Whenever you work with removable media, you must keep a close eye on the work queues, operator requests, and security.
Work Queue is the area where Removable Storage displays the status of operations (see Figure 23-6). You access Work Queue by expanding Removable Storage and then clicking Work Queue in the console tree.
Operations are tasks initiated by administrators, Backup Operators, and other authorized users. Each operation listed in the queue has a specific state, which indicates the status of the operation. Operation states include the following:
Waiting Operation is waiting to execute.
In Progress Operation is executing.
Completed Operation has completed successfully.
Canceled Operation was canceled by an administrator or other operator.
Failed Operation failed to complete.
By default, completed, canceled, and failed requests stay in the queue for 72 hours. Waiting or in-progress operations stay in the queue until their status changes. If waiting or in-progress operations are causing problems, such as delaying priority operations, you can manage the requests in one of these ways:
Reorder mount operations Changing the mount order can allow priority operations to execute before lower-priority operations. For example, if you are backing up a database, you can make your mount operation the next one in the queue, pushing it ahead of others. You change the mount order as described in the section entitled "Changing Mount Operations" later in this chapter.
Cancel pending operations Canceling a pending operation can free up drives and media when operations are waiting on another operation to complete. For example, processes that are waiting to be run can often hold up other processes, and in this case, you might need to cancel the process to allow other processes to run. You cancel a waiting operation by right-clicking it and then selecting Cancel Request.
Deleting operations You can delete completed, canceled, or failed operations manually or automatically. You configure when operations are deleted as described in the section entitled "Controlling When Operations Are Deleted" later in this chapter.
Operations that have a status of Waiting can be an indicator that something has gone wrong. For example, an operation could be waiting because a resource it needs is not in the correct state. If the operation has been waiting for a long time, this can mean that the resource is not mounted, enabled, or otherwise working properly and that you might need to dismount, enable, or correct a problem with the resource.
To correct the problem you might need to cancel the operation, perform a corrective action, and then issue a new operation. You cancel a waiting operation by right-clicking it and then selecting Cancel Request.
When there are two or more mount operations waiting, you can change the order of the operations to allow priority operations to proceed ahead of other operations. To do this, right-click the waiting mount operation you want to manipulate, then select Re-Order Mounts. This displays the Change Mount Order dialog box.
The current order of the mount operation is shown. The options available allow you to do one of the following:
Move the mount operation to the front of the queue, which ensures it is the next mount operation run
Move the mount operation to the end of the queue, which ensures it is run after existing mount operations
Move the mount operation to a specific location in the queue, which allows you to move the operation ahead of or behind other operations without making it the highest or lowest priority
When you are finished changing mount operations, click OK.
By default, completed, canceled, and failed operations are deleted from the work queue after 72 hours. You can control when operations are deleted by using one of the following methods:
Deleting individual operations You can delete operations individually by rightclicking them and then selecting Delete.
Deleting all operations To delete all completed, canceled, and failed operations, right-click Work Queue, select Properties, then click Delete All Now.
Reconfiguring automatic deletion times To change the automatic deletion time, follow these steps:
Right-click Work Queue, then select Properties. This displays the dialog box shown in Figure 23-7.
To stop automatic deletion of all operations, clear the Automatically Delete Completed Requests option, and complete the process by clicking OK.
To enable automatic deletion, select the Automatically Delete Completed Requests option. Completed requests will now be deleted automatically.
Select Delete Failed Requests to delete failed requests automatically as well. Or to save failed requests, select Keep Failed Requests.
In the Delete After settings, change the deletion interval using the Hours and Minutes boxes. The default is 72 hours.
Click OK.
Operator Requests is the area where Removable Storage displays the status of requests that need the attention of administrators or Backup Operators. You access Operator Requests by expanding Removable Storage and then clicking Operator Requests in the console tree.
Each entry in the queue represents a task that you or another operator must perform. These requests are issued by Removable Storage or a compliant application for operations that are performed manually, such as inserting a cleaning cartridge, inserting offline tapes, or servicing a library. Each request has a specific state, which indicates the status of the request. You can respond to requests by either completing or refusing them. By default, completed or refused requests stay in the queue for 72 hours.
To help you track the status of requests, all requests are listed according to their current state. Request states include the following:
Completed Request was completed as specified by an operator or detected by Removable Storage. To mark a request as completed, right-click it, and select Complete.
Refused Request was refused by an operator and will not be performed. To mark a request as refused, right-click it, and then select Refuse.
Submitted Removable Storage or a compliant application submitted the request and is waiting for an operator to handle the request.
By default, Removable Storage is configured to notify operators of requests. Notifications are sent to the local system by the Messenger service and as an icon that appears on the Windows taskbar. If you aren't receiving these notifications, these features might have been disabled.
You can reenable operator notification by right-clicking Removable Storage in Computer Management and then selecting Properties. This displays the Properties dialog box shown in Figure 23-8. Select one of the following notification options:
To receive requests by the Messenger service, select Display Operator Request Dialogs.
To display an icon on the Windows taskbar when requests are waiting, select Use Status Area Icon For Notifying About Mounts.
As an administrator or authorized operator, you can mark requests as completed or refused. Simply right-click the request, then select Complete or Refuse as appropriate.
When you mark a request as completed, Removable Storage attempts to continue whatever operation was waiting on the request. For example, if Removable Storage was waiting on a cleaner cartridge and you inserted the cartridge, Removable Storage can continue with cleaning.
When you mark a request as refused, Removable Storage might cancel pending operations that were waiting on the request. These pending operations can be marked as Failed, and if you read the comments, you'll see that the operation failed because a request was canceled.
By default, completed or refused requests are deleted from the request queue after 72 hours. You can control when requests are deleted in the same way that you control when operations are deleted. The only difference is that you right-click Operator Requests to display the necessary Properties dialog box. For complete details, see the section entitled "Controlling When Operations Are Deleted" earlier in this chapter.
You can set access permissions for Removable Storage, media pools, libraries, and media. The available permissions are Use, Modify, and Control. These permissions are summarized in the section entitled "Understanding Access Permissions for Removable Storage" earlier in this chapter.
You set or view permissions as follows:
In Removable Storage, right-click the element you want to work with.
Select Properties from the shortcut menu, then click the Security tab, as shown in Figure 23-9.
Users or groups that already have access to the element are listed in the Name box. Change permissions by selecting a group or user, then using the Permissions list box to grant or deny access permissions.
To set access permissions for additional users, computers, or groups, click Add. Then use the Select Users, Computers, Or Groups option to add users, computers, or groups.
Select the user, computer, or group you want to configure in the Name list box, then use the fields in the Permissions area to allow or deny permissions. Repeat for other users, computers, or groups.
Click OK when you are finished.
