Device Configuration › Understanding Device Configuration › Removable Storage Management Configuration

Removable Storage Management Configuration

This option allows you to enable or disable devices for Removable Storage Management (RSM) in the Windows environment.

RSM is a standard interface in the Microsoft Windows XP and Window 2003 operating systems for accessing removable media, especially removable media in automated devices such as changers, jukeboxes and libraries. It was designed to simplify access to libraries of media in both stand-alone drives and in these automated devices.

Windows servers take control of all the devices attached to the server when the Removable Storage service is enabled. This service manages removable media, drives and libraries. In order to control these devices Arcserve Backup must have exclusive access to them.

When RSM has exclusive control of device, Arcserve Backup cannot send SCSI commands directly to the device. However, when Arcserve Backup has exclusive control of a device, it can communicate (input and output commands) directly to the device.

When you choose the Enable/Disable Devices (for RSM), you will be provided with a list of all the devices that are currently available in the system. Arcserve Backup manages the devices currently selected. If you want another application to manage any device, deselect the device here.

Be aware of the following considerations when using RSM:

• The Device Manager supports RSM on only on servers running Windows Server 2003 with x86 architecture. Although Windows Server 2003 x64 provides RSM functionality, Arcserve Backup cannot integrate with RSM because the Manager Console cannot detect RSM controlled devices on all Windows x64 platforms. To remedy this limitation, you can enable and disable RSM controlled devices using the Windows RSM Computer Management utility. RSM is not supported on servers running Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, regardless of the architecture (x86 or x64).
• You do not need to disable a device in the RSM if the device driver is not installed on the Arcserve Backup server. RSM functions in this manner because the lack of a device driver prevents RSM from detecting the device. Arcserve Backup does not require the presence of a device driver to be able to detect a device.