You need not have to restart the BE services each time the media is changed and/or before an Inventory. It's possible the method you are using is causing the drive to go offline, for reasons unknown. Also, random access is the proper configuration for BE to interact with a media changer.
You did not indicate whether you have the mail slot enabled or disabled on the autoloader. If you have seven slots available, then you have the mail slot enabled. If you have eight slots available in BE then you do not have the mail slot enabled. It sounds like you have the mail slot disabled (based on the media exchange method described) but I will describe the methods for exchanging media, for both configurations.
Mail slot enabled: With a mail slot present, media will be moved from the mail slot to media slot(s) and vice versa, by the internal gripper. There is no need to open the magazines. If this is how you have the autoloader configured, then run an export job on all the slots you wish to remove media from. When you are done, import the new media to the same slots. Both jobs will provide prompts along the way to let you know when to remove and insert media respectively.
Mail slot disabled: With a mail slot not present, media is exchanged manually be the user. The application will unlock the magazine(s) and prompt the user to remove them. If this is the method you have the autoloader configured, then run an export job on the slots you wish to remove media from and follow the on screen prompt. When done, run an import job to the same slots and follow the on screen prompt.
Hopefully this helps.
