Can I Configure My Autoloader to Load A New Tape From the Magazine Each Day

[CA1091557]

I am running tapeware version 7.0 with a Surestore DAT 40x6 Autoloader on a windows XP OS. My backup selection will comfortably go onto 1 x DDS4 tape and so what I would like is for Tapeware to do a backup onto the first tape in slot 1 of my autoloader on Monday and then eject the tape back into the magazine. Then on Tuesday (day 2) I would like Tapeware to do a backup to my second tape in slot 2 of the autoloader - And so on through Friday. Then on the following Monday to go through the whole process again (I have reserved slot 6 of the autoloader for a cleaning tape). I would like all this to happen automatically if possible.

Can this be done or is it just a dream? If so, would some kind person who understands Tapeware and/or Autoloaders better than me be good enough to explain how I can configure it. I've got "Ldr" in my list of devices but that is as far as I've succeeded in getting.

I have been trying to do this on and off for the past 6 months but without success. It only ever wants to backup to Tape 1 (slot 1) Regards, Greg

[Lewis Finch]

The autoloaders may be operated in either Stacker or Random mode.
In Stacker mode (also known as Sequential mode), you can select which cartridge
you want by using the Select and Load buttons on the front panel. When a
cartridge is ejected from the embedded drive after a host UNLOAD command, the
autoloader automatically moves the next available cartridge from the magazine
into the drive. The autoloader does not depend on the host computer sending
SCSI Medium Changer commands to move cartridges to and from the magazine.
In Random (or Changer) mode, the host views the autoloader as two devices:
A tape drive to which SCSI Sequential Access commands can be sent.
A changer mechanism to which SCSI Medium Changer commands can be sent.
The controlling host computer therefore has full random access to any cartridge.

[CA1091557]

Thanks for that information Lewis. The thing is I need to know how to configure Tapeware to allow these commands to take effect and unfortunately that is something I am unclear how to do.

When I first install a fully loaded magazine into my autoloader it goes through its initial sequence of checking which slots have a tape installed. After which it does allow me to select any slot and allow the selected tape to be installed into the drive but that is the only time I can control which tape enters the drive. Once I commence a backup sequence through Tapeware any tape already in the drive is ejected and cannot be re-input manually. On the otherhand if the drive is empty when the backup sequence commences the tapeware program will always insert the tape from slot 1 and I have no idea how to change this. Even after the backup has completed and the tape has automatically unloaded, I do not know how to make the tapeware program install Tape 2 (slot 2) the next time it carries out a backup.