Hi,
If you can't expand your library capacity here are some tips for you:

1.      Move your archive data offsite if possible.. Archive retention is
based on time, not on versions like backups. You can organize the space
reclamations better .
2.   You don't have to put back a tape as soon as it needs to be reclaimed.
Write a scipt that checks the reclaimable space on your offsite volumes, and
move them onsite when you have more of them, or on a regular basis.
3. Organize your vault, especially if you have a lot of tapes offsite. At my
site we mainly do archiving, 
so I have separate shelves for different retention time archives.

4. As for restores: either you check manually for required tapes when doing
a restore, or you can set up some scripts to query the tsm server. In my
case I wrote a small C code to let the TSM server log its messages to the
standard Unix syslog service (I can send it for you, runs on AIX). Since we
have a separate server for collection and analyzing syslogs, I just put a
new rule into the syslog analyzer  to send me (or the operators) a mail when
a tape request arives from the TSM server (check out Logsurfer. Its free,
and quite good.). A simple reply to the mail checkes in the media. (It needs
to be put into the library first, of course. :)   )

I hope this helps you, but again: you should avoid offsite volumes. It's
just a pain in the lib. :)

Imre Csatlós
Solaris & TSM Admin
Budapest Bank Rt, Hungary


-----Original Message-----
From: Farren Minns [mailto:fminns AT WILEY.CO DOT UK]
Sent: 2003. január 15. 17:47
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: 3494 and tapes question.


Hi TSMers

I am looking at what to do in the next year or so when our tape library
becomes full. Baring in mind that we don't do much in the way of restores
(most backups are for DR), is it feasible to remove tapes from the library
and just keep them on site in case they are requested for a restore,
reclamation etc. Does anyone out there do this kind of thing and how does
it work for you?

Thanks all

Farren Minns - John Wiley & Sons Ltd