Storage Volume Status

Different reports and windows provide information on the status of storage volumes using parameters such as Written, %Used, Location, and Mode. This section defines some of the most common terms contained in reports about volumes.

In the Backup administration program, the volume name displayed is the same as the name that appears on the volume label. At the end of the volume name, the following designations might be displayed:

• (A), which indicates an archive storage volume

• (R), which indicates a volume that is considered "read-only"

The value of Written always indicates the exact number of bytes written to the volume.

The value of %Used is based on an estimate of the total capacity of the volume, which is derived from the specified value of the Media Type of the device resource. Backup does not use the value of %Used to determine whether to write to a volume. Even if a volume is marked 100% used (a %Used value of 100% means that the value of Written is equal to or exceeds the estimate for the volume), Backup continues to write to the volume until it is marked full. Backup marks a volume full when it reaches the end of the media or encounters a write error.

The storage volume location refers to a character field you define in the Volumes resource that describes a physical location meaningful in your environment, such as 2nd shelf, Cabinet 2, Room 42.

Table 4-3 lists all the possible storage volume modes and their definitions within Backup.

Table 4-3 Storage Volume Modes

Mode Value	Meaning	Description
appen	Appendable	This volume contains empty space. Data that meets the acceptance criteria for the pool to which this volume belongs can be appended.
man	Manual recycle	This volume is exempt from automatic recycling. The mode can only be changed manually.
(R)	Read-only	The save sets on this volume are considered read-only. The mode can only be changed manually.
recyc	Recyclable	This volume is eligible for automatic recycling. Before the volume can be overwritten, it must first be relabeled.

In general, a storage volume becomes recyclable when all the individual save sets located on the volume have assumed the status of recyclable. For more information about save set status, see "Save Set Status Values".