ADIC Microscope Magnifier 6 00026 01 Rev A User Manual

AMASS Overview  
AMASS Version 5.3  
August 2002  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
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NOTES  
 
Contents  
6-00025-01 Rev A  
Contents  
v
 
Accessing Storage Devices  
vi  
Contents  
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Accessing Storage Devices  
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Contents  
vii  
 
Accessing Storage Devices  
viii  
Contents  
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P
Preface  
 
 
AMASS Overview  
NOTES  
P-2  
Preface  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
AMASS Overview  
This book provides an introduction or high-level summary of  
AMASS, ADIC’s Archival Management and Storage System  
software application.  
Purpose of  
This Book  
This book is written for prospective customers as well as for the  
system administrator who will be using and maintaining  
AMASS.  
Who Should  
Read This  
Book  
This book contains the following chapters:  
How This  
Book is  
Organized  
Chapter 1: Online Archiving with AMASS — The benefits  
of using AMASS to archive your data  
Chapter 2: Accessing the Storage Network — Supported:  
access protocols, system security, storage devices, connectivity,  
and Fibre Channel  
Chapter 3: Technical Support — Technical support available  
to you  
Glossary — Defines terms  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Preface  
P-3  
 
       
AMASS Overview  
The conventions used throughout the AMASS technical books  
are listed below:  
Conventions  
Convention  
Example  
The word “library” usually includes “jukebox”  
If using HP SunSpot jukeboxes, install patch  
and “standalone drive” and is a generic way to 1234.  
reference a storage device.  
Screen text, file names, program names, and Request to add a new volume:  
commands are in Courierfont.  
Volume group will be “20”  
Volume position will be “A123”  
The root prompt is shown as a number  
symbol.  
# su root  
What you should type in is shown in Courier  
bold font.  
bulkinlet 1,2-10,21,23  
Site-specific variables are in a Times italics  
tar -xvf tapedevicename  
font.  
A backward slash ( \ ) denotes the input is  
continued onto the next line because the  
printed page is not wide enough to  
accommodate the line.  
# rsh nodename -n dd \  
if=/cdrompath/amass/load.tar\  
bs=20b | tar xvBfb - 20  
(Type the entire command without the  
backward slash.)  
Pressing <Return> after each command is  
assumed.  
A menu name with an arrow refers to a  
sequence of menus.  
Edit Policy —> Add Library  
P-4  
Preface  
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1
Online  
Archiving  
with AMASS  
 
 
AMASS Overview  
NOTES  
1-2  
Online Archiving with AMASS  
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AMASS Overview  
The Archival Management and Storage System (AMASS) is a  
management tool for your storage solution.  
Using AMASS  
to Archive  
Your Data  
Files are archived to media stored in robotic libraries,  
jukeboxes, and standalone drives. The archived file system  
managed by AMASS is supervised by a system administrator  
who oversees the following components:  
File System  
-
-
Directory information  
IO activity  
Libraries, Jukeboxes, Standalone Drives  
Status of elements  
Drives  
-
-
-
Dedicate drives for write-only or read/write  
Toggle online and offline status of drives  
Clean dirty drives  
Media  
-
-
-
-
-
-
Load, unload, and move media  
Read offline media  
Assign volume groups  
Assign media to a home storage slot  
Make media read-only or read/write  
Delete files on media  
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AMASS Overview  
Backup and restore applications are usually an automatically  
scheduled operation aimed at protecting original data against  
any kind of loss or damage.  
Archive versus  
Backup and  
Restore  
The goal of archiving is usually to conserve online storage  
space. It is more cost effective to store infrequently accessed  
data on lower cost media.  
When applications need to read from or write to archived files,  
the files appear as a single, mounted file system on the UNIX  
server.  
Files Viewed as  
Online  
Applications can read from the files or write to the files the  
same way they would read or write to a hard disk. Therefore,  
the extensive storage capabilities provided by storage hardware  
appear as one large file system.  
Although applications view their files as being located on the  
UNIX server, in reality they are stored on multiple storage  
system—or even on offline storage.  
Enterprise Data  
UNIX  
Application  
Server  
Her files  
are online.  
AMASS  
IO Request  
His files are  
in offline storage.  
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AMASS Overview  
Documentation Set  
Overview  
The figure below provides an overview of an AMASS-managed  
storage solution and a reference to other books in the AMASS  
documentation set.  
For library-specific information, refer to  
Accessing Storage Devices.  
Library  
Offline Media  
To use offline media,  
For system requirements and  
installation steps, refer to  
Installing AMASS.  
refer to Managing the  
AMASS File System.  
/(root)  
To use standalone  
drives, refer to  
Accessing Storage  
Devices.  
Standalone Drive  
AMASS  
cache  
UNIX Server  
For system administrative  
tasks, refer to Managing the  
AMASS File System.  
Library  
To configure AMASS  
as a client of library  
interface software,  
refer to Accessing  
Storage Devices.  
To perform library sharing tasks, refer to  
Installing AMASS.  
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AMASS Overview  
The management tool for your storage system should provide:  
Benefits of  
Using AMASS  
Performance  
Data integrity  
Ease-of-use  
Flexibility  
The benefits of using AMASS are described in the following  
table:  
Topic  
Page  
AMASS keeps a File System Database, resident on the UNIX  
server’s hard disk, of attributes (commonly referred to as  
metadata) describing the stored data. Attributes consist of  
access time, user ID, block size, file size, and so forth. This  
Database grows as files and directories are added to the file  
system.  
Database  
Improves  
Performance  
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AMASS Overview  
The following figure illustrates the concept of how the File  
System Database maps the file system data to the volumes in  
the library.  
Volumes contain “real” data.  
The File System Database contains metadata,  
which includes the directory structure, file attributes,  
media information, and storage information.  
Inodes  
AMASS  
File  
System  
Database  
Inodes  
Inodes map the metadata to “real”  
data found on the media.  
UNIX Server  
Faster Performance  
Because the File System Database is resident on the server’s  
hard disk, utilities and system calls operate quickly because  
they access the Database instead of the actual files on the  
library.  
Basic commands such as directory listings (ls), changing the  
working directory (cd), and even searching through part or all  
of the file system for files of given attributes (find), operate on  
the File System Database—not the volumes in the library.  
Less Media  
Contention  
A secondary benefit of the disk-resident File System Database  
is less media contention in the library when multiple users are  
accessing the AMASS file system. Because only the actual read  
and write system calls need to access the library, more  
operations can be completed without waiting for media  
changes.  
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AMASS Overview  
Automated Backups  
via Cron Job  
Because the File System Database is extremely important, this  
information must be protected. Consequently, the  
amassbackupcommand, run from a cronjob, regularly backs  
up both the Database and the Journal. The Journal is a  
transaction log of daily activity. This cronjob is created when  
AMASS is installed. The cronjob backs up the Database and  
Journal to a Backup Volume at 3 a.m. using the following  
schedule:  
First day of the month—Full Backup  
All other days—Partial Backup  
After the backup completes, AMASS truncates the Journal  
file.  
If the above schedule is not suitable for your site, modify the  
schedule by editing the crontaband changing the  
amassbackupentries. For detailed information on making a  
Backup Volume and editing the cronjob, refer to Managing the  
AMASS File System.  
Caution  
Make sure these backups are successful. Look in the system log  
every day for a “Backup was successful” message.  
The full backup (backs up the Database and Journal) and the  
partial backups (backs up just the Journal) will allow you to  
successfully restore your File System Database (and, therefore,  
allow you to know where data is located on what piece of  
media) if your current File System Database gets corrupted or  
the hard disk crashes.  
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AMASS Overview  
In a storage environment, there are many volumes but only a  
few drives. If several requests come in for many different  
volumes, the potential exists for AMASS to spend most of its  
time moving media in and out of drives and little of its time  
actually processing requests.  
Design  
Prevents  
Thrashing  
The following items help AMASS handle many simultaneous  
requests, thus preventing thrashing as well as optimizing  
requests:  
Request queue sorting  
Read-ahead  
Write-behind  
Prioritizing algorithm  
The AMASS cache resides on a hard disk attached to the UNIX  
server where AMASS is installed. The cache implementation  
follows all UNIX file system conventions for synchronous IO,  
sync, and fsyncfunctions.  
Cache  
Optimizes  
Requests  
Data caching provides the following benefits:  
Faster system performance  
Protection against thrashing  
In addition, a large cache allows large files to be queued faster  
before being moved to a library thus increasing throughput.  
After files are in the cache, multiple writes to the same volumes  
are grouped into single operation that minimizes volume  
movement and maximizes throughput. Therefore, a high  
aggregate throughput is achieved through the following items:  
Grouping write operations in the cache  
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AMASS Overview  
Prioritizing reads-from-volumes over writes-to-volumes  
UNIX Server where  
AMASS is installed.  
WRITES are written to cache.  
UNIX Server  
From cache, WRITES  
are written to volumes  
in the storage device.  
Cache is on the hard disk.  
READS are cached the same way.  
Configurable Cache  
The cache size can be configured to take advantage of both the  
application being used and the system environment where  
AMASS is installed.  
Applications running database tables in the library, may need a  
larger cache configuration to optimize the number of cache hits  
and allow updates to table headers to be predominantly cache  
IO.  
The cache parameters are configured during installation. For  
information on sizing the cache, refer to Installing AMASS.  
Although every attempt is made to keep files under a specific  
directory on one volume, files can span media. Consequently, a  
directory can reside on more than one volume.  
Virtually  
Unlimited File  
System Size  
Regardless of the physical size, all the volumes appear as a  
single logical device, of admittedly large capacity. AMASS  
supports a maximum of 65,000 volumes.  
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AMASS Overview  
When a volume is full, AMASS automatically selects the next  
available volume to continue its operations. The volumes that  
make up AMASS can be subdivided, if desired, into multiple  
groups called volume groups.  
Volume Groups  
Archiving files by projects can be achieved with volume groups  
by assigning volumes to numerical volume groups to serve a  
particular subdirectory tree.  
Because these volume groups can be assigned to contain  
specific directories, the system administrator can assign  
volumes for specific purposes within AMASS without losing  
the benefits of a single file system and a single mount point that  
spans media. This concept is illustrated by the following figure:  
Library  
AMASS  
/archive  
Volume Group 2  
/sales  
/pubs  
~
~
AMASS archives /pubs  
files to Volume Group 2  
Types of volume groups are listed below:  
A numeric group, 1 through 2047  
A space pool (SP)  
A cleaning group (CL)  
Media verification group (MV) for the optional Infinite File  
Life feature  
For more information about IFL, refer to the appendix in  
Installing AMASS and in Managing the AMASS File System.  
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AMASS Overview  
The following figure illustrates these volume groups:  
Numeric Volume Group  
Volumes can be assigned to a numeric volume  
group. The group can be a number from 1 through  
2047.  
Volumes can be assigned to the space pool (SP).  
These are formatted volumes with specific  
attributes. When a numeric volume group runs out  
of space, and it has been enabled to use the space  
pool, AMASS automatically takes a volume with the  
same attributes from the space pool and assigns it  
to the numeric group that ran out of space. Thus,  
AMASS can continue to write data to the numeric  
volume group.  
Space Pool  
Cleaning cartridges are assigned to the cleaning  
group (CL). When a drive needs cleaning, AMASS  
selects the appropriate cleaning volume from this  
group.  
Cleaning Group  
Media verification group. A volume assigned to the  
media verification (MV) volume group consists of  
media verified as “good” for the AMASS Infinite File  
Life (IFL) feature.  
Media Verification  
After a volume has been assigned to a numerical volume group,  
all writes to the volume group directory and its subdirectories  
go to the specified volumes. No other data is placed on these  
volumes. Therefore, when all the volumes are filled up,  
subsequent writes fail because the volume group is full.  
However, when a volume group is full, you can do one of the  
following:  
Add volumes to the volume group.  
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AMASS Overview  
Allow AMASS to automatically assign a volume from the  
space pool to the out-of-space volume group. Do this by  
using the AMASS vgpoolcommand to enable space pool  
for the specified volume group.  
For more information on volume groups, refer to Managing the  
AMASS File System.  
Uniform Media in  
Numerical and  
Cleaning Groups  
Except for the space pool, a volume group must contain a  
homogeneous type of media; therefore, in multifunction  
libraries containing both WORM and erasable optical platters, a  
numerical volume group can contain WORM or it can contain  
erasable media, but it cannot contain both.  
Uniform, drive-specific attributes must be in the cleaning group.  
Disparate Media in  
the Space Pool  
If a numeric volume group enabled for space pool runs out of  
space, AMASS automatically reassigns a formatted volume  
with specific attributes from the space pool to the out-of-space  
volume group. Thus, AMASS can continue to write data to the  
numeric volume group.  
Volumes in the space pool can contain a mixture of tape,  
optical, WORM, and erasable media.  
The AMASS file system is designed to conform to the standard  
UNIX data integrity functions and conventions. Data integrity  
elements are described on Page 1-14.  
Design  
Maintains Data  
Integrity  
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AMASS Overview  
File Recovery  
Because write operations go to the cache first (including sync,  
fsync, and synchronous IO), in the event of a system crash,  
AMASS recovers all write operations that were in the cache and  
processes the writes to media after the system is rebooted. This  
paradigm provides a level of data integrity consistent with  
standard UNIX file systems.  
Database Recovery  
Most UNIX file systems require fsck, a file system integrity  
check, of all file systems mounted at the time of a system crash.  
This checking can be very time-consuming. However, the  
online File System Database, eliminates the need for this  
checking. After you reboot the system, AMASS corrects its  
Database based upon the /filesysdb/journalfile (a  
transaction log) and starts AMASS.  
Library Recovery  
Media can be left in a drive if a system crash occurs. AMASS  
uses either external bar codes (network-attached libraries) or  
internal headers (SCSI-attached libraries) to identify a volume  
and automatically returns the “stranded” volume to its home  
position.  
Because these recovery functions are automated and can be run  
from the startup script after a system reboot, the AMASS  
recovery, startup, and file system mount can all be performed as  
part of other UNIX file system operations.  
Volume Verification  
Volume verification is extremely important. Storage devices are  
subject to operator error and automated systems can suffer from  
hardware malfunctions leading to incorrect volumes being  
loaded into the drives.  
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AMASS Overview  
As an aid in volume verification, the system administrator  
enters either a bar code or a user-defined label when introducing  
a volume to the File System Database. At the same time,  
AMASS assigns the volume a unique numerical ID. From then  
on, AMASS tracks the volume by this unique identifier and  
verifies the volume by using either bar codes or headers.  
The way AMASS handles the operations listed below has  
increased throughput thereby improving performance:  
Increased  
Throughput  
Tape rewind and eject operations run asynchronously. Tapes  
are returned to their home storage slots depending on which  
drive first becomes available.  
Operating systems that support asynchronous  
operations only: IO requests are asynchronously queued  
when you enable this parameter during AMASS  
installation.  
Scattered Writes  
Improves  
Performance  
When AMASS receives more than one request to write to the  
same volume group, AMASS uses a single drive, by default, to  
write to one volume at a time. However, you can improve  
performance by enabling scattered writes.  
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AMASS Overview  
Scattered writes allows AMASS to use more than one drive to  
write to volumes in a volume group. For configuration  
parameters, refer to Installing AMASS.  
Library  
Drive1 writes file_A to media.  
Drive1  
Volume Group 6  
Drive2  
Drive2 writes file_B to media.  
Enabling scattered writes allows AMASS to  
use more than one drive to write data to the  
same volume group. Consequently,  
performance is improved.  
Compression and  
Block Size Improves  
Throughput  
Configuring compression and block size typically improves  
throughput for tape drives. Both features are configured with  
the AMASS volformatcommand. For more information on  
this command, refer to Managing the AMASS File System.  
Refer to the AMASS Release Notes for a list of drives that  
support compression and configurable block size.  
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AMASS Overview  
Tape Streaming  
Improves Write  
Performance  
Streaming tape IO provides a constant flow of data output to a  
drive, which lessens start and stop operations. This feature  
typically improves write performance but depends on file size,  
number of files, and drive type.  
During processing, a cache block has the following three states  
described:  
Queued = Cache block of data waiting for IO to start  
Pending = Cache block of data in the drives’s buffer  
Done = Cache blocks that have been verified as written to  
media  
The following figure illustrates these three states:  
DONE  
QUEUED  
PENDING  
Drive  
I
N
C
C
H
E
A
A
A
D
T
2. ... one block in the  
drive’s buffer is freed-up  
so data continues to be  
written to the drive.  
1. As one block of  
data is written to  
media ...  
Tape streaming is configured globally with the config_prod  
-oscript after you install AMASS. For more information about  
this script, refer to the Optional Parameters appendix in  
Installing AMASS.  
Refer to the AMASS Release Notes for a list of valid drives for  
I/O tape streaming.  
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AMASS Overview  
The following tools assist with file system tasks and  
troubleshooting:  
Tools  
Commands  
The AMASS commands are a set of UNIX-style, command-line  
interfaces. These commands, as well as standard UNIX  
commands, help you manage archiving a file system onto media  
in storage devices. For a description of the AMASS commands  
and how to use then, refer to Managing the AMASS File  
System.  
Scripts and Utilities  
The AMASS scripts and utilities assist you in identifying and  
resolving problems among the File System Database, the files  
archived on media, and your hardware. For a description of the  
scripts and utilities and how to use them, refer to Managing the  
AMASS File System.  
Automatic Drive  
Cleaning  
AMASS supports automatic drive cleaning.  
Refer to the AMASS Release Notes for a list of drives that  
support automatic drive cleaning.  
For more information on drive cleaning, refer to Managing the  
AMASS File System.  
Exceptions  
Drive cleaning exceptions are noted below:  
ADIC AML with DAS  
Before using the AMASS drivecleancommand, comment out  
all cleaning-related configuration data in the \das\etc\config  
file on the OS/2 server.  
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AMASS Overview  
ADIC Scalar 1000  
AMASS does not support automatic drive cleaning on the  
ADIC Scalar 1000 with firmware earlier than level 2.10.  
Consequently, the Cleaning Mode must be disabled as follows:  
Step 1.  
Step 2.  
Enter the Main menu by pressing the Escape  
button on the operator panel.  
Scroll the Main menu using the navigation buttons  
or  
Enter  
. Select the Setup menu by pressing  
.
Step 3.  
Step 4.  
Scroll the Setup menu using the navigation buttons,  
and select the Cleaning menu by pressing Enter.  
Scroll the Cleaning menu using the navigation  
buttons, and select the Drives dialog box by pressing  
Enter.  
Step 5.  
See if the first line in the box shows that automatic  
drive cleaning is disabled, “Auto Clean: N”, if so  
then no further action is required. Press the Escape  
button until you reach the Status Display menu (the  
initial screen).  
However, if the first line shows that automatic drive  
cleaning is enabled, “Auto Clean: Y”, change the Y  
to an N with the navigation buttons.  
Step 6.  
Step 7.  
Move to the “ACCEPT:N” part of the screen by  
pressing Enter, and change the N to a Y with the  
navigation buttons.  
Save the changed cleaning state by pressing Enter.  
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AMASS Overview  
Step 8.  
Press Escape until you reach the Status Display  
menu (the initial screen).  
AMASS is both drive and library independent thus allowing  
you to choose the hardware that meets the specific needs of  
your company. For detailed information, refer to Accessing  
Storage Devices.  
Flexible  
Third-party Backup  
Applications  
AMASS supports third-party backup and restore applications  
that access files using standard file system semantics.  
Consequently, applications that currently run on standard UNIX  
file systems can use AMASS without modification.  
Mixed Media  
AMASS supports mixed media in the following libraries:  
A network-attached AML using Distributed AML Server  
(DAS) as the library management software on the AMU.  
DAS is an ADIC-GRAU software product with both client  
and server components. The server component is installed  
on the AMU OS/2 server and the client component is  
embedded in AMASS.  
UNIX Server  
DAS  
AMASS  
Mixed media in AML  
AMU library interface  
installed on OS/2 PC  
Clients  
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AMASS Overview  
A network-attached Storage Technology storage device  
using Automatic Cartridge System Library Software  
(ACSLS).  
UNIX Server  
AMASS  
ACSLS  
Mixed media in  
StorageTek  
ACSLS library interface  
Clients  
During the AMASS installation, configure the unique media  
types with separate authorization strings. For example, if the  
AML contains both DLT and 3590 media, define AMASS with  
an authorization string for DLT JUKEBOX 1 and an  
authorization string for 3590 JUKEBOX 2.  
For configuration instructions, refer to Installing AMASS and  
Accessing Storage Devices. For DAS installation and operation  
on the AMU, refer to the DAS Installation and System  
Administration Guide.  
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AMASS Overview  
To enable the following optional features, obtain a unique  
authorization string from your AMASS sales representative.  
Enter this alphanumeric string during the installation process.  
Optional  
Features  
Optional Feature  
Page  
If media has been removed from a library, juke, or standalone  
drive, you must use the Offline Media Manger to access the  
offline media. When a file is accessed on offline media, a  
prompt asks the operator to load the correct volume into a drive  
so the request can be satisfied. For more information, refer to  
the "Operational Tasks" chapter in Managing the AMASS File  
System.  
Offline Media  
Manager  
The vgexportand vgimportcommands allow customers to  
move volume groups between two different AMASS systems.  
Text Import and  
Export  
From the Source  
AMASS System  
The vgexportcommand exports the metadata (found on the  
source File System Database) for the specified volume group to  
standard out (stdout).  
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AMASS Overview  
The metadata contains the directory structure and media  
attributes (such as media type, ownership, and timestamp) for a  
specified volume group. The metadata is located in  
/usr/amass/filesysdband is exported as standard ASCII  
text. Send this file to the target AMASS site using FTP (File  
Transfer Protocol) or a similar tool.  
The following figure illustrates these steps:  
1. Export metadata that describes  
specified volume group.  
AMASS  
Metadata  
File  
Colorado  
2. Unload volumes assigned  
to specified volume group.  
At the Target  
AMASS System  
Introduce the media, where the specified volume group resides,  
to the target File System Database.  
Use the vgimportcommand to import the metadata—that was  
sent by FTP—into the target File System Database.  
AMASS compares the metadata with the volume number in the  
library and expects it to be the same. If there is a discrepancy,  
AMASS returns an error.  
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Online Archiving with AMASS  
1-23  
 
 
AMASS Overview  
The following figure illustrates these steps:  
Metadata  
AMASS  
File  
1. Import metadata that  
describes specified volumes.  
Texas  
2. Load specified volumes.  
For more information, refer to the Command Reference chapter  
in Managing the AMASS File System.  
1-24  
Online Archiving with AMASS  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
AMASS Overview  
The volcopycommand copies data from a source volume to a  
destination volume. If the original volume is lost, destroyed, or  
damaged, you can use the duplicate volume exactly like you  
would the original. AMASS supports volcopyon the  
following media:  
Volume Copy  
WORM  
Rewritable optical  
Tape  
This command copies the Backup Volume as well as all other  
volumes “known” to the File System Database. A volume is  
known to AMASS when an entry is created in the File System  
Database and AMASS assigns it a unique volume number.  
Requirements are illustrated by the following figure:  
Write Drive  
Read Drive  
Source Media  
Destination Media  
Media is known to File System Database.  
Media is unknown to File System  
Database—it does not have a volume  
number.  
Block size and capacity is same as destination  
volume.  
Inlet and outlet the volumes with either the  
volinlet and voloutlet commands or the bulkinlet  
and bulkoutlet commands, depending on the  
library connection.  
Block size and capacity is same as source  
volume.  
Load and unload the volumes with the  
mediamove utility.  
To prevent changes to the source volume, it is  
marked Read-Only after the volcopy process  
begins. The exception is the Backup Volume.  
AMASS recognizes the Backup Volume and  
leaves its’ status as read-write.  
During process, destination volume is flagged  
as IU (Inactive, Unformatted) and assigned to  
SP (space pool) volume group when  
displayed with the sysperf, sysop, and vollist  
commands.  
For more information, refer to the Command Reference chapter  
in Managing the AMASS File System.  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Online Archiving with AMASS  
1-25  
 
           
AMASS Overview  
Import data from CDs formatted by the standards prescribed by  
the following:  
CD Import  
High Sierra  
ISO 9660  
Rockridge (an ISO 9660 format with extensions)  
Note  
AMASS does not support writable CDs.  
For more information, refer to the Command Reference chapter  
in Managing the AMASS File System.  
DataMgr is an ADIC Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM)  
software package. DataMgr, in conjunction with AMASS,  
provides an automated method for moving client files—based  
on policies—from fast, expensive media to slower, more  
economical media. A file can be migrated by DataMgr either  
automatically or initiated manually by a client. For more  
information, refer to the DataMgr Overview book.  
DataMgr  
1-26  
Online Archiving with AMASS  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
         
AMASS Overview  
The Infinite File Life (IFL) optional feature automatically  
manages volatile media over an extended period. IFL performs  
the following functions:  
Infinite File Life  
Tracks magnetic media, which degenerates over time  
Determines the amount of deterioration on each volume  
Replaces the media before it becomes unreadable  
Refer to the AMASS Release Notes for a list of drives that  
support Infinite File Life (IFL.)  
For more information about IFL, refer to the Infinite File Life  
document.  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Online Archiving with AMASS  
1-27  
 
   
AMASS Overview  
NOTES  
1-28  
Online Archiving with AMASS  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
2
Accessing  
the Storage  
Network  
 
 
AMASS Overview  
NOTES  
2-2  
Accessing the Storage Network  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
 
AMASS Overview  
Because AMASS is implemented at the virtual file system  
Local and  
Network  
Access  
(VFS) layer of the server’s operating system, it is transparent to  
other software programs on the server. Consequently, AMASS  
as well as the file system mounted under AMASS can be  
accessed both locally and through a network. Both paths are  
discussed below.  
AMASS appears as a local, single, logical device with a single  
file system encompassing the entire capacity of the library or  
volume set. Because AMASS is totally transparent to local  
application level software, clients can access the file system  
using the same system calls that they use for standard UNIX file  
systems.  
Local Access  
The system call transparency provided by AMASS’ VFS  
implementation allows the UNIX server running AMASS to be  
a server to an entire network of homogeneous or heterogeneous  
systems. The networking software runs without modification on  
top of AMASS so the server can run whatever networking  
communication protocols and their utilities are available,  
including TCP/IP-based protocols (FTP, RCP, and NFS), RFS,  
DECnet, or HYPERchannel.  
Network Access  
Typical protocols are discussed below.  
Network File  
System (NFS)  
NFS is a facility for sharing files, resident on other machines, in  
a heterogeneous environment of machines, operating systems,  
and networks. NFS has become the de facto standard for  
distributed file systems and is available on a broad range of  
operating systems including UNIX, VMS, and MVS.  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Accessing the Storage Network  
2-3  
 
             
AMASS Overview  
AMASS supports NFS by making its file system appear as a  
mounted local file system to the NFS server. This allows the  
AMASS file system to be exported in the same manner as the  
standard local file system is exported. Thus, the AMASS file  
system or its subdirectories can be mounted, across the network  
to the client file system, making the AMASS resident files,  
directories, and storage capacity available as though the  
AMASS software and its storage devices were running on the  
client.  
The NFS interface to AMASS is both user- and  
application-transparent; and, under normal traffic patterns, the  
NFS and AMASS systems work well together. But, because of  
the inherent nature of a removable media device and the  
stateless design of the NFS facility, you must fine-tune the NFS  
configuration parameters to obtain the best possible  
performance for a given environment.  
Delays, inherent in accessing files from a removable media  
library, can cause the NFS system to retry operations that are  
waiting for resources. While this will not cause the operations  
to fail, it may temporarily prevent other NFS operations from  
executing by using up the available NFS tasks or by causing  
excessive network traffic during the retry cycles.  
For specific information on providing NFS clients access to the  
file system, refer to Installing AMASS.  
File Transfer  
Protocol (FTP)  
FTP allows users to transfer files easily from one machine to  
another over the network. To learn what functions can be  
invoked from your server processor FTP utility, refer to your  
server’s reference manual.  
2-4  
Accessing the Storage Network  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
   
AMASS Overview  
Remote File Copy  
(RCP)  
RCP allows the user to do file transfers to and from the AMASS  
without manually logging onto the remote system. The login  
function is performed automatically by the RCP utility. In  
addition, RCP can do recursive copies, which can copy an entire  
directory structure to or from the target. For the login function  
to work, the user’s user name must exist on the target system;  
therefore, coordination of user names must be enforced  
across the network servers.  
Telnet  
Available Telnet functions depend on the processes started by a  
user’s login name and password. Using Telnet in conjunction  
with a shell login process allows users to access utilities, such  
as findand chmod, which perform functions not available  
with FTP.  
Local: In local access mode, system security is primarily a  
function of setting the directory permissions in the AMASS file  
system. Because these permissions follow standard UNIX file  
system conventions, the specific settings are not documented  
here.  
Security  
Network: For systems running in a network environment,  
AMASS security, as with other UNIX file systems, is primarily  
a function of the network systems or protocols used.  
Use permissions appropriate for your users’ environment.  
Caution  
With system administration tools, a user can bypass system  
security and modify AMASS configuration parameters that may  
deteriorate system performance. Therefore, ADIC suggests you  
restrict access to the scripts, utilities, and commands.  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Accessing the Storage Network  
2-5  
 
           
AMASS Overview  
AMASS supports a maximum of:  
Supported  
Libraries and  
Drives  
8 libraries  
256 drives per library  
65,000 volumes  
AMASS supports the following types of storage devices:  
Multiple libraries of the same model in a daisy-chained  
configuration  
Heterogeneous libraries, for example, optical and tape, in a  
daisy-chained configuration  
A library with different drive types so you can mix media;  
for example, 3590 and DTF media in the same library  
Standalone drives  
For a list of supported libraries and drives as well as any other  
information unique to the support of storage hardware, refer to  
Accessing Storage Devices.  
Libraries and standalone drives can be connected to the  
AMASS server in the following ways:  
Connectivity  
SCSI-attached drives and libraries  
RS-232-attached libraries  
Network-attached libraries  
Tip  
For best performance, ADIC recommends that each tape drive  
be on its own SCSI host adapter board.  
2-6  
Accessing the Storage Network  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
                   
AMASS Overview  
The following figure illustrates these connections:  
Library  
Jukebox  
UNIX Application  
Server  
RS-232  
Jukebox  
AMASS  
Standalone Drive  
SCSI  
Client  
The following figure illustrates library and drive addresses:  
Library  
The library has its own  
SCSI or IP address.  
Each drive has its  
own SCSI address.  
Drive  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Accessing the Storage Network  
2-7  
 
 
AMASS Overview  
This release of AMASS has been successfully tested on the  
following Fibre Channel configurations  
Fibre Channel  
Support  
Fibre  
Channel  
SCSI  
HP Fibre Channel  
Multiplexer A3511A  
IBM 3590B1A  
Tape  
HP9000 V Series S-class  
running HP-UX 11.0  
with Fibre Channel PCI  
SCSI card, using SCTL  
driver  
ADIC FCR Model 200  
and Model 250  
StorageTek 9840  
Tape  
HP C1113 J optical  
Fibre  
Channel  
SCSI  
ADIC FCR Model 200  
Quantum DLT 7000  
drives in  
ADIC Scalar 100  
Sun Ultra running  
Solaris 7 with a  
QLogic Fibre Channel  
Host Adapter Board  
The StorageTek 9840 is not  
supported as a  
network-attached device, only  
as a SCSI-attached device.  
2-8  
Accessing the Storage Network  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
   
AMASS Overview  
AMASS Installed on  
Platform  
Multiplexer/Router  
Drive  
HP 9000 V series S-class  
running HP-UX 11.0 with a  
Fibre Channel PCI SCSI card  
using an SCTL driver  
HP Fibre Channel Multiplexer IBM 3590B1A tape  
A3511A (SCSI bridge)  
Storage Technology 9840  
tape  
ADIC Fibre Channel Router  
(FCR) Model 200 and Model  
250.  
HP C1113 J optical  
Sun Ultra running Solaris 7  
with a QLogic Fibre Channel  
Host Adapter Board driver  
ADIC Fibre Channel Router  
(FCR) Model 200  
Quantum DLT 7000 in an  
ADIC Scalar 100  
For more information about Fibre Channel support, refer to the  
appendix in Installing AMASS.  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Accessing the Storage Network  
2-9  
 
AMASS Overview  
NOTES  
2-10  
Accessing the Storage Network  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
3
Technical  
Support  
 
 
AMASS Overview  
NOTES  
3-2  
Technical Support  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
AMASS Overview  
Depending on how you purchased technical support, telephone  
support is provided either through your reseller or directly  
through ADIC.  
Phone  
Support  
The ADIC Technical Assistance Center (ATAC) in Denver,  
Colorado provides world-wide service and support. Methods of  
contacting ATAC are listed below:  
In the USA and Canada, call 1-800-827-3822.  
Outside the USA and Canada, call toll-free  
00800-9999-3822.  
Send e-mail to: [email protected]  
The training organization in Denver provides hands-on  
instruction for ADIC products.  
Training  
For a list of classes, call 720-249-5810 between 8 a.m. and 5  
p.m. Mountain time.  
The ADIC Integrated Storage Solutions group can provide  
solutions and services customized for your site’s requirements.  
These solution include:  
Solutions  
Group  
Analyzing requirements  
Designing, configuring, and tuning your system  
Customizing hardware and software solutions  
For more information, call 303-792-9700 between 8 a.m. and 5  
p.m. Mountain time.  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Technical Support  
3-3  
 
               
AMASS Overview  
The CD contains the AMASS books as PDF files. The books  
described below are part of the technical documentation set:  
Books  
Managing the AMASS File System  
AMASS Overview  
Perform system administrative tasks with  
AMASS commands and troubleshoot  
problems with AMASS utilities and  
scripts.  
An introduction to AMASS (Archival  
Management and Storage System).  
Contains a glossary.  
Accessing Storage Devices  
Errors and Corrective Action  
Provides corrective action for system log  
errors.  
Alphabetically lists supported libraries and  
drives and provides AMASS-specific  
operating information. Describes how to use  
AMASS with standalone drives.  
Quick Reference Guide  
Summarizes commands and utilities.  
Installing AMASS  
Describes: server requirements, installation  
and troubleshooting procedures, and  
configuration parameters.  
To make corrections or to comment on AMASS publications,  
please contact Technical Publications at [email protected].  
Contact  
Publications  
3-4  
Technical Support  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
       
AMASS Overview  
The publications described in the following table are created  
and distributed on an as-needed basis:  
Related  
Publications  
Related Publications  
Description  
Release Notes  
For each version of AMASS, the Release  
Notes contain:  
• Summary of enhancements  
• Describes:  
- Fixed problems  
- Known problems  
Product Alerts  
Informs customers of technical problems  
and solutions  
Product Bulletins  
Conveys technical information — not  
problems — to customers  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Technical Support  
3-5  
 
       
AMASS Overview  
To receive access to the secured site on ADIC’s home page  
containing technical product information (Release Notes,  
Product Alerts, Product Bulletins, FAQs), visit  
procedure. In return, ADIC will send instructions and a  
password.  
Secured Web  
Site  
When AMASS is running on Year 2000-compliant operating  
systems, including systems with Y2k-compliant patches,  
AMASS is Year 2000 Option 1-compliant. This means that a  
year is designated as a four-digit number, for example, 1999.  
AMASS has been year 2000 compliant since Version 4.9.1  
Year 2000  
Compliant  
3-6  
Technical Support  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
       
Glossary  
manipulate AMASS file system  
metadata (such as, namespace) and  
media. Using the API is a way for a  
program to ask AMASS to perform a  
service unique to your site.  
Note  
The terms in this Glossary are used  
throughout the ADIC UNIX software  
documentation. Product-specific terms are  
noted.  
appended files  
Files that span media. The files are on  
more than one piece of media, possibly,  
on more than one library.  
A
archive  
®
AMASS  
Generally used to denote a file that is  
stored on lower cost media than a hard  
disk. The goal for implementing data  
archiving is to conserve online storage  
space. Contrast with backup.  
The Archival Management and Storage  
System (AMASS) is storage  
management software. AMASS archives  
files onto media stored in robotic  
libraries, jukeboxes, and standalone  
drives. When applications need to read or  
write to archived files, the files appear as  
a single, mounted file system on the  
server. The file system under AMASS is  
supervised by a system administrator  
who manages the libraries, drives, and  
media on UNIX and Windows NT  
platforms.  
B
backup  
A file that has been backed up means that  
a copy of the file exists in another  
location. If the original file is lost, the  
backup file is used. Having a backup file  
protects you against loss or damage of  
the original data. Contrast with archive.  
API  
Application Programming Interface. The  
API consists of functions, iterators,  
symbolic names, type definitions, and  
data structures. Using the API provides a  
programmer with the ability to directly  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Glossary  
GL-1  
 
               
AMASS Overview  
bar code  
C
An array of spaces and vertical bars in  
varying widths in a machine-readable  
pattern. Media is identified by barcode  
rather than a physical home storage slot.  
cache  
All data flows into a central cache  
located on the UNIX server before being  
read from or written to media. By using  
the cache, AMASS allows applications to  
read and write at hard disk speeds, and to  
access the library only when the  
requested data is not in the cache. See  
also striping.  
BFS  
Bitfile Server component of DataMgr.  
The BFS maintains storage policies,  
assigns bitfile IDs, and manages the  
licensing of clients.  
bitfile  
cleaning group  
Bitfile identifies the contents of a  
migrated file on DataMgr. Bitfiles are  
never modified. If the original file is  
subsequently modified, a new bitfile (as  
well as a new bitfile ID) is created when  
the file is remigrated.  
A special volume group that contains  
drive cleaning cartridges. AMASS  
automatically uses a cleaning cartridge  
from this group when it receives the  
appropriate SCSI request sense data from  
specific drives.  
bitfile ID  
client  
DataMgr assigns each migrated file a  
unique bitfile ID. The bitfile ID is never  
changed and is never reused.  
Program running on a workstation  
requests the services provided by a  
network server. Part of a client/server  
architecture.  
GL-2  
Glossary  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
               
AMASS Overview  
DLT  
D
Digital Linear Tape.  
DAS  
DMFS  
Distributed AML Server. An ADIC  
software product with both client and  
server components. The server  
component is installed on an OS/2 PC  
and the client component is installed on  
the same UNIX workstation where  
AMASS is installed. With DAS,  
AMASS supports different media types  
in the same library.  
DataMgr File System component of  
DataMgr. The DMFS provides file  
migration capability for each machine it  
is installed on. It is installed on all client  
machines that have a file system  
migrated by DataMgr.  
drive pool  
A logical grouping of drives that provide  
drive sharing capability between clients.  
A FileServ-specific term.  
DataClass group  
Migration directories with the same  
associated data class parameters are in  
the same DataClass grouping. A  
FileServ-specific term.  
drives  
A physical device used to read and write  
data on media. AMASS manages the  
drives to perform the following tasks:  
DataMgr  
An optional ADIC HSM software  
product. DataMgr in conjunction with  
AMASS for UNIX provides a method for  
migrating client files — based on  
frequency of access — from fast,  
expensive media to slower, more  
economical media. DataMgr migrates  
(and reloads) files either manually or  
automatically. See also HSM.  
Service data movement requests  
Handle library services  
Schedule read and write requests  
dead space  
Random space that remains on a volume  
after files have been deleted.  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Glossary  
GL-3  
 
                 
AMASS Overview  
file import  
E
A DataMgr feature that imports data  
from a “foreign” archival file system into  
DataMgr to be archived by AMASS.  
Ethernet  
A networking system designed to  
connect computers that are releatively  
close together (physically in the same  
department). The specification has been  
defined by IEEE Standard 802.3. Other  
software, such as TCP/IP, runs on top of  
Ethernet to provide high-level  
file replication  
A storage policy that migrates files from  
a client machine through DataMgr and  
AMASS to a primary storage library. The  
data is then replicated (copied) to a  
networking services to applications.  
maximum of three other storage devices.  
FileServ  
F
FileServ acts as an online storage node  
for specific libraries by managing online  
user data and providing quick response to  
client requests for data. When data is not  
required for active processing, FileServ  
migrates it to magnetic tape to maintain  
free disk space.  
FCB  
File Control Block. A kernel file system  
memory resident data structure  
containing information about a file  
including metadata.  
file system  
FDDI  
An organized set of files that appear as a  
part of a directory structure, when used  
under UNIX. All files managed by  
AMASS are under a mount point whose  
default name is /archive. The AMASS  
file system is accessed as if it were  
located on a local hard drive, instead of  
actually residing in media either in a  
storage device or even in offline storage.  
Fiber Distributed Data Interface A  
high-speed fiber-optic local area network  
that is based on the token ring standard.  
file  
A collection of related data, such as:  
Text  
Tables  
Digitized audio and visual records  
GL-4  
Glossary  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
               
AMASS Overview  
File System Database  
example, the least frequently accessed  
files are first migrated onto fast magnetic  
tape which are later stored on slower  
optical platters. The goal for  
implementing an HSM strategy is to  
provide clients with increased space on  
existing disk drives. See also DataMgr™  
and FileServ™.  
The File System Database contains tables  
ofattributes—ormetadata—representing  
the directory structure and media  
mounted under the AMASS file system.  
The metadata includes: media ID, media  
type, media location, ownership, and  
timestamp. The File System Database  
tells AMASS where data is located on the  
media archived in your library. The  
default location in UNIX is in  
I
/usr/filesysdb.See also inode and  
inode  
A programming structure that maps  
metadata to the “real” data found on  
media. See also DataMgr™ and  
G
GUI  
IP address  
Graphical User Interface. The human  
juncture between an end user and a  
software product. It contains a series of  
pictorial menus that lead a user in a task  
accomplished usually with a mouse,  
instead of a keyboard.  
Central to TCP/IP communication is the  
IP address that allows devices to talk to  
each other. The IP address is a device’s  
logical network address consisting of a  
four-byte number separated by full stops,  
such as 128.8.14.92.  
H
HSM  
Hierarchical Storage Management. A  
data management strategy where data is  
migrated to storage in either a layered or  
serial method based on a set of policies.  
A paradigm that often controls this  
migration is frequency of access. For  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Glossary  
GL-5  
 
                 
AMASS Overview  
IPI  
L
Intelligent Peripheral Interface. A  
high-performance, general-purpose  
parallel peripheral interface. The intent  
of the IPI is to isolate the host, both  
hardware and software, from changes in  
peripherals by providing a “function  
generic” command set to allow the  
connection of multiple types of  
label  
A tag affixed to media used for  
identification. For example, a bar code  
label is used by a robotic device to insure  
the robot is moving the proper media. A  
shelf label with human-readable  
information has the same purpose.  
peripherals (disks, printers, and tapes.)  
library  
A storage device for data containing one  
or more drives. Usually, media is loaded  
by a robotic (automated) picker. See also  
J
Journal  
The Journal tells AMASS what  
transactions—what entries—have acted  
upon a file stored on a volume in a  
library. It is a daily diary of logged  
events. The Journal’s default location in  
UNIX is /usr/filesysdb/journal.  
Typically, this is a symbolic link pointing  
to a separate physical disk to keep the  
Journal on a different disk from the File  
System Database.  
M
mailbox  
An opening on the front of a library  
where media is loaded into the library  
and unloaded to the outside world,  
without opening the actual library. This  
protects the inside of the library from  
dust and dirt. Also known as a mailslot.  
jukebox  
A storage device for data containing one  
or more drives. Usually, media is loaded  
manually. In the AMASS books, the  
word library is a generic word that  
denotes a jukebox or standalone drive.  
See also library and standalone drives.  
media  
A storage object that, when mounted in a  
drive, is used for read and write  
operations. See also volume. Media types  
include:  
Tape  
GL-6  
Glossary  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
                   
AMASS Overview  
Optical  
CD  
N
NFS  
metadata  
Network File System. Originally  
developed by Sun Microsystems, it has  
become the de facto standard for file  
sharing between UNIX systems. NFS  
was designed to be a distributed file  
service that is operating  
system-independent and machine-type-  
independent. Consequently, any  
computer system can supply files to  
many different computer types. NFS uses  
the Remote Procedure Call (RPC)  
mechanism to perform tasks, read results,  
and access remote files.  
Represents the directory structure and  
attributes about media. Attributes  
include:  
Media ID  
Media type  
Media location  
Ownership  
Timestamp  
The metadata for the AMASS file system  
resides in the AMASS database. See also  
NIS  
Network Information Service. Created  
by Sun to make NFS easier to use. NIS  
centralizes user and group name  
databases for an entire domain. (A  
domain consists of a master server, slave  
servers, and clients.) NIS allows the  
domain to be administered as if it were a  
single system. NIS centralizes many of  
the local network configuration  
migration  
The planned movement of data from one  
library — and possibly from one type of  
media — to another.  
multi-tier migration  
A storage policy that migrates files from  
a client machine through DataMgr and  
AMASS to a primary storage library. The  
file is then migrated to a second and third  
storage device after a specific time limit.  
functions. NIS used to be called Yellow  
Pages (YP).  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Glossary  
GL-7  
 
           
AMASS Overview  
nonresident file  
LIMDOW (Light Intensity Modulation  
Direct OverWrite) speeds up the  
process of writing to MO discs.  
LIMDOW discs have one memory  
layer instead of two and consequently  
require only one pass to write instead  
of two.  
A nonresident file is a file whose  
contents have been migrated to a storage  
device. The file is nonresident on the  
client’s machine but DataMgr leaves  
behind a stub file.  
Offline Media Manager  
O
If media has been removed from a  
library, Offline Media Manager, an  
optional feature on AMASS that allows  
you to access the offline media. When a  
file is accessed on offline media, a  
prompt asks the operator to load the  
correct volume into a drive so the request  
can be satisfied.  
optical  
Types of optical platters are described  
below:  
MO (Magneto Optical) is rewritable  
optical. It uses both magnets and lasers  
to write and read data on a plastic disc  
having a magnetic layer. Data is  
written when the laser beam heats bits  
on the disc’s magnetic layer that are  
then magnetically polarized by the  
drive’s magnet.  
R
RAID  
Redundant Array of Independent Disks.  
Technique for using a group of disk  
drives to improve performance, data  
availability, or both.  
Ablativeis an IBM term for the  
technology used to make WORM  
media. Lasers burn the write into the  
media thus ensuring that the media is  
Write-Once Ready-Many (WORM).  
resident file  
CCW (Continuous Composite Writes) All files before they are migrated by  
use the erasable (MO) method to write DataMgr are resident files.  
files onto a disc but then locks the files  
RPC  
to the media with software.  
Remote Procedure Call. Process that  
supplies a program a set of procedures  
that can be called remotely.  
GL-8  
Glossary  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
           
AMASS Overview  
SMP  
S
Symmetric Multiprocessing. Making  
efficient use of multiple processors  
within a computer.  
scattered writes  
If multiple writes occur to a single  
volume group, AMASS uses more than  
one drive to simultaneously write to the  
volume group. This increases  
throughput.  
space pool  
A special volume group that contains  
formatted volumes. The volumes in the  
space pool are used by numeric volume  
groups that have run out of space. When  
a volume group runs out of space,  
AMASS automatically takes a volume  
from the space pool and reassigns it to the  
out-of-space volume group.  
SCSI Fast/Wide  
Small Computer System Interface. An  
intelligent bus-level device interface.  
Refers to a combination of Fast transfer  
rate (10 MB per second) with a two-byte  
wide (68 pins) connector, which results  
in 20 MB/sec data transfer rate.  
SSD  
Storage Server Daemon component of  
DataMgr. The SSD provides an RPC  
interface from DataMgr clients to  
AMASS.  
server  
Programs running on a network server  
provide computing or data services to a  
client. Part of a client/server architecture.  
standalone drives  
SLD  
A storage device for data containing a  
single drive. Usually, media is loaded  
manually in a standalone drive. See also  
Service Locator Daemon component of  
DataMgr. The SLD maps the name of a  
DataMgr service (BFS, SSD) to the  
archiving service (AMASS).  
Storage Area Network  
slot  
A storage area network (SAN) is a  
dedicated high-speed Fibre channel  
topology. The application servers are  
attached to the storage devices for  
specific tasks.  
Referred to as a bin in some libraries. The  
physical home storage slot where a single  
piece of media resides. In standalone  
drives, the slot is the same as the drive,  
but in all other libraries that is not true.  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Glossary  
GL-9  
 
                     
AMASS Overview  
storage policy  
T
DataMgr migrates files using storage  
policies, including Single Copy,  
Multi-tier Migration, and File  
Replication.  
TCP/IP  
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet  
Protocol. Runs on top of Ethernet to  
provide high-level networking services  
to applications. See also IP address.  
striping  
The UNIX operating system allows  
AMASS to cache data across multiple  
magnetic disks on the server or across  
partitions on a single magnetic disk on  
the server. This feature improves  
AMASS throughput. AMASS divides  
the data into segments (stripes) and  
writes each segment either to multiple  
disks or to partitions on a disk. These raw  
disks or raw partitions are defined as  
cache space names with the AMASS  
installation script. See also cache.  
thrashing  
Unnecessary movement of the library’s  
robotics. For example, retrieving disc 1,  
then disc 6, then 1, then 6. Thrashing  
causes access delays and premature  
hardware failure.  
truncate  
Remove the file data blocks from disk,  
leaving the inodes on disk. Only files that  
remain unchanged since the last storage  
to media can have their data blocks  
truncated from disk. A FileServ-specific  
term.  
stub file  
DataMgr leaves a stub file on a file  
system after the original file has been  
migrated to AMASS. The original file is  
truncated (stubbed) to the smallest  
allocatable disk block on the file system  
and its contents is replaced with all the  
information necessary to access the  
migrated file.  
U
UNIX  
A computer operating system that runs  
on workstations, servers, mainframes,  
and supercomputers.  
GL-10  
Glossary  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
               
AMASS Overview  
Cleaning group  
V
volume number  
VBS  
A unique number assigned by AMASS  
(UNIX) to each piece of media when an  
entry is created in the File System  
Database for the media.  
The Virtual Block Server is an AMASS  
component that emulates a hard disk  
drive that maps an infinitely large block  
of space on to physical libraries, drives,  
and media. Use the GUI to monitor the  
Virtual Block Server.  
VolServ  
Manages media and volumes contained  
within both automated and manual  
libraries.  
volume  
Equivalent to media. See also media.  
offline = Media that does not reside in  
a library. Although AMASS assigned W  
this media a unique volume number  
and there is an entry for it in the  
AMASS database, the media may be  
stored in a vault or on a shelf.  
Windows NT  
An operating system with two  
versions—one for workstations and one  
for servers. Windows NT is designed to  
run on a network. Each application runs  
in its own on-screen window. Windows  
NT replaces the command line interface  
with pictures.  
online = Media residing in a library.  
AMASS assigned this media a unique  
volume number and there is an entry  
for it in the AMASS database.  
inactive = AMASS cannot read or  
write to this volume.  
volume group  
Media assigned to a group with AMASS  
for a specific purpose, such as projects or  
departments. Volume groups include:  
Numerical group  
Space pool  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Glossary  
GL-11  
 
             
AMASS Overview  
X
XDI  
eXtensible DeviceInterface. An AMASS  
software module that provides a  
communication interface between  
AMASS and network-attached storage  
devices. Communication includes:  
Operations (mount and dismount,  
import and export, query volume and  
query drives)  
Audits  
Hardware information  
Errors  
GL-12  
Glossary  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
 
Index  
A
C
Access  
AML  
Cron  
B
D
Books  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Index  
INX-i  
 
 
AMASS Overview  
G
Drive Pool  
H
I
E
Import  
Export  
Intelligent Peripheral Interface  
F
Features  
Fiber Distributed Data Interface  
J
L
INX-ii  
Index  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 
AMASS Overview  
M
P
Publications Dept  
R
Recover  
N
O
S
Optical  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
Index  
INX-iii  
 
AMASS Overview  
Storage Devices  
Support  
Volumes  
T
W
X
U
Y
V
INX-iv  
Index  
6-00026-01 Rev A  
 

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