Use cartridge access ports (CAPs) to enter or eject cartridges from the library.
Note:
There are two CAP types: rotational CAPs and AEMs. The term CAP refers to both types, unless otherwise noted.Insert cartridges with the correct orientation (hub gear facing down and label facing you). You can skip slots in the CAP when loading cartridges.
Verify all cartridges are properly labeled before placing them into a CAP. Do not enter unlabeled cartridges
To enter cartridges more efficiently, load the CAP magazines prior to issuing the enter command.
If only one CAP is required to do the job, do not use multiple CAPs. Opening multiple CAPs will increase the audit time.
If entering cartridges through a shared CAP of an FC-SCSI partition, see "Assigning Ownership of a Shared CAP to an FC-SCSI Partition".
CAP magazines are removable. You can place cartridges in any magazine slot and in any order. After entering cartridges through the CAP, the library moves the cartridge from the CAP to a storage slot, records the cartridge's location, and sends the location to the host. When the CAP is empty, the library returns the CAP to its default state.
Caution:
To avoid equipment damage, do not force the CAP to open or close. Do not enter unlabeled cartridges or place cartridges upside-down.Entering Cartridges Using Rotational CAPs
If the CAP is in auto enter mode (see "CAP Modes"), proceed to the next step. If it is in manual mode, initiate the enter operation at the host (see the tape management software documentation).
Press the CAP button.
The button light turns ON and the door opens.
Place the cartridges in the CAP with the hub gear face down and barcode toward you.
Press the CAP button.
The CAP closes and locks automatically, and the CAP button light turns OFF.
Entering Cartridges Using AEMs
If the CAP is in auto enter mode (see "CAP Modes"), proceed to the next step. If it is in manual mode, initiate the enter operation at the host (see tape management software documentation).
Once the "Unlocked" indicator lights, push the AEM CAP button.
The "Wait" indicator blinks until the safety door is completely down. Depending on the level of activity in the library, this may take several minutes.
When the "Enter" indicator light is solid, lift the latch and open the door. Place the cartridges in the CAP with the hub gear face down and barcode toward you.
Close and latch the AEM access door.
Push the AEM CAP button.
The "Enter" light turns off and the "Wait" light starts blinking. The safety door moves up.
If ejecting cartridges through a shared CAP of an FC-SCSI partition, see "Assigning Ownership of a Shared CAP to an FC-SCSI Partition".
Once the library ejects all cartridges, the robot audits the CAP to verify it is empty (the robot does not read cartridge labels during export operations). Then, the library erases the location of the cartridge from the library controller database and the host database. The CAP returns to its default state.
Caution:
To prevent equipment damage, do not force the CAP to open or close.Ejecting Cartridges Using Rotational CAPs
Initiate the eject operation at the host. Specify the vol-ids of the cartridges to eject (see the tape management software documentation).
Note:
For HLI hosts, you can select a CAP for the eject operation. For FC-SCSI hosts, the library uses CAPs in a pre-defined order (see "CAP Usage Order when Ejecting Cartridges with FC-SCSI Hosts").Press the CAP button. The CAP door opens, and the CAP button light turns ON.
Remove the cartridges from the CAP.
Caution:
To prevent data loss, do not leave expired cleaning cartridges in the CAP. The library will treat expired cleaning cartridges as new.Push the CAP button to close the CAP.
The CAP closes and locks, and the CAP button light turns OFF.
The robot continues filling the CAP until all selected cartridges are ejected. Wait until the CAP door is unlocked, and then repeat step 2 through step 4.
Ejecting Cartridges Using AEMs
Initiate the eject operation at the host. Specify the vol-ids of the cartridges to eject (see the tape management software documentation).
Push the AEM CAP button.
The "Wait" indicator blinks until the safety door is in place, and then the "Enter" light is solid. Depending on the level of activity in the library, this process may take several minutes.
Lift the latch and open the door. Remove the cartridges from the AEM CAP. Close and latch the AEM access door.
Push the AEM CAP button. The "Enter" light turns off and the "Wait" light begins blinking. The safety door moves up. If more cartridges need to be exported, the robot continues filling the necessary AEMs.
The robot continues filling the AEM until all selected cartridges are ejected. Wait until the door is unlocked, and then repeat step 2 through step 4.
An unlocked CAP is reserved by the library and unavailable to all hosts until it is locked. Always attempt to unlock the CAP or AEM access door using the host software before using SLC.
Note:
If the CAP is reserved by a host, the host must release the CAP reservation before you can unlock the CAP.In SLC, select Tools > Diagnostics.
Expand the CAP folder in the device tree, and then select the CAP to modify (the left AEM CAP is column –31 and the right is column 31).
Click the Access tab.
In the Locked drop-down list select:
True to lock
False to unlock
Click Apply.
If a CAP reservation is not released by a partition and cannot be terminated on the ACSLS or HSC host, use this procedure to override the CAP reservation.
Note:
You must follow all steps in this procedure or the CAP could be left unavailable to all partitions.In SLC, select Tools > Shared CAP Assignment.
Expand the CAP folder, and then select the CAP to override (the left AEM CAP is column –31 and the right is column 31).
Click the Unreserve tab.
Click Apply to override the reservation.
Click OK to continue with the override operation.
If the CAP is locked, unlock it using SLC (see "Locking and Unlocking an HLI CAP").
Open the CAP. Remove any cartridges and label them with the partition ID.
Close the CAP. The CAP status changes to "unreserved".
Determine if the cartridges from the CAP should be re-entered into the library and then enter the cartridges into the correct partition.
Changing the CAP assignment mode changes the mode for all CAPs in the library. The CAP assignment mode controls whether library CAPs can be used for normal host operations or for diagnostic moves.
Verify that all library CAPs are unreserved, empty, closed, and locked.
If you are changing the CAPs to diagnostics mode, stop all host operations (see the tape management software documentation).
Select Tools > CAP Assignment.
Using the Mode drop-down list, select either:
Host Operations — causes all CAPs to be available for normal host operations. Select this to return the library to normal tape mount or dismount operations.
Diagnostics — causes all CAPs to be available for diagnostic operations. Select this to perform manual cartridge moves, such as moving cleaning or diagnostic cartridges from the CAPs to system slots.
Click Apply.
You must assign a shared CAP to an FC-SCSI partition to enter or eject cartridges.
You can associate only one partition at a time to a shared CAP.
If there are multiple shared CAPs, all of them become associated.
A CAP association remains active until you remove it, the library restarts, the CAP is reallocated, or the CAP initializes.
Note:
If you remove the CAP association while the CAP is open or contains cartridges, the library controller assumes ownership of the CAP and the CAP becomes unavailable to all partitions. Empty and close the CAP before re-associating it.In SLC, select Tools > Shared CAP Assignment.
Select the partition.
Click Apply.
Perform the enter or eject operation (see "Entering Cartridges Using a CAP" and "Ejecting Cartridges Using a CAP").
Once the enter/eject completes, remove the CAP association by deselecting the partition.
Click Apply.
Table 10-1 CAP States in Non-partitioned Library
| Type of CAP | Default State | CAP Indicator |
|---|---|---|
|
HLI in Manual mode |
Locked |
Off |
|
HLI in Auto Enter mode |
Unlocked |
On |
|
FC-SCSI |
Unlocked |
On |
Only HLI libraries support CAP auto enter mode (see the tape management software documentation).
CAP auto enter mode enables a library operator to open a CAP and initiate an enter operation without issuing an explicit enter request. CAPs in auto enter mode are left unlocked and do not require a host reservation. In a partitioned library, CAPs must be dedicated to use auto enter mode.
Manual mode is the most secure CAP mode. When in manual mode, the system locks a CAP by default. To initiate an enter or eject operation using manual mode, enter an explicit enter or eject request before pressing the CAP Open button.
Only non-partitioned FC-SCSI host connections support assignment mode. The CAP assignment mode controls whether CAPs can be used for normal host operations or for diagnostic operations (see "Changing the CAP Assignment Mode in a Non-Partitioned FC-SCSI Library").
In a non-partitioned library, the SCSI interface treats all CAPs as one. When you initiate an eject operation from an FC-SCSI host, the robot loads cartridges into the left-most rotational CAP, then moves right, and then moves to AEMs. For partitioned libraries, the CAP priority depends on how CAPs are allocated to partitions.
For the following example, assume an FC-SCSI library with a base module, two CEMs (one on each side of the base), and two AEMs (one on each end of the library). For an eject operation of 350 cartridges, the robots fills CAP slots in the following order:
| Order | Module | Number of Cartridges Ejected | Total Cartridges Ejected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Left CEM | 26 | 26 |
| 2nd | Base Module | 26 | 52 |
| 3rd | Right CEM | 26 | 78 |
| 4th | Left AEM | 234 | 312 |
| 5th | Right AEM | 38 | 350 |