[rescue] Sun StorageTek SL48 Tape Library - H.70 - Firmware - Patch 128439-12

[John-Paul Stewart]

On 2022-08-17 04:05, Thomas Pelki wrote:
> Rich,
> 
> If you don't want to cross-flash you can always buy the controller board
> that goes in the back from an IBM or Lenovo version and the front LCD
> board (it has some logic on it too beyond the LCD and controller).
> Though I would spend the time to figure out which one has open access to
> firmware and doesn't have it behind a paywall (*COUGH* Oracle and HP
> *COUGH) and then grab that controller board and LCD.
> 
> and I would avoid HP branded LTO drives if possible, getting firmware
> for them is like pulling teeth as its behind a paywall.

Be forewarned that the HP and IBM drives are not interchangeable.  A
library (such as the IBM TS3200 or Dell TL4000) that expects IBM drives
will NOT recognize HP drives and an HP library will NOT work with IBM
drives.  The library firmware will say something on the front panel
about an unrecognized drive.  It looks like the SL48 expects HP drives,
according to the FEH:

https://dogemicrosystems.ca/pub/Sun/System_Handbook/Sun_syshbk_V4.1/Systems/SL48/components.html#RemovableMedia

(Note the "HP" in the option numbers!)

Also be aware that, at least for the ones with the FC interface, the HP
and IBM drives have their connectors in different physical locations so
the sleds are not interchangeable between drive brands.  (I'm not sure
about SCSI and SAS sleds;  I only use FC.)

However, that said, it is indeed trivially easy to swap the controller
board to make the library match the drives, if necessary.  I bought an
IBM TS3200 with no drives, then bought an HP drive only to learn all of
the above the hard way.  Swapping in an HP controller board was cheaper
for me than replacing the HP FC LTO5 drive with a comparable IBM model.