Check In Volume

Add a tape volume as a scratch volume, a private volume, or a cleaner cartridge to the server inventory for an automated library.

IBM Spectrum Protect uses a library volume inventory to track scratch and private volumes that are available in an automated library. The Check In action is used to add the tape volume to the library's volume inventory and to select where in the library to place the volume. The server cannot not use any volumes that physically reside in an automated library until that volume is checked in.

Tip: You can check in tape volumes by using the CHECKIN LIBVOLUME command or by using the Operations Center. For more information about using IBM Spectrum Protect commands, see the IBM Spectrum Protect documentation.

The following items are available on this page:

Select volumes to check in
Select the tape volumes that you want to check in. If you know the name of the volume, select the Name checkbox and enter the volume name. Only this named volume will be checked into the library. Alternatively, you can select the Search checkbox to specify that the server searches the library for tape volumes that are not checked in. For SCSI libraries, you can specify that the server searches the library's entry/exit ports only rather than the entire library.
Restriction: For SCSI libraries, if you use the Search option, you must also specify a Check Label value of either Yes or bar code only, depending on your requirements.
You can limit the search by selecting one of the following additional filters:
  • List. Limit the search to the comma-separated list of volume names that you specify. For example, TAPEVOL001, TAPEVOL002, TAPEVOL003, TAPEVOL004. If none of the volumes in the list are in the library, an information message is generated.
  • Range. Limit the search to volume names within a specified range. For example, TAPEVOL001 - TAPEVOL010. If there are no tape volumes in the library that are within the specified range, an information message is generated.
To run the search without specifying any limits on the volumes to be searched, specify Search without range limit.
Check Label
For tape libraries that support label checking, you can specify whether you want the server to read the media label of the volume before check-in. The possible values are Yes, No, and bar code only:
  • Yes. Specifies that the server attempts to read the media label of the volume during check-in processing.
  • No. Specifies that the volume media label is not read during check-in.
    Restriction: F SCSI libraries, if you use the Search option to search for volumes to check in, you must specify a Check Label option of either Yes or bar code only, depending on your requirements.
  • Bar code only. Specifies that the server reads the bar code label if the library has a bar code reader. The server uses the information to write the internal media labels. If the bar code reader cannot read the bar code label, or if the tape does not have a bar code label, the server mounts the tape and reads the internal label.
    Tip: You can save time when you check in volumes to libraries that have bar code readers by using the characters on the bar code labels as names for the volumes.
Volume status on check-in
When you check in a volume, assign it to one of the following categories, depending on your requirement for the volume:
  • Scratch. Specify the tape volume is a new scratch volume. A scratch tape is a tape that is empty or contains no valid data. You mount this volume to satisfy scratch mount requests during either data storage operations or export operations. If a volume has an entry in volume history, you cannot check it in as a scratch volume.

    Blank tape cartridges can be checked into a library as scratch volumes. If a storage pool of the library's device class is configured to request scratch volumes, the server can satisfy the mount requests if scratch volumes are available. For shared libraries, the library manager and any library client can use the library's scratch volumes to satisfy requests from storage pools.

    When data is written to a scratch volume, its status is changed to private, and it is defined as part of the storage pool for which the mount request was made.

  • Private. Specify the tape volume is a private volume. You assign a private volume to a server and use it to satisfy a request to mount that particular volume only when it is requested by name.

    A private volume is a volume that is either already assigned to a storage pool, or is checked in by the server as private. Volumes might have a status of either scratch or private, but when IBM Spectrum Protect stores data on them, their status becomes private. Private volumes cannot be overwritten when a scratch mount is requested.

  • Cleaner. Specify the tape volume is a cleaner cartridge and not a data cartridge. To enable automatic tape-drive cleaning, you must check in a cleaner cartridge to the volume inventory of the automated library. If the cleaning operation fails or is canceled, or if no cleaner cartridge is available, you might not be aware that the drive needs cleaning. Monitor cleaning messages for these problems to ensure that drives are cleaned as needed. If a cleaner cartridge is checked in to a library, and a drive must be cleaned, the server dismounts the data volume and runs the cleaning operation. By default, the number of uses of the cleaning cartridge is 40.
    Tip: If you must check in both data cartridges and cleaner cartridges, place the data cartridges in the library and check them in first. Then, check in the cleaner cartridge to the library.