Dell NetWorker 19.9 Administration Guide

Inventory silos

Taking inventory of the volumes in a silo ensures that the mapping between slot number and volume name is correct, or reconciles the actual volumes in a silo with the volumes listed in the NetWorker media database.

The slot number of a silo volume is not a numbered slot inside the silo, as it is in a library. The slot number of a silo volume is the number of the volume’s position in the list of volumes in a silo.

The tasks for inventorying volumes in a silo are the same as those for a library. Inventorying library volumes provides information about inventorying a library.

The NetWorker software examines all of the volumes in the silo and compares the new list of volumes to the NetWorker media database. Then the NetWorker software produces a message listing any volumes located in the silo that are not in the media database.

When the NetWorker software inventories a silo, the silo’s barcode label reader reads the barcode labels on the outside of each volume. When a barcode matches an entry in the NetWorker media database, the volume does not need to be loaded. The inventory proceeds rapidly. If, however, the NetWorker software reads a barcode that does not match any of the entries in the media database, the volume must be mounted and read in order for a proper inventory to be taken.