Recording Data

The Record command starts the recording process. Output requests made from the Product Output menu for the selected archive drive are written at the beginning of a blank tape or added to the end of an IRIS tape. The archive medium can be left mounted so that new files can be automatically written to the archive without having to enter the Archive menu. This continues until the medium is full.

Retrieve, Unmount, and Inventory commands can be issued during the record operation without first issuing the Stop command. A side effect of recording on an IRIS tape is that a new tape log is created when IRIS scans to find the last tape file. If you record on a tape that has an Incomplete Tape Log, a new tape log is generated. There is no need to perform an inventory in this case.

  1. Enter the Product Output menu and select which product files to send to the archive drive. Be sure to specify the correct drive when you do this. You can make either individual send requests or use the header line commands to specify that all future products be sent to the archive.
  2. Put a partially filled or a freshly initialized medium into the appropriate archive drive. Make sure that the medium is write-enabled.
  3. Select Menus > Archive Menu and select the appropriate archive drive.

    Check that Status field indicates Idle or Released.

  4. Select Commands > Mount.
  5. Check the Filter Summary to make sure the medium mounted successfully, and check the Archive ID field and log list to make sure that this is the medium that you want to write.
  6. Select Commands > Record.

    When recording is complete, the Commands field shows Record Done and the Status field shows Idle.

    The log contains entries for the new files that have been added.

    You can issues further commands (such as Unmount), but many users leave the medium is left in this state so that future requests for archive from the Product Output menu are fulfilled automatically.

  7. If the medium is full before recording is complete, the tape rewinds to BOT and the system-wide message TAPE FULL ON DRIVE (drive id) is flashed.
    1. Enter the Archive menu and unmount the tape.
    2. Mount a new tape.
    3. To restart the recording operation where it left off, select Commands > Record.

    Products are queued to be sent to the drive and are sent as soon as you select the record command on the fresh media. Thus if the media before these queued files are deleted by the normal watchdog process, then there is no loss of data on the archive. The time depends on the size of your IRIS system disk but is typically several hours.

  8. To stop recording manually, select Commands > Stop.

    IRIS waits for the next command, which could be to resume the record process. The log reflects the new files that were added before the Stop command was issued.