Cartridge Rotation - Spectra Logic Spectra T950V User Manual

Appendix A — Best Practices

Cartridge Rotation

During normal backup operations, tapes are rotated into and out of the
library. This section provides a simple example of the library's media life
cycle functionality to manage tape rotation. Using a backup plan similar to
the one described in the following example for a period of time establishes
a media rotation schedule for the library. The example assumes the
following:
 The library has a total of 17 licensed chambers and uses LTO media.
 The library contains 15 full TeraPack magazines and two empty
 Two magazines containing 20 cartridges worth of backup data are sent
 After the data ages two weeks, the media is returned to the library and
 The site adheres to the following best practices:
This example shows that, by Week 3, the backup plan results in a full
media rotation in which the operator performed the following:
1. Removed and stored two full TeraPack magazines of media. Full
2. Imported two full TeraPack magazines into the entry/exit pool through
The following sections describe and illustrate the rotation process in more
detail.
August 2019
 2 chambers are assigned to the entry/exit pool (20 slots, or
2 TeraPack magazines).
 15 chambers are assigned to the storage pool (150 slots, or
15 TeraPack magazines).
TeraPack magazines.
off site every Friday.
re‐used.
 Whenever a TeraPack magazine is exported, another magazine
(either full or empty) is imported.
 The library has enough empty TeraPack magazines to fill the entry/
exit pool.
magazines were exported from the entry/exit pool and removed
through the TAP, resulting in an empty entry/exit pool.
the TAP and then used the storage management software to move the
media in the entry/exit pool into the storage pool.
Moving the media to the storage pool leaves two empty magazines in
the entry/exit pools, ready to accept media as the storage management
software identifies media as ready to be ejected from the library.
User Guide—Spectra T950V Library
Using Cartridges
466