EMC NetWorker discussion <NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU> wrote on 
08/11/2008 03:53:20 PM:

> In regard to: Re: [Networker] Can you "scanner" a SDLT tape in a 
SDLT-600...:
> 
> > All I wanted was to save a little time. I assumed that NW assigned a
> > volume type based on .. .wait for it .. the type of volume. :-)
> 
> How's it supposed to know?  To figure out the type of tape that's 
actually
> been inserted into a particular drive is going to be different for
> different types of drives and is probably going to be different for each
> operating system.  It's definitely possible, but it requires a much
> deeper access to the tape drive than NetWorker currently has.

Yeah, I suppose. Certainly would make my life easier, tho. :-)

> You give NetWorker a device path (e.g. /dev/nst0) and you tell it what
> type of drive is associated with that device path.  NetWorker opens that
> path (possibly setting a particular block size) and flings data into it
> until NetWorker gets a write error, at which point it stops writing and
> says "tape full". 

Yeah, I've noticed. :-) I'd like to have a mail notification when 
something like that happens, but haven't been able to figure out how to 
get that notification set up (a "media write error" notification, not a 
"media full" notification, which would be a normal sequence of events)

> Then again, learning via the "crucible" method can be quite effective.
> You've learned a lot about NetWorker in the past few days that I bet
> you'll never forget.

That's one way to look at it, yes. :-)

And see? I'm much better, after a few beers with dinner last night ...

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