The Virtual Slot allocation is a number of the slot based on sequential numbering of all slots from the zones allocated to a repository.

For this example we will use three LTO storage racks. Each of these racks with:

• a capacity of 100 tapes
• 10 storage shelves.
• 10 slots per shelf.

These racks will be assigned names of Rack_01, Rack_02 and Rack_03

If these three racks are completely assigned to one repository, there will be 300 virtual slots available for volume allocation.

• Slot 1 would be the first slot in Rack_01
• Slot 100 would be the last slot in Rack_01
• Slot 101 would be the first slot in Rack_02
• Slot 201 would be the first slot in Rack_03
• Slot 300 would be the last slot in Rack_03

Assigning volumes to slots

• volume 000001L5 to slot 1
• volume 000002L5 to slot 100
• volume 000003L5 to slot 101
• volume 000004L5 to slot 201
• volume 000005L5 to slot 300

Virtual slotting

Physical slotting

If the first 50 slots in storage rack 1 were assigned to customer AAAA, and the rest of the racking, 250 slots, assigned to customer BBBB. For Customer AAAA

• Slot 1 would be the first slot in Rack_01
• Slot 50 would be the 50th slot in Rack_01

For Customer BBBB

• Slot 1 would be the 51st slot in Rack_01
• Slot 50 would be the 100th slot in Rack_01
• Slot 51 would be the 1st slot in Rack_02
• Slot 151 would be the 1st slot in Rack_03
• Slot 250 would be the 100th slot in Rack_03

The Physical Slot allocation is a slot number showing the physical location of a slot in the storage rack that remains unaltered regardless of which repository or customer it is allocated to.

For this example we will use three LTO storage racks, each with a capacity of 100 tapes over 10 shelves.

If these three racks are completely assigned to one repository, there will be 300 virtual slots available for volume allocation.

• Slot 1 would be storage rack 1, shelf 1, slot 1
• Slot 100 would be storage rack 1, shelf 10, slot 10
• Slot 101 would be storage rack 2, shelf 1
• Slot 201 would be the first slot in storage rack 3
• Slot 300 would be the last slot in storage rack 3