Concepts for optical storage

 

This section discusses optical volumes, optical directories and files, and volume identifiers. You can display the primary menu for optical support by entering GO OPTICAL on the i5/OS^® command line. System administrators and programmers can access most optical commands through this menu. It is also convenient to enter many of the optical commands directly on the command line. These commands offer the following functions:

• Display optical volumes in an optical media library device (MLD), CD device, or DVD device.

• Display files and directories that are contained in any directory in any optical volume.

• Display the file attributes of any optical file.

• Import or export media in a directly attached optical media library, CD-ROM device, or DVD device.

• Make backup copies of volumes, directories, or files that are contained in a directly attached optical device.

• Initialize a volume that is contained in a DVD-RAM drive or in a directly attached optical media library.

• Work with devices that represent optical media libraries, optical systems, CD drives, and DVD drives.

• Add, remove, or check the status of any LAN-attached optical system.

• Display active LAN-attached system conversations.

• Duplicate one optical volume to another.

• Copy files and directories from one optical volume to another.

• Check a volume for damaged directories and files.

When you enter GO CMDOPT on the command line, a complete list of optical commands appears. Many of these commands are accessible through the previous GO OPTICAL menu.

• Optical volumes
  All optical data is stored on a unit that is called a volume. This is true regardless of the type of media, the type of optical media library that is used, and the way the storage device connects to your system.
• Optical directories and files
  Information on an optical volume is organized into units called directories and the basic element of optical storage is the optical file.
• Volume identifiers
  Loading CD-ROM or DVD media into a drive causes automatic reading of the information from the media. Part of this information is the volume identifier.

 

Parent topic:

Optical storage