How do I find out which tape is storing a particular file?
That depends on the software and tape library system you are using.In some tape storage software you can - as the tape library administrator or operator - use a certain code command to track down a certain file on a tape. However, this is only possible if you know the exact name of the required file. There is still the chance that you will find a wrong copy of the file. The main issue is that, since you have several copies of the same single file with any advanced backup system and you are not able to identify which one you are looking for, you can only guess the exact name.A simple solution to this would be to create an index and catalogue of tape and archive media, which is more time and cost-effective if you need to access specific files on your tapes.
How do I tell what content is stored on a tape?
This depends on the particular case. If the tape hardware system is still up and running, it is quite easy to create the content list of the tapes without restoring all the content from all the tapes. There is usually some basic functionality in the tape storage system with which you can create and access a content list and find out what is on the tapes.Without the backup software, you can at least find out what is on the tapes, even though you cannot restore the backup. If you have neither the tape system nor the backup software available, you should definitely contact a data recovery expert who specialises in tapes.
I can't find the backup software and/or hardware to restore my tapes. What can I do?
You can try to get a copy of the backup software by contacting a software vendor or distributor online or in a shop. If you are affected by some of the common tape and backup media problems, or the software is very old and not available anymore, simply get in contact with data recovery experts. Ontrack has very specific tools and hardware for a range of tape media, which aren't available in the market anymore, to gain access to your tape data.
My server recognises the tape drive but not the tape library. What can I do?
This is usually due to the driver not working correctly or the backup/tape storage system software not properly installed. Reinstall them, then try to access the library. If this is still not possible, you should get in contact with data recovery experts, such as Ontrack, who have very specialised tools to recover the library and its content from a range of tape media.