[gentoo-user] HP Library

[gentoo-user] HP Library

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

Has anyone ever managed to upgrade a HP Surestore Library C7201NB with
Gentoo on the host?

The hp_ltt-tool is only available in binary form and for old OSs, but
nothing recent and for sure not for Gentoo.

The alternative, the Firmware-Upload via the Remote Management Card of
the library doesn't work because of some missing Java class which Google
and not even Sun knows about.

:(

Any ideas?

Maybe even experience with this situation?

Thanks, Stefan
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[gentoo-user] Re: HP Library

[James]

Stefan G. Weichinger <lists <at> xunil.at> writes:

 
> Has anyone ever managed to upgrade a HP Surestore Library C7201NB with
> Gentoo on the host?

Nope.

> The hp_ltt-tool is only available in binary form and for old OSs, but
> nothing recent and for sure not for Gentoo.

don't forget about possible running the old software on a gentoo box with
wine/vmware or such emulators....(see /usr/portage/app-emulation/*)

> The alternative, the Firmware-Upload via the Remote Management Card of
> the library doesn't work because of some missing Java class which Google
> and not even Sun knows about.

> Any ideas?

Well, if nobody gives you an explicit answers, here is an idea that
may or maynot work.

1. What type of interface are we talking about (rs232 serial, ethernet parallel)?

2. Sniff the connection to see what's on the receiving end

serial port ( app-misc/linuxspa it's masked but just download the sources and
compile as it *works great*)

ethernet (ethereal)

parallel (??? never had to do this, but I'm sure I can hack an
old parallel cable to talk to me)

etc etc

3. Analyze the device and see what it's asking for

4. Find what it is looking for or just 'dope it' (er trial and error).


Lots of work, but a lot of fun. The older the device the less
protection and obscurity the firmware folks put into the 
product.

5. If you cannot find detailed information specific to this machine,
just look for info on a similarly aged competitor (you'd be surprise
how many machines of a similar venue have almost identical firmware).

6. If none of these work, open up the case and find a serial port, JTAG
or such where you just might get lucky and get raw access to the embedded
host processor, using step 2 or other similar techniques).

good hunting,


James




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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: HP Library

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

James schrieb:
> Stefan G. Weichinger <lists <at> xunil.at> writes:
> 
>  
>> Has anyone ever managed to upgrade a HP Surestore Library C7201NB with
>> Gentoo on the host?
> 
> Nope.

Noone ever?

;)

>> The hp_ltt-tool is only available in binary form and for old OSs, but
>> nothing recent and for sure not for Gentoo.
> 
> don't forget about possible running the old software on a gentoo box with
> wine/vmware or such emulators....(see /usr/portage/app-emulation/*)

So I would need something like Suse 7.3 in a VM, whooo ...
Extra tasty when it comes to firmware upgrades.

> 1. What type of interface are we talking about (rs232 serial, ethernet parallel)?

Unsure what interface you mean ...

It's a tape library connected to the host via SCSI, with an additional
Remote Management Card from HP providing webaccess, which doesn't fully
work for me as I mentioned.

Additional info here: I tried to access that WebGUI with several
browsers in linux and Windows XP, no success, always that Javaclass
"JuiceTop" missing.

> 2. Sniff the connection to see what's on the receiving end
> ethernet (ethereal)

Errm, yes. I have an actual error-message in the browser ...

> 3. Analyze the device and see what it's asking for
> 
> 4. Find what it is looking for or just 'dope it' (er trial and error).
> 
> 
> Lots of work, but a lot of fun. The older the device the less
> protection and obscurity the firmware folks put into the 
> product.
> 
> 5. If you cannot find detailed information specific to this machine,
> just look for info on a similarly aged competitor (you'd be surprise
> how many machines of a similar venue have almost identical firmware).
> 
> 6. If none of these work, open up the case and find a serial port, JTAG
> or such where you just might get lucky and get raw access to the embedded
> host processor, using step 2 or other similar techniques).

Thanks a lot for your suggestions, but I think that's a bit to heavy for
me in the moment ....

Stefan

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[gentoo-user] Re: HP Library

[James]

Stefan G. Weichinger <lists <at> xunil.at> writes:


> > 1. What type of interface are we talking about 
> > (rs232 serial, ethernet parallel)?

> Unsure what interface you mean ...

> It's a tape library connected to the host via SCSI, with an additional
> Remote Management Card from HP providing webaccess, which doesn't fully
> work for me as I mentioned.

scsi is another interface. It's specifically a buss, which is difficult
to ease drop onto.... Most of my suggestions are of little use debugging
scsi problems.

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Re: [gentoo-user] Re: HP Library

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

James schrieb:

> scsi is another interface. It's specifically a buss, which is difficult
> to ease drop onto.... Most of my suggestions are of little use debugging
> scsi problems.

I don't have scsi problems, thanks.

;)

Stefan

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Re: [gentoo-user] HP Library

[Volker Armin Hemmann]

Hi,

why do you need to upgrade your lib in the first place?

And why not ask HP about it? Maybe they can provide you with an updated 
binary.

Last point: does it work at all?
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Re: [gentoo-user] HP Library

[Stefan G. Weichinger]

Volker Armin Hemmann schrieb:
> Hi,
> 
> why do you need to upgrade your lib in the first place?

To maybe get that Remote Management Card working.

To maybe get faster behavior when changing tapes via the robot (loong
times seen here ...)

> And why not ask HP about it? Maybe they can provide you with an updated 
> binary.

Did that only yesterday, waiting for a reply.

> Last point: does it work at all?

Yes, it does work so far.
Stefan

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