System and method for blind media support

A system for operating a storage device, the system comprising:

• a management server;
• a media agent connected to the management server;
• a storage device connected to the media agent;
• and
• a database connected to the management server;
• wherein
• the management server controls the media agent to monitor for the addition of a piece of media in the storage device, wherein the management server is configured to determine whether or not the piece of media is bar coded;
• and
• when a non-bar coded piece of media has been added to the storage device, the media agent causes the storage device to write a media label stored as data in the non-bar coded piece of media, the media label including an identifier identifying the non-bar coded piece of media,
• wherein the storage device returns the piece of media to a slot in the storage device, and wherein the management server stores the identifier in the database in association with an indication of the slot.

A system for backing up data in a storage device, the system comprising:

• a management server;
• a media agent connected to the management server;
• a storage device connected to the media agent;
• and a database connected to the management server;
• wherein
• the storage device loads a piece of media;
• the management server is configured to determine if the piece of media is either a bar coded medium or a non-bar coded medium;
• the storage device stores a media label as data on the piece of media, the media label including an identifier identifying the piece of media;
• the media agent transfers backup data to the piece of media;
• the storage device returns the piece of media to a slot in the storage device;
• and
• the management server stores the identifier in the database in association with an indication of the slot.

A system for transferring data between a data source and a desired piece of media, the system comprising:

• a management server;
• a data source connected to the management server;
• a media agent connected to the management server;
• a storage device connected to the media agent;
• and
• a database connected to the management server;
• wherein
• the storage device loads a test piece of media;
• the management server determines whether the test piece of media is either a bar coded medium or a non-bar coded medium;
• the storage device reads a media label stored as data on the test piece of media, the media label including an identifier identifying the test piece of media;
• the media agent transfers data between the data source and the test piece of media when the media label corresponds to the desired piece of media;
• the storage device returns the test piece of media to a slot in the storage device;
• and
• the management server stores the identifier in the database in association with an indication of the slot.

A storage device system comprising:

• a management server;
• a media agent connected to the management server;
• a storage device connected to the media agent;
• and
• a database connected to the management server;
• wherein
• the storage device includes a plurality of pieces of media, each piece of media including a respective media label stored as data in the respective piece of media, each media label including a respective identifier identifying the respective piece of media, and wherein the management server is configured to determine whether a first piece of media is either a bar coded medium or a non-bar coded medium when loaded by the storage device,
• wherein the storage device returns the first piece of media to a slot in the storage device, and wherein the management server stores the identifier of the first piece of media in the database in association with an indication of the slot.

A method of performing an inventory of media stored in a storage device system, the storage device system including a management server, a media agent connected to the management server, a storage device connected to the media agent, and a database connected to the management server, the method comprising:

• loading a piece of the media stored in a slot of the storage device into a drive;
• determining whether or not the piece of media is bar coded;
• reading a media label stored as data in a non-bar coded piece of media, the media label including an identifier identifying the non-bar coded piece of media;
• and
• storing the identifier in the database in association with an indication of the slot.

A computer readable storage medium including computer executable code for enabling a system to transfer data between a data source and a desired piece of media, the system comprising a management server, a data source connected to the management server, a media agent connected to the management server, a storage device connected to the media agent, and a database connected to the management server, the computer readable storage medium including data for:

• controlling the storage device to load a test piece of media stored in a slot of the storage device;
• determining whether or not the piece of media is bar coded;
• controlling the storage device to read a media label stored as data in a non-bar coded test piece of media, the media label including an identifier identifying the non-bar coded test piece of media;
• controlling the media agent to transfer data between the data source and the non-bar coded test piece of media when the media label corresponds to the desired piece of media;
• and
• storing the identifier of the piece of media in a database in association with an indication of the slot.