ABSTRACT
A tape library can operate at one of three levels of efficiency: the standard environment, the working tape library, and the workstation. This chapter discusses the tape library in terms of the middle level of efficiency and the highest level of efficiency scenarios. The emphasis is on minimizing nonproductive activities so that the tape operations environment becomes a highly tuned process. Many support tasks affect the time required mounting a tape; the chapter outlines a method to improve productivity by tuning tape operations. Aside from the benefit of minimizing the walking distance required to mount a tape, other benefits are obtained from implementing a tape workstation environment. Implementation of tape workstations can overcome the degraded efficiency resulting from consistent annual growth of the tape library. The workstation environment divides a consolidated media and hardware operation into distinct entities, each functioning as an independent tape operation with separate media and hardware resources.
