Tape Libraries - Frequently Asked Questions

How do I assign barcodes to tapes in a stand-alone library?

To add media identifiers to media that are associated with stand-alone drives:

1. Make sure that new media is loaded into the stand-alone library drive.

2. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the appropriate stand-alone library, and then click Stamp Media.

3. In the Stamp Media dialog box, enter the barcode number or a unique identifier for the media.

4. Click OK.

   A message appears that tells you that the stamp media was successful.

5. Click OK.

   The media is listed in the Default Scratch pool.

Can I change a tape's storage policy?

No. Once a storage policy writes to a tape, no other policy can write to that tape. You must wait until the data retention expires, and the tape returns to the Scratch pool.

However, you can use GridStor® to configure your library for alternate data paths. In that situation, if a library fails on one MediaAgent, the MediaAgent will fail over and use the other available libraries.

Can I edit the tape block size at a global level?

You can use the SetFlushBlockSize script to set or view the block size on all the storage policy copies in your CommCell environment. The block size will be set for the new media. The data will be read from and written to the new media based on the new block size.

1. Use the qlogin command to log into the CommServe.

2. On the command line, type the following command to set the tape block size and press Enter.

   qoperation execscript -sn QS_SetFlushBlockSize -si <SET> -si 'Recording format name' -si <New flush block size>

   Or

   On the command line, type the following command to view the tape block size and press Enter.

   qoperation execscript -sn QS_SetFlushBlockSize -si <VIEW> -si 'Recording format name'

   Where:

   Attribute	Description
   Recording format name	Media format type. For example, ULTRIUM-V3, ULTRIUM-V4 etc.
   New flush block size	Supported block sizes in KB 32, 64, 128, 512, 1024, 2048
   SET	Set the block size on all the storage policy copies in your CommCell environment.
   VIEW	View the block size of all the storage policy copies in your CommCell environment.

Why is exported media from a blind library not delivered to the mail slot?

In blind libraries, the autoloader mail slot is not "seen" by nor is it controlled by Commvault software. If you use Commvault software to export media from a blind library, the media remains in the slots until you export the media through the front panel of the library manually.

How can I use media from a stand-alone library in a tape library?

The stand-alone library does not have a barcode reader. So the media used in a stand-alone library may have different barcode label. Therefore when you move media from a stand-alone library to a tape library, the media may be discovered as new scratch media even if it contains valid data. If you want to move media from a stand-alone library to a tape library then follow the steps in the given order:

1. Note the list of media that have to be moved from the stand-alone to the tape library.

2. Physically extract the media from the stand-alone library and update the barcode.

3. Insert the media in the tape library.

   The media appears as new media in the tape library.

4. Run the Verify Media command to provide a mapping file that connects the exported media to the existing media in the tape library as follows:

   From the command line, navigate to the <software install folder>/Base folder and type the following:

   QMedia verify -b <NewBarcode> -ob <OldBarcode>

   Where:

   -b is the new barcode that you have updated.

   -ob is the old barcode that was there when the media was in the stand-alone library.