On Wed, Aug 20, 2003 at 01:45:02PM -0500, Deb Baddorf wrote:
> Hi all --
>     I have a barcode reader with my tape robot.   I've tested the robot
> and got it playing nicely with amanda;  nut I haven't yet told her that
> it can do barcodes.
>      In what fashion does amanda make use of the bar codes,   assuming
> I tell her that I have a reader (havereader = 1)?
> 
> Does amanda use them while finding tapes,  or just report them to me
> for my visual usage?
> Does the barcode label need to match the amlabel string?
> (it is kind of long for barcoding....)
> Or is the barcode  just *associated* with the amlabel
> (in the mentioned barcode database)?
> 
> i.e.  is  UX0001  associated with  MyTapeStringDaily-034
> by the barcode database
>      or does it have to actually *say*   MyTapeStringDaily-034
> on the barcode?

Take this with a big dose of uncertainty.
I don't have a barcode reader.  But I'm
sure someone will correct me if wrong.


I think the database is only the tapes currently in the changer.
This is so that the changer can do random access to the tapes
and verify their identity without reading the header.

Further, I think the barcode is just something that amanda reads,
not sets, and is just a ?number? unassociated with amanda labels.
Maybe assigned by the tape manufacturer?

-- 
Jon H. LaBadie                  jon AT jgcomp DOT com
 JG Computing
 4455 Province Line Road        (609) 252-0159
 Princeton, NJ  08540-4322      (609) 683-7220 (fax)