Data cartridges
Data tape cartridges hold information that is written by a host securely and reliably. This information is read from and written to the cartridge by a tape drive.
Data cartridges can be identified by their volume serial number (VOLSER), which is an alpha-numeric code on the front of the tape cartridge or by their internal address, which is a unique identifier of the cartridge within the library. If a duplicate VOLSER exists in the library, the internal address, which is a six-character hex string acts as the tie breaker. The internal address must be queried before use as it can change over time as the cartridge is moved within the library. The internal address can also change if the cartridge is assigned or unassigned from a logical library or if the cartridge is moved by the host or the library. Therefore, this value must be queried immediately before use.
Data cartridges must be assigned to a logical library within the library to be used. This is accomplished by either creating a VOLSER range for the logical library that includes this cartridge or by manually assigning the cartridge outside of the VOLSER range.