Using MTF Media Labels

[This is preliminary documentation and subject to change.]

RSM provides a generic media label library for Microsoft Tape Format (MTF). An application that uses MTF as a media format for tape may not be required to provide a media label library.

RSM has the following requirements for applications that use MTF:

• RSM uses the MTF Common Block Header for tape identification. RSM verifies that the label is MTF format by checking that BlockHeader.BlockType is equal to MTF_TAPE and that the checksum of the header is correct.
• RSM uses the TapeName/Media Name as the Label Application Description and the Software Name as the Label Type
• If the Tape Media Label Bit is set in the Tape Attribute field, the label library verifies the media label field of the MTF label and checks the description/label field for a GUID (UUID) of the form

  12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012
  

• If found, RSM uses the UUID as the LabelID of the medium. If a GUID is not found in the field, then an MD5 algorithm is used to generate a unique ID from the MTF block and it is returned as the LabelID.