Table 7-6 lists all fields displayed when a user chooses OBTAIN media from pool.

Table 7-6 Obtain media from pool

Field	Description
Type	Specifies the base TYPE category for a medium. All TYPES are defined in the parameter file. Only predefined values can be entered here.
Location	This is the rack or bin in which the tape will be stored. This is sent along with the external ID to the OPERATOR whenever the medium needs to be mounted on a drive.
Density	The recording density of the tape. The default will cause the system to automatically toggle to the correct density setting during a mount or update operation, if the density is not known.
Capacity	This is either the total length of a reel, in feet, or total disk space, in megabytes.

7.2.9 Search/Selection criteria for media records

Table 7-7 lists all fields displayed when a user selects Selection controls and chooses to set Search/Selection criteria for media records.

Table 7-7 Search/Selection criteria for media records

Field	Description
User	This is the user name assigned to the medium. All entries in the allocated pool are owned by a user.
Type	Specifies the base TYPE category for a medium. All TYPES are defined in the parameter file. Only predefined values can be entered here.
Location	This is the rack or bin in which the tape will be stored. This is sent along with the external ID to the OPERATOR whenever the medium needs to be mounted on a drive.
Density	The recording density of the tape. The default will cause the system to automatically toggle to the correct density setting during a mount or update operation, if the density is not known.
Comment	This is a text field into which any text data can be inserted.
Manufacturer	This is the manufacturer of the medium. This field is optional and purely for identification purposes. This requires MANAGER privilege.
Include	This field may be used to select media according to the selection qualifiers detailed in the DIRECTORY command section in the Reference Manual. These include */USER=username and */POOL=poolname.
Exclude	Those media to be excluded from the search. Wildcards are accepted.
Since	Standard VMS search facility designates the date that included media must have been created after. Only media created after the specified date will be included in the search results
Before	Standard VMS search facility designates the date that included media must have been created before. Only media created before the specified date will be included in the search results

7.2.10 Set Contents Search Criteria

Table 7-8 lists all fields displayed when a user chooses Set Contents Search Criteria from the Media and Display controls menu.

Table 7-8 Set Contents Search Criteria

Field	Description
Username	This is the user name assigned to the medium. All entries in the allocated pool are owned by a user.
FILES to include	The files that should be included in the contents directory search. Wildcards are accepted.
FILES to exclude	The files that should be excluded in the contents directory search. Wildcards are accepted.
Since	Date and time parameter for search. All files written since the time entered.
Before	Date and time parameter for search. All files written before the time entered.

7.2.11 CONTENTS: Savesets, Directories, Files

Table 7-9 lists all fields displayed when a user chooses CONTENTS: Savesets, Directories, Files.

Table 7-9 CONTENTS: Savesets, Directories, Files

Field	Description
File selector	The file types that will be displayed in the contents window. Wildcards are accepted.
Saveset name	The name of the saveset that the file belongs to.
Directory name	The name of the directory in which the file resides.
File name	The name and extension of the file always displayed.
Full file info.	Full info on the file is displayed.
File size(blocks)	Size of the file, in blocks.
File format	Format of the file.
File owner	Owner of the file.
File protection	Level of protection on the file.
Record size	The size of a record on the chosen medium.
Record format	The format of a record on the chosen medium.
Date Created	The date the file was created.
Date Revised	The date the file was last revised.
Expiration date	The expiration date of the file.
Backup date	The date of the last backup of the file.

7.2.12 Select qualifiers for a job

Table 7-10 lists all fields displayed when a user chooses to add optional qualifiers when creating a MEDIA job in MCL

Table 7-10 CONTENTS: Savesets, Directories, Files

Field	Description
ANSI/Files11	The standard VMS tape label.
Foreign	Mount as foreign media.
Read Only	Mount as read only media.
Verify after mount	Determines whether the medium will undergo verification after mount.
Initialize medium	Determines whether the medium will be initialized after mount.
Keep Log file	Saves the log file after the completion of the job.
Print Log file	Prints the log file after the completion of the job.
Job can be restarted	Marks the created MEDIA job as restartable.
None	No notification is made upon completion of the job.
Notify	Causes the notification of the creator of the MEDIA job upon completion.
VMS MAIL	VMS MAIL is sent as notification upon job completion.
Submit after	Causes the job to be held in the queue until after the specified time.
Job priority	The queue priority to use when the job is submitted for execution.
Job HOLD	Places the job into a queue in the HOLD state. A subsequent SET QUEUE/ENTRY command is needed to release the job for execution.

7.3 Select medium

Figure 7-8 Select a Medium Menu

After a user selects a medium, the Function menu shown in Figure 7-9 will apppear. Select a function from this menu to continue operations with the chosen medium. The functions are described below in Section 7.3.1 through Section 7.3.8.

Figure 7-9 Full Function vs Simplified Function Menu

7.3.1 Create media job

• Media job preamble: The first step of any media job involves the mounting and initialization of the tape or removable disk. This must be performed before any DCL commands pertaining to the media may be issued. This step may also include a message to the OPERATOR , referring to the job. Once the mount and initialization are complete, the DCL commands, which form the core of the job, will be executed¹.
  
• DCL command(s): The DCL commands are the part of the job handled by the user. In MCL, the DCL commands are either entered into an editor window and submitted or a call is made from the editor file to an outside command file. All valid DCL command(s) may be entered as a media job. In order to access the media device chosen for the operation, simply refer to it using the following syntax within the editor file or the command file:

  MEDIA:

  
  For example, to write information to the chosen medium:

  $COPY *.COM MEDIA:*.*/LOG

  
  In this example all, COM files in the current default directory are copied to the medium. The logical name MEDIA is established when the job executes, to point to the correct drive. To read information from the chosen medium:

  $COPY MEDIA:*.COM []/LOG $COPY MEDIA:*.EXE []/LOG

  
  In this example, all COM and EXE files are copied from the medium to the current default directory.
  Once the job is complete, the following step takes place.

• Media job postamble: Following the completion of the job the important step of submitting the media database update takes place automatically. Though the procedure may be eliminated from a job, it is highly recommended to submit an update in order to maintain an accurate database of media. This step insures an accurate record of the media contents if a write operation has taken place. Following the update, the media will be dismounted by the OPERATOR and the job will be complete.

In order to create a media job in MCL, choose Create media job from the Media library functions menu. An editor window will appear, for user entry of the DCL commands.

Enter the commands as described above and exit the editor. The display shown below will appear, with the default qualifiers selected.

The fields are described in Table 7-10 The qualifiers will automatically be appended to the job upon submission.

7.3.2 POOL commands:Single medium(Full Function Menus)

The POOL commands:Single medium menu is used to perform various operations on media that were selected from the media list.

7.3.2.1 RENAME allocated media

The RENAME allocated media menu selection changes the names of media to a new name. This selection is useful in assigning new alias names to media that differ from the external label (normally the alias and the external label are identical on each medium). For example, an accounts receivable data tape could be called AR_DATA;1 the first time and for the next generation AR_DATA;2. One special case of the rename case exists. If `EXTERNAL' is used for the new name the ALIAS will be be removed and the name will be reset to the external label.

In order to rename media, select RENAME medium from the Media POOL Commands menu.

A dialog box will appear requesting the old media name as well as a new media name to be entered. Both names must be entered in order for the rename to take place. After entering the name the media will be renamed and a LOG message will appear.

7.3.2.2 ASSIGN medium to user

In order to assign the selected medium to a particular user, select ASSIGN medium to user from the Function menu.

A dialog box will appear, prompting for the user name to whom the medium is assigned.

The RELEASE medium function allows the user to release a medium to the Media Librarian's Released Pool.

Once a medium is no longer being used, it may be returned to the system for re-use by choosing the RELEASE medium to pool function from the Function menu.

Following the medium's release, it will remain in the released pool for a specified time (designated by the MANAGER), and then be returned to the available pool. The release pool acts as holding area for the medium, in case the user decides to use it again before it is moved to the available pool.