Removable Storage

Windows 2000 Removable Storage provides services to applications and system administrators that facilitate the use, sharing, and management of the removable media devices attached to a computer running Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Professional or Windows 2000 Server. Using Removable Storage services allows applications to share local robotic media libraries and tape and disk drives. Removable Storage is not in the media data path, so managing media content is left to Removable Storage client applications, which are referred to as data-mover applications. For example, backup applications use Removable Storage to keep track of the identity of the tapes they use. Removable Storage mounts tapes when needed by the backup application, but the backup application itself keeps track of the backup sets stored on that media.

Removable Storage includes a Windows 2000 service program which runs as part of the service host program (Svchost.exe), the Removable Storage database, and the Removable Storage snap-in.