What are the Tape Library terms ??

[Nayab_Rasool]

Hi All,

I have doubt about the terms used in a Tape Library , What is DRIVE inside a library is it different from TAPES DRIVE ??

what is Mail slot and what I/E slot do all models of tape library have these ??? 

What is a cleaning drive and how a TAPE moved to cleaning drive and the cleaning of tapes erases the data ???

Please help to understand.

Thanks,

Nayab

[RamNagalla · Accepted solution]

TAPE DRIVE is hardware which is used to insert the tape into it and write the data.

this tape Drive can be in Library or standalone, , Library is used to manage the tape insert and eject  into tape drives automatically with the help or Robot.

mail slot or I/E slots ment for same, they are used to insert and eject tapes into library.

there is no Clenaing Drive upto my Knowledge, 

we have cleaning tapes , which is used to clean the tape Drive header, which helps to reduce the read and write errors form the Tape Drive.

if the tape drive is in library clean tape can be mouted into tape drive using the robot, if that is standalone it needs to done maunally.