NV7.4 VDL directory structure change (4046590)

Description:

In previous versions of netvault the underlying Virtual library directory structure was as follows:-

2 directories -

Drives
Slots

1 .serial file per library

The drives directory contained 1 numbered sub directory per drive that conatined a .serial file (1 per drive)

The slots directy contained sub directories 1 for each slot defined as part of the library
and each of these slot directories contained a virual tape file marked with the relevant barcode.

As virtual tape operations are performed the tape files were phsically moved between the relevant slot and drive directories.

e.g. if you loaded the tape from slot 4 into drive 2 - the tape file is moved from newlibrary\slots\4 to newlibrary\drives\2


With Netvault 7.4 the directory structure has changed:

In addition to the above there is a new directory media

so there are now 3 directories : -

Drives
Slots
Media

The new media directory houses all the tape files withiin this single directory.

There is also a change to the directory content there is now an addiitonal media reference file '.media' 1 per virtual tape
The .media file acts as a pointer to the tape files within the media directory and
contains the full file specification (path +name ) for the associated virtual tape in plain text -

e.g. when the .media file associated with virtual tape 7PBQ3004 has the followiing content:
c:\nv74vdl\media\7PBQ3004




The main operational/functional change is that the virtual tape files remain stationary during virtual tape operations so there are no longer any physical moves
of tape files between directories.
The new method moves the .media file from the current slot directory to the drive directory when the tape is loaded.
the .media file is then returned from the drive directory to the target slot direc