Loader

Loaders are devices composed of drive(s), a magazine with slots for media and a robotic mechanism that moves media between the slots, drives and a potentially available insert-eject port. In most cases, this insert-eject port is a conveyor belt moving the cassettes into/out of the loader. There is no dependency in SEP sesam to use any manufacturers devices or device types. A list of supported hardware is available at http://www.sep.de/sesam/storagehardware/products.php

Loading of media is defined as the movement of a cassette from the magazine into a drive, unloading is the opposite. Loaders enable a fully automated backup system during night or weekends.

The menu item Loaders shows the configured loaders and the drives within them and offers the respective tools you will need to configure your loader.

Properties Loader and New Loader

The configuration (addition) of storage hardware is automatic (local) so long as the newly added hardware is supported and recognized by the operating system (listed in the O/S Device Driver Directory). Adding other loaders (e.g. for Remote Devices) is possible at any time.

Device  

SCSI Device Description of the Loader

• Windows:

The SCSI ID can be entered using the "sesam loader utility" (slu) as long as the drivers have been installed properly. Use the following command:

Now, all attached SCSI Devices will be listed.

Example Output:

The displayed ID must now be entered under "Device (SCSI-ID)".

• Linux:

The required Data File for Linux can also be determined using the command:

Example Output:

When using Linux, in addition to the SCSI ID, you will need to enter the data file into "Device (SCSI-ID)".

Device Server  

Remote Device (Server) where the loader is installed

The Remote Device or the Remote Device Server refers to the server where the Auto-Tape-Loader is connected. In smaller environments you would normally install the Auto-Loader or Disk array directly on the SEP sesam Server. You would use the Remote Device (Server) in more complex dbackup environment. The backup stream follows to the Remote Device (Server) instead of to the SEP sesam server (Master Server).

Type  

Manufacturer

Ctrl  

Loader control with sesam loader utility SLU

Slots  

Number of slots in the loader

When inserting a cleaning tape use the last slot in the loader and reduce the number of slots in the loader by one (or by the number of cleaning tapes loaded).

Barcode  

Select yes/no depending on whether the loader has a barcode reader or not

Automat. Unload Function

Select yes/no

Almost all autoloaders and libraries allow explicit commands to transport tapes to and from the loader mechanism. Therefore you will most often select 'no' in the SEP sesam GUI and allow the manufacturer's drive settings to perform as designed.

Virtual Loader (VTL)

Backup designs and concepts from DISK to DISK or from DISK to DISK to TAPE necessitate a disk based storage area. This storage area is handled by SEP sesam as a Virtual Tape Libary (VTL). The VTL controls all DISK-HARD Drives. DISK drives on Remote Device Servers are controlled using Loader 0.

A VTL can be created in different storage areas using the available data systems ( NFS, NTFS, ext3, ...). Special hardware is not required when displaying multiple virtual drives, and can therefore allow the installation and use of more lesser cost devices.

Loader 0 has a special designation. It is the so-called virtual loader, i.e. it does not exist physically but is used exclusively for the "'movement"' of virtual DISK-media. Since DISK_HARD-media are virtual (directories on disks) they do need a virtual loader.

Contents

This view shows a symbolic representation of the loader. It is updated with every cycle so that it always shows the current status. On the left you see the cassette with slots, next to it is the arm or selecting device (changer), above is the drive (s), and finally at the bottom is the exit port. Most often only a portion of the autoloader media is changed, i.e. for very large tape libraries only a portion of the media will be reserved for SEP sesam. The user/administrator has the option to limit the archive adjustment (Cassette Adjustment, Library Sync) to specific loader areas. If the media have bar code labels this is taken into account for the backup process. Direct verification of the media label is possible.

The archive adjustment (Cassette Adjustment, Library Sync) can also occur at the same time an inventory of the loader's tapes is initiated. The user thus obtains an overview of the tapes in the loader without regard to which pool (Storage Pool) they have been assigned/reassigned.

Functions

Legend  

explains the VTL color coding

Change view  

changes icon size for the selected cassettes in the slots

Barcode as label 

Instead of the cassette written label the bar code label is used (if available).

Archive Adjustment  

Cassette adjustment; Library sync between a loader magazine and the SEP sesam database (Media Archive)

Archive Adjustment

Media Pool  

Select a media pool where you want to perform the archive adjustment - All media is shown regardless of the pool selected

Storagepool  

if the selected media pool has storagepools pools assigned to it you can select them here.

Drive Group  

The drive group is automatically defined via the media pool

Drive (opt.)  

optional input of a single drive

First Slot, Last Slot

Offers the possibility to limit the synchronization to a portion of the autoloader

Automatic Introduction

If unknown media (without sesam label) are found within the loader these unidentified media will be added to the specified media pool

Tape Type  

Entry of media type for automatic new media entry

Handling of unknown SEP sesam media

• Accept without initialization - foreign sesam media, e.g. from another SEP sesam server will be entered into the new media pool

- Note: any media from a competitive manufacturer will be entered into the target mediapool and will be overwritten! In other words, any media not recognized by the SEP sesam server will be overwritten and a new Media Pool Label is written to the tape.

Check label on tape 

Every tape label is read again and verified. Bar code information is ignored.

Loader Action

Selecting Loader Action is the simplest (limited) way to achieve direct access to disk and loader controls. The import or export (load/unload) of single media can be initialized in the SEP GUI as well as the sorting of media within the library. The use of port slots depends on the hardware installed.

Action

Import

transport of tape cartridge through the input/output port into the magazine

Export

transport of tape cartridge from the magazine through the input/output port - exit from loader

Load from slot

move tape cartridge from the specified magazine slot into the specified drive

Load via label

move tape cartridge with certain ID (e.g. S00001) into the specified drive

Unload

move tape cartridge from the specified drive back into its slot

Loader Number

selection of a defined loader

Drive Number

selection of a defined drive (within that loader)

Label

In case of "'Load via label"' instead of slot number

Start

of the corresponding action

Cancel

closes the entry mask without an action