Labeling and Unlabeling Cartridges

If you have stand-alone tape or optical devices or if your automated library has no barcode reader, you must label cartridges as described in this section. To label cartridges, use the tplabel command for tapes or use the odlabel command for optical discs. These commands create a cartridge label that the SAM-QFS software can read.

If your library uses barcodes, labels = barcodes is set by default. The result is that the first six characters are used for the volume serial number (VSN).

If your library uses barcodes and you want the last six characters to become the VSN for the cartridge, edit the /etc/opt/SUNWsamfs/defaults.conf file and include the following line:

labels = barcodes_low

When the software loads a barcoded cartridge for a write operation, it writes a label on the cartridge before the write begins. The cartridge must be write enabled, be unlabeled, and have a readable barcode.

How to Label or Relabel a Tape

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Caution - Labeling and relabeling a cartridge makes the data currently on the cartridge inaccessible to any software. Relabel a cartridge only if you are certain that you do not need the data that is stored on the cartridge.

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• Label the tape.
  • To label a new tape, use the following tplabel command.

    # tplabel -new -vsn vsn eq:slot

  • To relabel an existing tape, use the following tplabel command.

    # tplabel -old vsn -vsn vsn eq:slot

    
    

    Argument Definition vsn Specifies the volume serial name. If you are relabeling, the new VSN can be identical to the old VSN. eq Specifies the equipment number of the drive as defined in the mcf file. slot Specifies the number of the tape's storage slot as recognized in the library catalog. This argument is not applicable for manually loaded drives.

    After the command to label or relabel a tape is issued, the tape is loaded and positioned, and the tape label is written.

    You can also perform this task by using SAM-QFS Manager.

Example 7-1 Label a Tape

# tplabel -vsn TAPE01 -new 50:0

How to Label or Relabel an Optical Disc

• Label the disc.
  • To label a new optical disc, use the following odlabel command.

    # odlabel -new -vsn vsn eq:slot:partition

  • To relabel an existing optical disc, use the following odlabel command.

    # odlabel -old vsn -vsn vsn eq:slot:partition

    
    

    Argument Definition vsn Specifies the volume serial name. If you are relabeling, the new VSN can be identical to the old VSN. eq Specifies the equipment number of the drive as defined in the mcf file. slot Specifies the number of the disk's storage slot as recognized in the library catalog. This argument is not applicable to manually loaded drives. partition Specifies a side of a magneto-optical disc. The partition value must be 1 or 2. This argument is not applicable to tape cartridges.

    After the command to label or relabel an optical disc is issued, the optical disc is loaded and positioned, and the optical disc label is written.

    You can also perform this task by using SAM-QFS Manager.

Example 7-2 Label an Optical Disc

# odlabel -vsn OPTIC01 -new 30:1:1

How to Audit a Volume

Occasionally, the library catalog needs to be updated with the reported space remaining on a tape or optical disc. The auditslot command loads the cartridge that contains the volume, reads the label, and updates the library catalog entry for the slot.

• Use the following command to update the amount of remaining space:

  # auditslot [-e] eq:slot[:partition]

  
  

  Argument Definition -e Updates the remaining space if the media is tape. Otherwise, it is not changed. eq Specifies the equipment number of the drive as defined in the mcf file. slot Specifies the number of the storage slot as recognized in the library catalog. This argument is not applicable to manually loaded drives. partition Specifies a side of a magneto-optical disc. The partition value must be 1 or 2. This argument is not applicable to tape cartridges.

  For more information, see auditslot(1M) in Sun QFS and Sun Storage Archive Manager Reference Manual.

  You can also perform this task by using the samu utility's :audit command or by using SAM-QFS Manager.

How to Audit a Direct Attached Automated Library

A full audit loads each cartridge into a drive, reads the label, and updates the library catalog. Audit a library in the following situations:

• After moving cartridges in the automated library without using SAM-QFS commands

• If you are in doubt about the status of the library catalog (for example, after a power outage)

• If you have added, removed, or moved cartridges in an automated library that has no mailbox

• Perform a full audit on a direct attached automated library.

  # samcmd audit eq

  eq specifies the equipment number of the automated library as defined in the mcf file.

  You can also perform this task by using the samu utility's :audit command or by using SAM-QFS Manager.