Oracle Secure Backup Concepts
Introduction to Oracle Secure Backup 1-9
This element is an internal slot in a tape library where a tape cartridge can reside.
■ Data transfer element (dte)
This element represents a tape device capable of reading or writing the physical
volume. Typically, a data transfer element (DTE) is a tape drive used to back up
or restore data on a tape.
■ Medium transport element (mte)
This element represents the robotics mechanism used to move tapes between other
elements in the tape library. Typically, a medium transport element is a robot arm
that moves tape cartridges from tape library slots to tape drives.
■ Import/export element (iee)
This is an element by which media can be imported to and exported from the tape
library. Typically, an import/export element is a door-like mechanism that an
operator uses to transfer tapes into and out of the library. After the door is closed,
the robotic arm transfers cartridges to internal slots in the library. Because the
library itself is not opened during this procedure, no re-inventory is required.
Many of the Oracle Secure Backup tape library commands require you to specify one
or more tape library elements, in particular, storage elements and import/export
elements. Except in the inventory display, media transport elements are never
referenced. Data transfer elements are referenced only in the inventory display and
indirectly by the tape drive (if any) that you select for an operation.
Oracle Secure Backup refers to elements by their abbreviation (mte, se, iee, or dte)
followed by the number of the element, for example, se5, iee2, dte1. When multiple
elements of a type exist, element numbering starts at 1. When only one element of a
type exists, the number can be omitted. Thus, iee1 and iee both refer to the first and
only import/export element. If the abbreviation is omitted, then a storage element is
assumed. For example, se4 and 4 both refer to the fourth storage element. For some
commands, you can specify a range of storage elements, for example, 1-5.
Oracle Secure Backup supports several tape library operations. The following
operations are the most basic:
■ Inserting and extracting volumes
■ Loading and unloading volumes
■ Moving volumes
■ Importing and exporting volumes
Virtual Tape Libraries
A virtual tape library is one or more large-capacity disk drives partitioned into virtual
physical tape volumes. To Oracle Secure Backup the virtual tape library appears to be
a physical tape library with at least one volume and at least one tape drive. The
volumes and tape drives in the virtual tape library can be configured to match
common physical tapes and tape drives.
Backup operations performed to a virtual tape library complete faster than backup
operations to actual tape drives, because the underlying storage device is direct access
media. But a virtual tape library is not suitable for long time storage, because it has
See Also:
■ Oracle Secure Backup Reference for a description of the tape library
commands that you can run in obtool
To Next Page
Loading...
Need help?
General