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Before tapes can be used on most mainframe applications, they must be initialized. This involves writing a volume label at the beginning of tape.
The volume structure varies between systems. In most cases the volume consists of file marks and a short (80 byte) record. The record contains data such as:
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A date/time stamp of the record creation time
The VOLSER (Volume Serial Number). This is the same number that is on the bar code label on the outside of the cartridge.
Tape density information
Owner of the cartridge
Our equipment automatically includes the date/time, the tape density, and the VOLSER information, if a bar code label is attached to the cartridge.
The Initializer is a stand-alone unit. No tape drives or host computers are required.
Why waste valuable computer time by initializing tapes online?
The need to initialize tapes arises for most data centers only occasionally.
Purchasing equipment for occasional use is not desirable. We lease our equipment on a per cartridge basis.
It takes about 30 second to initialize a tape. Depending on how many tapes are to be initialized, we send multiple Initializers to the site.
Over 1000 tapes can be initialized in a single shift by one operator.
Too busy to initialize your tapes? We come with our equipment to your site and do the work for you!
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Example of a volume consisting of a data record and 3 file marks
Our equipment reads the bar code label on the cartridge
Initializer |
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