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--- primer:introduction [2020/09/04 00:06] – [What is the design methodology of TapeTrack?] Scott Cunliffe
+++ primer:introduction [2025/01/21 22:07] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 TapeTrack is computer software designed specifically for the purpose of managing computer backup tapes.
+===== Why do you need TapeTrack? =====
+Each enterprise has unique tape infrastructure, and has developed unique tape management processes, but generally speaking, you need TapeTrack because each of the components involved in the tape management process only provide very narrow functionality:
+  - [[definitions:backup_software|Backup software]] focusses on writing data to tapes and only keeps an inventory of tapes that it knows about.
+  - [[defintions:robotic_library|Robotic Libraries]] only know about the tapes in their slots, and don't know which tapes are expected to be in the library.
+  - Tapes that are outside [[defintions:robotic_library|Robotic Libraries]] have no software at all to keep track of them in racking units.
+  - [[definitions:offsite_vendors|Off-site vendors]] know about the tapes they have (ideally) and sometimes they make mistakes.
+  - When ejecting tapes, sometimes the library misses tapes, or ejects tapes that aren't part of the batches that are being sent off-site.
+  - There is no way of tracking unbarcoded tapes before they are used.
+  - There is no one list of every ever tape owned by the enterprise.
+  - There is no history of the movements of each tape that includes which [[dictionary:operators|operators]] touched them.
+  - There is no way to ensure that each robotic library (or [[dictionary:virtual_library|virtual library]]) has enough [[dictionary:scratch_tape|scratch tapes]] to get through the backup workload.
 ===== What is the TapeTrack Workflow =====