Managing Devices and Media › How Media Pools Work › How You Can Create a Rotation

How You Can Create a Rotation

To create a rotation, select the Schedule object in the left pane of the MM Admin window, double-click it, and select a schedule from the list. Double-click the schedule to access the Rotation object. Right-click the Rotation object and select Create. The Create Rotation dialog appears where you can set the following:

• Sequence Number--MM Admin automatically generates a sequence number for your rotation. Vault cycles start with the lowest sequence number. The default for a new rotation is 10 and the next new rotation that follows is 20. If you would rather assign a particular sequence number, select the Sequence Number option and select a number.
• Vault Name--A vault name must be specified for each rotation. You can select the name of a vault from the drop-down vault list.
• In the Retention fields, set any of the following conditions:
  • Hold Days--The number of days you want tape volumes to be retained.
  • Keep for Cycles--The number of vault cycles you want tape volumes to be retained in this rotation.
  • Days Elapsed from First Format Date--Starting from the day the tape volumes were first formatted, enter the number of days you want tape volumes to remain in this rotation.
  • By Date--Tape volumes are retained in this rotation until the date you enter here is reached.
  • By Tape Expiration Date--Tape volumes are retained in this rotation until their expiration date passes.
  • Permanent--All tape volumes are retained in this rotation permanently.

If a tape volume meets one of these conditions, it remains in the same rotation. None of these conditions have priority over the other so if any condition is true, the media will stay in the vault--even if conditions appear to conflict. For example, if you select 60 in the Hold Days field but enter a date that is only 30 days away in the By Date field, the tape volume will stay for 60 days.

When you click Add, the new rotation is saved and added to the Rotation branch in the MM management window.

When the Retention period for a tape volume expires, the tape volume is unvaulted and returned to Tape Service to be re-used.