Inventorying media

Run Inventory to mount the media in the device and read the media label, which is then displayed in the Devices view. If this is the first time that Backup Exec has encountered this media, the media label is also added to the Media view.

If you change the media in the robotic library or device, run Inventory so that the current media in the device is displayed in the views; otherwise, the previous media is still displayed as being in the device.

You should run an inventory operation when Backup Exec is started for the first time following a new installation or a product upgrade. When Backup Exec is exited and restarted, it saves information pertaining to the location and contents of all of the media from the last Backup Exec session (provided the media in the devices hasn't changed). With this information, Backup Exec can immediately begin processing operations when it is restarted.

When media is changed in a robotic library, you can inventory all of the slots in the robotic library or select the slots to be inventoried. You are not required to re-inventory slots when adding media requested by Backup Exec. For example:

If you are performing a restore operation, and the data is contained on media that is not currently in the robotic library, you are prompted to insert the media for the restore operation. In this case, you are not required to re-inventory the slot where the restore source media is placed.

When media that is not requested by Backup Exec is added or removed from the magazine, you should perform an inventory operation on the changed slots. This updates the media database so Backup Exec doesn't load and unload each media in the magazine searching for the correct media on which to process jobs. You can select specific slots to inventory. If you swap media often you may want Backup Exec to perform an inventory on the robotic library magazine each time Backup Exec services are started.

To inventory media in a device

  1. On the navigation bar, click Devices.

  2. Expand the server icon, click Stand-alone Drives, or if the device resides in a robotic library, click Robotic Libraries.

  3. If you want to inventory a drive or slot, select the drive or slot containing the media you want to inventory, or select Slots.

  4. If you want to inventory a backup-to-disk file, do the following in the order listed:

    • Double-click the icon for the computer where the backup-to-disk folder is located.

    • Click the backup-to-disk folder that contains the file you want to inventory.

    • On the Results pane, select the file you want to inventory.

  5. Under Media Tasks in the task pane, select Inventory.

  6. Select the appropriate options as follows:

    Job name

    Type a name for the job or accept the default name.

    Job priority

    Select the priority for the job.

    Available options are as follows:

    • Lowest

    • Low

    • Medium

    • High

    • Highest

  7. If you want a person or group to be notified when the job completes, on the Properties pane, under Settings, click Notification and select the options you want.

    See Assigning notification recipients for completed jobs.

  8. If you want to run the job now, click Run Now. Otherwise, on the Properties pane, under Frequency, click Schedule to set the scheduling options you want to use.

    See Scheduling jobs.

    There may be a delay (up to several minutes for some drives) as the media is mounted and inventoried.

    The inventory operation can be monitored or canceled through the Job Monitor.

More Information

Media labeling