I am writing an interface for the SQL backup in my application.  I am
currently trying to determine if a tape drive exists on the system so the
system can add it as a backup device.  If I use enterprise manager to add
the tape drive as a device my application can see the device but still can't
see the tape drive directly.  My system can see the hard drives and DVD
drive on my system.  I have tried sp_helpdevices, xp_availablemedia, and
sysdevices.

Should I be looking somewhere else or does the user have to add the tape
from Enterprise manager first?

Regards,
John

Depending on what interface you're developing, you can use SQL-DMO in
various languages to iterate through devices on your SQL Server and
tapes as well.

Here's a few helpful links that I found useful when I developed a SQL
Db management interface for the web.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/sqldmo/dmoref_ob_3tlx.asp
http://sqldev.net/sqldmo.htm

Thanks for the replay.

I have been implementing this via the SqlClient in C# using the basic
"BACKUP <db> TO <device>" interface.  I obtained a list of devices from the
sys_devices or xp_availablemedia and xp_subdir which all seems to work fine
except I don't see the tape device unless it's added as a device.

I have never worked with SQL-DMO and the example seems to have problem
compiling which I assume is because it was written for an older version of
C# / .NET.  What is the advantage of using the SQL-DMO as opposed to just
using the SqlClient built into C#?

Regards,
John

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you may have problems compiling if you did not reference sqldmo.dll in
your .NET project.
it should be somewhere in your sql server installation, something like
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Binn\ ...

as for advantages, i don't really know. SQL-DMO is an API for SQL
Server administration. SQLClient is a data provider for C#.... i'm
usually partial to using an API when i want to interface with a
particular application... since the API encapsulates all objects
available in the particular application.. and in this case, all objects
available in SQL Server (this means everything you can do in Enterprise
Manager). but of course, it's really your call.

Thanks again, the problem was the strong naming I already knew I needed to
link into it.  I found a link for the strong naming problem on the microsoft
site so it works now.


Regards,
John

EXECUTE master.dbo.xp_get_tape_devices  seems to do the trick.

Regards,
John

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