Spectra T950 - Using Cartridges in the Library

Appendix A — Best Practices Using Cartridges
November 2016 User Guide—Spectra T950 Library
513
Using Cartridges in the Library
Thissectiondescribesthebestpracticesforusingcartridgesinthelibrary.
 Useonlycartridgesfromapprovedvendorsinthelibrary.See
AppendixC–Media&Upgrades,beginningonpage525formore
informationaboutSpectraCertifiedMedia.
 Makesurethattheentry/exitpoolcontainsoneormoreempty
TeraPackmagazines.Thisisparticularlyimportantwhenyourstorage
managementsoftwareejectstapecartridgesfromapartition.
Iftheentry/exitpooldoesnothaveanyemptyslotsavailableforthe
ejectedmedia,thenthestoragemanagementsoftwaremustwaituntil
emptyslotsbecomeavailable.Thesimplestwaytoavoidthisdelayisto
importoneormoreemptyTeraPackmagazinesafteryouexportmedia
fromthelibrary.
Alternatively,alwaysmakesurethatyouimportfullTeraPack
magazinesintothelibrary,thenuseyourstoragemanagementsoftware
tomove(import)allofthenewmediaintothestoragepoolforthe
partition.Afterallofthemediaismove dtothestoragepool,youwill
endupwithoneormoreemptymagazinesintheentry/exitpool.
 Maketheentry/exitpoollargeenoughtoaccommodateallofthe
cartridgestypicallyimportedorexportedduringasingleoperation.For
example,ifyourunanightlybackupthatuses48cartridgeswhichare
thenexportedeachmorning,createanentry/exitpoolof50LTOslots(5
chambers)or54TS11x0technologyslots(6chambers).
 Afteryourlibraryisinuseforaperiodoftime,andatleastonesetof
cartridgescompletesaroundtrip(exportedfromthelibrary,storedoff
site,thenre‐imported),thefollowingruleofthumbapplies:ifyou
removeaTeraPackmagazinefromtheentry/exitpool,replaceitwith
eitheranemptymagazinetoaccommodatefutureejectoperationsora
fullmagazinewhosecartridgesarethenimportedintothestoragepool
usingyourstoragemanagementsoftware.
 Duringanimportorexportoperation,donotleavethelibrary
unattendedformorethanafewminutes.Ifyoudo,theimportor
exportoperationtimesoutsothatthelibrarycancontinueautomated
backuptasks.Tocontinue,restarttheoperationwhenyouareready.
 EnableAutoDriveCleanandconfigureacleaningpartitiontoclean
driveswheneverrequiredtohelpensureoptimalperformance.Ifyou
donotusetheAutoDriveCleanfeature,periodicallychecktheDrives
screentodeterminewhether thedrivesrequirecleaning(seeCleaninga
Driveonpage461).
 Confirmthequalityofyourmediaandverifydataintegrityby
occasionallyrunningrestoresusingdifferentdrives.
 Confirmthequalityofbothmediaanddrivesbyrunningperiodic
disasterrecoverydrills.Thesedrillstesttheoverallabilitytorecoverall
ofyourdatausingyourbackups.