or transferred from tape storage to the BlackPearl gateway. The capacity available for cache is managed by the BlackPearl data planner, where active jobs reserve various amounts of cache capacity known as 'chunks'. Up to 85% of the cache can be reserved for jobs with a job priority level of 'high', or less. The remaining 15% of cache capacity is only available for jobs with a priority level of 'urgent'. The cache is managed by chunk allocations. The chunk size can vary. When writing data to cache destined for tape storage, or restoring data from tape storage to the BlackPearl gateway, the chunk size is typically 2% of the capacity of a single tape cartridge. If the total job size is less than that amount, the chunk size reduces in size to match the job size. An internal job, such as IOM migration, can also reserve cache capacity. If needed, internal jobs can reserve all of the available cache capacity based on job priority, which may impact other jobs, occasionally preventing or delaying them from accessing cache chunks. If IOM is impacting normal production use, the Schedule IOM feature in the S3 service allows you to set a schedule to minimize downtime.
BlackPearl OS 5.2 or Earlier:
After the gateway is in use, the Cache Used circle graph on the user interface dashboard
hovers around 80% used capacity. When a task for a chunk, or the full job, completes, the data
planner does not immediately delete those objects, but leaves them in the cache, available for
reclaiming. Data from completed tasks remains in cache until more capacity is needed, or the
used capacity exceeds 80%. When this threshold is reached, the BlackPearl gateway
proactively deletes some of the data from completed tasks. The user interface dashboard only
displays the actual data bytes in cache. It does not reflect cache capacity used by active jobs.
To see how much cache capacity is currently used by active jobs, on the Jobs page of the user
interface, select Active Jobs, and calculate the difference between "Amount Transferred to
Cache" and "Amount Received/Archived".
BlackPearl OS 5.3 or Later
The Cache Used capacity graph on the user interface dashboard now displays only the actual
capacity used by active jobs. It no longer displays the capacity of objects that are available in
cache for a GET job. This information is available by examining the used capacity cache pool
details screen, which is accessed from either the Advanced Bucket Management screen, or the
Hardware page by double-clicking the pool labeled "BlackPearl_Cache".
The method used to add a newer generation of tape media depends on if the new and existing media are compatible, and if the existing tape drives are to be used for migration. If a media migration is required, keeping the older tape drives may increase performance during the migration.
A newer generation of media and drives can be added to an existing tape partition, if it is a one generation advancement. For example, adding LTO-7 media and drives into a library originally purchased with LTO-6 drives and media.
If the existing media is compatible with the new drives, the tape partition is upgraded to the new drive generation, and the old drives are removed.
However, if the old media cannot be used (either read from or written to) with the newer drives (for example, LTO-6 media cannot be read by LTO-8 tape drives) then a second tape partition in the library is required to support the new tape drives and media. The new tape partition can be in the same tape library, or a separate tape library. After completing changes to the tape library, add the new tape media into existing storage domain(s), and ensure the newer media generation has a higher write preference than the older generation. For example, set the write preference on LTO-7 media to "normal", then set LTO-6 media to a lower setting such as "never". If a data migration to the newer higherdensity media is desired, then exclude the older storage domain member media, which then forces IOM migration for all data within that individual storage domain. See Migration for more details
After an administrator issues a tape partition quiesce command, the BlackPearl gateway stops any new tape drive tasks for that partition. Any existing tasks are allowed to complete, which may take 30 minutes or more. After the tape task is complete for a tape drive, the drive is automatically unloaded and the tape is returned to its previous slot. While the tape partition is in standby, the BlackPearl gateway does not issue any internal tape task commands. The BlackPearl S3 service stays enabled and active while the tape partition is in standby, which allows any DS3 applications, such as the Eon Browser or Spectra StorCycle application, to write data into, or to request data from the BlackPearl gateway. The write jobs go into the BlackPearl cache and wait until the tape partition is ready. For a restore or GET job, if the requested data is only available on tape, the job request returns a status that the tape partition is offline, and includes the tape barcodes required for the job.
While the partition is in standby, the BlackPearl gateway monitors the tape partition robotic exporter for any updates or changes, such as a change in the library inventory. When the tape partition comes out of standby and is activated, the BlackPearl gateway automatically begins to use the partition as normal. With BlackPearl OS 5.2 or earlier, if there was an inventory change in the tape library while in standby, the BlackPearl gateway could react by reinspecting all tapes in the library. Starting with BlackPearl OS 5.3, the gateway no longer reinspects tapes when there is an inventory change while the partition is in standby if the S3 service is set to "Never Inspect".
If you plan to upgrade the library used by the BlackPearl gateway, for example change from a Spectra T120 to a Spectra Stack, it is advised to work with Spectra Logic Technical Support before changing the tape partition used by the BlackPearl gateway, and before moving any tapes to the new tape library or partition.
Important: Create a manual database backup before changing to a new tape library or
partition.
With BlackPearl OS 5.1 or earlier, moving tapes to a new partition may require a BlackPearl foreign import, which must be done for each storage domain. You will need to export the tapes in batches, by storage domain, from the old partition, and import them into the new partition using a foreign import into storage domains associated with each exported batch. If necessary, repeat the process for additional storage domains. If any tapes that have been exported from the BlackPearl gateway are not stored on-site, those tapes must be rotated back on-site and imported through the new partition, or Spectra Logic Technical Support must manually update the database to re-associate those external tapes with the new partition.
The available tape media capacity should be monitored per the daily operation and maintenance procedures by using the BlackPearl dashboard to ensure that adequate media is available for BlackPearl gateway to use for planned archive jobs, or to maintain a minimum available capacity per company policy.
With a full administrator login and multiple confirmation screens, any tape can be manually
reformatted and put back into the blank media pool for use by the BlackPearl gateway. For
example, older tapes with expired data.
Users with adequate permissions for a bucket could also use the BlackPearl user interface, a
BlackPearl client, or an S3 browser tool like the Spectra Eon Browser to delete objects from a
bucket. When all objects on a tape have been deleted, the tape is automatically reformatted
and put back into the blank media pool.
Caution: Deleting objects or buckets is a manual process and extreme caution should be
exercised to ensure that only data that is no longer needed is deleted.
The BlackPearl gateway is not compatible with WORM (Write Once-Read Many) media. If the
BlackPearl gateway is configured to transfer data to tape, make sure the partitions configured
for use by the BlackPearl gateway do not contain WORM media.
If a GET job requests an object on a tape cartridge that was previously exported, both system
messages in the BlackPearl user interface, and emails sent to a system administrator, list the
required tapes by barcode.
The system Administrator must be configured to receive emails with both Informational and
Warning message severity to receive notifications when tape is media requested.
Below are examples of both an email and a system messages requesting tape cartridges to be
imported.
Example Email:
Automated notification from BlackPearl system name (management port IP address,
management port MAC address), your Spectra Logic BlackPearl.
The following message has been generated. This could indicate a problem with your
system.
Severity: Warning
Description: Tape Partition Notification
Details: The following tapes need to be imported/onlined: LTO8020L8 (Export Label:
"Auto-exported since storage domain is autoExportUponJobCompletion"). The following
user requested these tapes: Administrator.
Example System Message:
Failed to create job
The following tapes need to be imported/onlined: LTO8020L8 (Export Label: "Autoexported since storage domain is autoExportUponJobCompletion"). The following user
requested these tapes: Administrator.
Tape media should not be exported from the tape library without first exporting the tapes in the BlackPearl user interface.
If you suspect that a tape was exported from the library without being exported from the BlackPearl gateway, in the BlackPearl user interface, select Status > Tape Management. The Tape Management screen displays. Re-import the tape with the status “Managed Not In Inventory”.
Once the tape has a status of Online, the gateway inspects the tape and uses it as needed.
If a tape is exported from the tape library and is queued for a job, the client displays an error. If the client error message does not display the barcode of the tape, in the BlackPearl user interface, select Status > Messages, or click the Messages link on the status bar, to display the Messages screen. Inspect the messages to determine the barcode of the missing tape. See the Tape Library User Guide for instructions for importing the tape into a Spectra Logic tape library. For instructions on importing a tape into an IBM TS4500 tape library, see the see the TS4500 User Guide. Once the tape is re-imported, the gateway inspects the tape and uses it as needed.
The BlackPearl export function allows you to export tapes from the BlackPearl user interface,
which are then moved to the Entry/Exit port on the tape library.
In order to use the BlackPearl export function on a T50e or T120 library, you must configure a
single partition and select Standard as the partition’s Entry/Exit Port Mode. If you configure
the partition to use either the Shared or Queued Eject mode, or you configure more than one
partition on your library, exports from the BlackPearl gateway fail.
See “Configuring and Managing Partitions” in the T50e Library User Guide, or “Partition
Management” in the T120 Library User Guide for instructions on configuring a partition to use
the Standard mode for the Entry/Exit port.
Note: The Spectra Stack, T200, T380, T680, T950 and TFinity libraries do not have limitations on the partition count or Entry/Exit mode for BlackPearl tape export.
Cleaning media expires after a specified number of uses to ensure that drives are thoroughly cleaned. The BlackPearl gateway does not track cleaning media health. Only the tape library tracks cleaning media health. When a piece of cleaning media expires, a message is posted to the System Messages screen in the tape library’s BlueScale interface.
Expired cleaning media is automatically exported from an IBM TS4500 tape library. If your cleaning media are LTO or TS11xx tapes with MLM enabled, you can proactively monitor the status of cleaning media through the tape library’s BlueScale interface.
Notes:
If your cleaning tapes are not MLM-enabled, you cannot use MLM to proactively monitor cleaning media. You must use the messages posted to the System Messages screen to determine when a piece of cleaning media expires.
If there are no cleaning tapes with cleans remaining, see your Tape Library User
Guidesfor instructions on exchanging expired cleaning media.
Use the instructions in this section to determine if your cleaning media is expired or about to
expire.
Spectra Logic T120 and larger libraries:
In order to use the BlackPearl export function on a T50e or T120 library, the library can only have a single data partition. In order for drives to be automatically cleaned, you must store cleaning media in the single data partition on your T50e or T120 library.
When the BlackPearl gateway detects cleaning media in the data partition, the gateway automatically cleans drives when cleaning is requested by a tape drive.
Yes, however there are some rules and restrictions around what tapes can and can't be test tapes.
- Test tapes must be already known and managed by the BlackPearl
- Test tapes must not have any data on them at the time of being converted to a test tape.
- Any test tape can be converted back to a data tape, but not all data tapes can be converted to a test tape.
< insert GIF of converting blank tape to test tape >
< insert GIF converting test tape back to a data tape >
If you are able to deadicate a tape or set of tapes to being a test tape, there is no limit to the number of times it can be used to test a drive. If however you intend to convert the tape back to being a data tape, Spectra recommend using the tape more than 5 times.
This depends if you have the space and capacity to deadicate a whole tape or set of tapes for testing. If you can then there is no need to rotate your test tapes, if you are planning to use a test tape to store data in the future, we recommend rotating your test tapes every 5 tests.