Managing and Storing Tapes

These ideas are aimed at a medium-sized IBM i sites. You can adopt as many of these recommendations as you please.

Managing Tapes Using Logical Volume Naming

If you use Robot Save’s logical volume naming option, the volume uses the following six-character name when it is initialized:

• You enter the first two alpha characters of the volume name to designate the backup set.

• Robot Save supplies the third alpha character of the volume name to designate the rotation. Robot Save automatically converts the rotation number to a letter code for volume naming (1=A, 2=B, and so on).

  Note: Backup sets using logical volume naming are limited to 26 rotations.

• Robot Save supplies the fourth through sixth characters of the volume name to designate the sequence of volumes in the rotation.

For example, the third tape in Monday’s Backup Set, Rotation 1, will have the volume name MNA003. The first tape in Tuesday’s Backup Set, Rotation 4 will have the volume name TUD001.

Thus, you can tell by the volume name what the tape is used for and where it should be stored.

Managing Tape Movement and Storage by Backup Set Rotation

Even if you want to store tapes by volume name, we recommend that you use Robot Save’s auto move processing. All tapes are moved automatically by backup set rotation. This minimizes tape management errors.