Removable Storage

Removable Storage is another tool within Computer Management. Its job is to track and catalog the data stored on removable storage devices. These devices can take the form of tape backup drives, MO drives, JAZ drives, or the changers that control many removable storage devices. The Removable Storage Manager works by allowing you to create media poolscollections of media to which the same management properties (such as security permissions or backup routines) apply.

Removable Storage is another of those "buried" Windows XP features that you're not likely to know about unless you know where to look. Open the Control Panel, click Administrative Tools, and then click Computer Management. In the right pane, expand Storage and click Removable Storage. From here, you can create and manage media pools and also get information about the physical locations for media.

NOTE

If you're not certain whether a given removable device is compatible with Windows XP, check the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) and/or catalog at the Microsoft Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/.

As implemented, Removable Storage is limited to the small scope of hardware supported under it. But like many other Windows XP features (the Indexing Service, for example), it has tremendous potential when third-party vendors develop hooks to its functions and interface. At the moment, it stands as a useful tool to catalog backup media, such as tapes and optical cartridges, but little else.

See "Backup," later in this chapter, for more details about using removable storage management features as an adjunct to your backup strategies.