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Firestreamer - Basic Concepts
Basic Concepts
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Overview
Firestreamer is a virtual tape drive that consists of the tape driver and control panel. The Firestreamer Tape Driver is the main component that does all the job. It is automatically loaded when your system starts up. The Firestreamer Control Panel allows you to configure the tape driver and is not required to be running during a backup or restore.
The actual backup and restore operations are performed by your backup software. Being a mere tape drive, Firestreamer is not aware of what is recorded on its virtual tape.
When enabled, Firestreamer periodically queries all compatible media drives connected to your computer. Once Firestreamer finds a medium in one of the drives, it connects to that drive and exposes the medium as a virtual tape cartridge to your backup software. When disabled, Firestreamer does not interfere with any of your media drives.
Firestreamer stays connected to the media drive until disabled or the current medium is ejected. When Firestreamer disconnects from a media drive because of the ejected medium, it starts querying all the media drives again, and connects to the next available drive with a compatible medium inside. At any given time, Firestreamer can be connected to, at most, a single media drive.
Note the following:
- A piece of media in your media drive appears to your backup software as a tape cartridge.
- Firestreamer attempts to connect to the media drives in an unspecified order. For example, if you have two media drives with media inside, Firestreamer will randomly connect to one of them.
- Firestreamer is enabled by default when your system starts. You can enable and disable Firestreamer via the Settings tab of the Firestreamer Control Panel.
- Firestreamer uses only the types of media selected on the Settings tab of the Firestreamer Control Panel.
- Firestreamer allows using the media drives without drive letters assigned to them.
Performing a Backup and Restore
To perform a backup and restore with Firestreamer, follow the same procedure as you would with a physical stand-alone tape drive.
- Open your backup software.
- (Optional) Open the Firestreamer Control Panel.
- Insert a medium into your media drive.
- Wait for up to one minute for the medium to be recognized. Once Firestreamer detects the medium, it will connect to the media drive.
- Perform an inventory of the Firestreamer Tape Drive from your backup software, if applicable.
- Erase the tape from your backup software, if necessary.
- Start a backup or restore operation.
- When prompted, eject the medium.
Inserting Media
To avoid confusion, make sure only a single media drive has a piece of media inserted at any given time. Remember that Firestreamer connects to the first available drive with a compatible medium inside.
Insert a medium using one of the following methods:
- If the medium is removable (for example, DVD or Iomega REV), insert the medium into the drive according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- If the medium is fixed, but the drive is removable (for example, a USB external HDD), connect the drive to your computer.
- If you use file media, type the file name in the New box on the Media tab of the Firestreamer Control Panel, and then click Insert. Optionally, you can also specify the maximum file size of the file medium.
Ejecting Media
Before ejecting the medium, make sure your backup software has finished accessing the Firestreamer Tape Drive. You may not be able to eject the medium while a tape operation is in progress because the medium will be locked in the media drive by your backup software.
Eject the current medium by using one of the following methods:
- If the medium is removable (for example, DVD or Iomega REV), either click Eject at the top of the Media tab of the Firestreamer Control Panel, or press the eject button on your media drive. Remove the medium from the drive.
- If the medium is fixed, but the drive is removable (for example, a USB external HDD), either click Eject at the top of the Media tab of the Firestreamer Control Panel, or perform the standard safe removal procedure. Disconnect the drive from your computer.
- If you use file media, click Eject at the top of the Media tab of the Firestreamer Control Panel.
See Also
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