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Connecting Two Cache-A Appliances
Does anyone know if it is possible to connect two Pro Cache-A units together and use one as the main unit and the second as just a drive. I know Cache-A used to make an add-on “sidecar” for this purpose. We make safety duplicates of our original LTO tapes using just one LTO drive – this could be a timesaver for us.
Thanks for your help!
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2 Replies
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Sorry Jessey, Cache-A’s don’t work like that. Each Pro-Cache is a complete Linux server and wants to talk to its own drives – so there is no way to connect two units to do what you want.
If you’re running v3.x software, you’ve got the Simul-copy feature which will make safety copies just as you want, but you do absolutely need an external drive connected to the SAS port on the back of the Pro-Cache in order to take advantage of that. The sidecar part of this is easy – any powered SAS connected HP LTO drive will work (i.e. an LTO-6 sidecar was an HP Ultrium 6250 External Tape Drive).
The challenge may be getting the Pro-Cache to see it – you may have to go to ProMax and get them to enable the license for a second drive and they may want to sell you the drive to make that happen. OTH, we weren’t that careful about licensing so one or both of your Pro-Caches may just work when you plug in another drive. I’d recommend borrowing a drive from someone and trying it (any LTO-4, 5 or 6 will let you see if the Pro-Cache sees it). If it does see it, a drive selector will appear on your File Manager page.
Tom Goldberg
TGCS
30201 Rainbow Hill Rd.
Evergreen, CO 80439
mailto:tomgoldberg@gmail.com
https://tomgoldberg.net -
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the great advice. I figured it was a long shot!Jessey
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