Legato NetWorker ClientPak and Storage Node Installation Guide

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Chapter 3: Configuration
3
When to Use Barcode Labels
Consider the following conventions when using barcodes:
• If you have volumes that you use often for recovery or for overwriting with new
data, it is beneficial to label them with barcode labels. When your volumes are
labeled with barcodes, you save hours of time when you inventory your volumes.
• If your existing volumes are stored in a vault or offsite for long periods at a time,
you do not have to label existing volumes with barcode labels. This is because you
do not inventory these volumes often, if ever.
If you decide to use barcode labels on your existing volumes, follow these steps:
1. Apply the barcode labels to the existing volumes.
2. Load and mount each volume individually so that NetWorker can match the
barcode label to the existing volume label.
Types of Barcode Labels
You can purchase a variety of barcode labels from a third-party vendor. You can choose
numeric, alphanumeric, or a special combination of numbers and characters to meet
your labeling needs. You can even order barcode labels that match your current
volume labeling scheme.
If you label your volumes with the storage node name and an extension such as “001,”
order a range of labels starting with “storage node_name.001” and ending with
“storage node_name.100.” Labeling instructions for barcode labels are usually
provided with your autochanger hardware documentation. If you have questions
about barcode labels, contact the hardware manufacturer.
Using a consistent labeling scheme helps you better organize and track your volumes.
It also aids the inventory process if all the volumes, rather than a limited number of
them, use barcode labels.
When NetWorker relabels volumes automatically, it reuses the original volume label
name. You can only change the label name if you relabel the volumes manually.
NetWorker scans the barcode label during the labeling process and updates the media
database with the new volume name and its associated barcode label.
Autochanger Inventory
If the autochanger inventory becomes outdated, either by rebooting your system or by
opening the autochanger door, you can update the information about the
autochanger’s contents by performing an inventory.
To update the inventory of the autochanger contents, use one of the following
methods:
• Log on as MANAGER.SYS, at the shell prompt or CI and issue the NSRJB -E -I
command.
• Open the NetWorker Administrator program and use the graphical Inventory
command.