>> On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 00:59:53 -0600, Roger Deschner <rogerd AT UIC DOT EDU> 
>> said:

> I have never seen reclamation take a Filling volume. I thought the
> Big Idea ever since the product was called WDSF was to fill up the
> Filling volumes until they are Full, let expiration gradually eat
> holes in them, and then reclaim them. What's the point in reclaiming
> a tape that isn't full yet? Even with collocation, I don't get
> it. If it isn't full yet, the only thing you should be doing to it
> is writing more data to it.


I share this opinion.  Acknowledging that there are times when it's a
ridiculous distinction to make, ( i.e. 99% full volume that's 99%
reclaimable ) the point of reclamation is to improve the chances
you'll have somewhere to put byte N+1 that comes into your server.

If you reclaim FILLING volumes, then you make them PENDING for [some
time], so instead of having half-full, half-reclaimable volume, you've
got a quarter-full volume and a PENDING volume; not much improvement
in access, and in the meantime you are not-relcaiming the next, FULL
volume.

This would be especially relevant for FILE devclasses, especially**2
those sites which predefine their volumes; you deprive yourself of all
of the ex-FILLING volume for reusedelay days.



- Allen S. Rout