Full Scan

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Full Scan operation identifies the slot location and barcode or media identifier of every media detected within the library. This information is used to prepare the new media list (from which media can be discovered for the CommCell) and information on the location of known media.

The full scan only finds the media that are contained within a library. However, in order to use new media, additional information is collected by the discovery operation. See Discover Media for comprehensive information on media discovery.

The full scan operation, can be in a full or update mode, and may take a few minutes depending on the settings in the individual library. Usually a full scan operation takes place when either of the following occurs:

You open and close the library door. (full or update)
You turn on the library’s power. (full)
You request a reset library operation (full or update), although not all libraries invoke the full scan command on a reset library command.
You request an import or export media operation. (update)
When you specify the Full Scan operation from the CommCell Console. (full)

In addition many library models conduct a full scan operation when any of the following occurs:

You first install and configure the library.
The CommServe’s Library and Media Manager service or MediaAgent Services are restarted.

When a full scan is in progress, the library status is displayed as offline until the procedure completes successfully. This means that new data protection operations or data recovery operations that access the library cannot start until the full scan operation completes. Usually, the full scan operation does not affect media that are already mounted in drives. A data protection operation or data recovery operation that is in progress when the full scan is initiated can continue as long as it does not need to access unmounted media. However some library models may force the drive to unload resulting in the data protection operation or data recovery operation using the drive to fail. Appropriate Event Messages to indicate the library’s offline/online status during a full scan operation is logged in the Event Viewer.