Feature Request: Mark empty Tapes / Protection mark

[Poweruser]

It is nice, that veaam stores all information about tapes in his database.
It is not that nice, that information about a tape is not stored directly on the tape.

B&R should write header information to every new tape, which was identified.
Header should be written by admin request or on next time seen online.

Header should include:
Tape protection mark with timestamp/serial. if this tape is pushed into another veeam instance which does not know this tape, then it should see - tape is protected and obey this without knowing it before
Media Pool identifier - If not in database veeam should be able to read this metadata from tape

Anyway the properties of tapes need to be enhanced.
You have to see a unique media id and be able to make a better management of a tape. so you should be able to store in database+metadata the first use oft the tape.
and the access history

[Dima P.]

Poweruser,

It is not that nice, that information about a tape is not stored directly on the tape.

It is stored directly on tape with the help of tape header. In you take blank Veeam B&R server with library and catalog your tape it would be possible to perform a recovery fro this tape. Moreover you will see the content of this tape after catalogization was performed. Thanks.

[Poweruser]

Yes, it stores the information about the content.
But not about the Protection Status or the free-indicator.
Thats a DB only thing i think?

[Dima P.]

But not about the Protection Status or the free-indicator.

Tape capacity is received from tape media. When saying protection status are you referring to tape retention?

[Poweruser]

yes, tape retention and the manual protect function or the mark as free function, etc.

[Dima P.]

Both are stored in 'owner' Veeam B&R server database as this server tracks tape state (retention and software write protection), so that's correct. Whenever written tape is imported to any other B&R server it would go to Imported tapes media pool. Such tape can be used for recovery but cannot be used for write operations unless mark as free is performed.

[Poweruser]

but if you export the tape from one system to another system which does not belong together.
you wont notice that this is such an important tape to keep.
so it would be more secure to write a protect onto the tape itself.

imagine you have not a current config backup, have to recover the system. then you insert this most important tape and the protection mark was written between last backup & crash you may overwrite this tape.
okay thats not exremely likely, but it would be more logical to keep information right on the media instead in a metadata database only.

backup exec had something called WORM Tape. maybe noone needs this, but that were tapes you can write once only.
it should not be forever, but a bit more protected.
at least the retention period and an actual timestamp should be written onto tape.
if you have an long time backup for month/years in your vault it would be more safe.