> It doesn't identify drives. It identifies volumes that are needed.
> Backups are made to volumes, which on disk are regular files on a
> filesystem partition, not the raw drive. So, for example, if you had 3
> volumes on each drive then you might name them drive01vol1, drive01vol2,
> and drive01vol3 for drive 1, drive02vol1, drive02vol2, and drive02vol3
> for drive 2, and etc. When Bacula asked to mount a volume labeled
> 'drive07vol2' you would then know that it was on drive 7. If you put the
> wrong drive in, then it would not contain volume 'drive07vol2' and
> Bacula would complain.

        OK, I think I've got it.  Your use of the term "volume" is throwing
me a little.  I am used to the term meaning "one or more storage media
accessed as one logical device".  In short, a "volume" is something which
shows up as /dev/hdx, /dev/sdx, /dev/mdx, /dev/dmx, etc.

        Is the file name Bacula uses easily identifiable?  IOW, if I name
the volume drive01v01, will I see a file named something similar to
drive01vol01 in the file system?  I'm not sure I see any advantage to having
multiple partitions on a drive for my application.  Can multiple volumes
reside in a single partition?  Indeed, I am still not sure what the
advantage for my situation would be for multiple backup volumes, unless each
volume comprises a particular backup set done on a particular date?

> >     You lost me a little, here.  This portion makes it sound as if the
> > autochanger might be useful for a hot-swappable drive, but I'm not quite
> > seeing the whole picture - or its advantages.
> >
> >
> Indeed, it is primarily for hot-swappable drives such as USB, 4-drive
> hot-swap SATA enclosures, etc.

        I see where it would be an advantage for a multiple drive enclosure,
but I'm still not seeing it for a single drive enclosure.

> It also allows multiple virtual drives,
> which is useful when multiple pools are used to run multiple concurrent
> jobs. Rather than having to specify which jobs use which devices, all
> jobs use the same autochanger device.

        That's not going to be the case, here.  I only have one array to
back up, from one machine.


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