The wide variety of jukeboxes available for CD-ROMs and recordable CDs lets you to choose hardware to meet your needs. iXOS-JUKEMAN hides the different jukebox control interfaces.
While most differences between jukeboxes are invisible, some basic capabilities influence the device description. For example, if a jukebox has a serial line, you must define the serial port on your computer where the jukebox is connected.
This chapter describes the jukebox types, their capabilities, and the content of their device description files. If you skipped Chapter 3,
"The Server," note that adding two lines (such as disks=1-5 and save=*.sav) to a description file can save
time during installation. You should have a look at the description of the device browser facility in the device setup dialog too.
Some installations may require many CDR 100 jukeboxes, so NSM provides a serial interface for the robot and a protocol that allows up to 16 boxes to be controlled.
The NT description file for a CDR100 may look like:
device=cdr100
drive=\\.\p0b0t4
robot=com1:
robid=4
save=*.sav
The UNIX description file for a CDR100 may look like:
device=cdr100
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4
robot=/dev/ttya
robid=4
save=*.sav
The robid is a number between 0 and 15 that allows 15 boxes to be controlled by a single serial port.
Starting with version 2.1, you can combine the settings for the robot and the robid by using the syntax
robot=com1:,4
With the CDR100, use the same number for SCSI ID and robot ID, especially if you have more than one box (but less than eight). Refer to the CDR100 manual for information about changing the robot ID.
The CDR100 has a single drive and no mail slot, so you cannot instruct the server to export a disk to a mail slot. You change CDs by detaching the jukebox, changing the CDs manually, closing the jukebox, attaching the jukebox to the server, and calling:
cdadm testcd device list
which instructs the server to inspect the slots enumerated in list.
If you cannot detach the jukebox because you want to change CDs while the file system is in use and you do not want to cause errors,
use cdadm import and cdadm export to block user requests.
The cdadm import device and cdadm export device commands instruct
the server to free the drive in the box and to block user requests for the box, so you can open the door and change disks without
impacting clients. Clients do not receive errors, but they must wait for a response. As soon as you finish changing the CDs, close the
door and tell the server which CDs you changed and to resume normal operation. For example, after you block the jukebox using
the command
cdadm import device
and change the CDs in slots 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8, call the command
cdadm testcd device 2-5, 8
which instructs the server to inspect slots 2-5 and 8 and to resume normal operation, including execution of all requests for the jukebox that were blocked while you changed CDs. Be sure to change the CDs quickly so users do not have to wait for responses longer than necessary.
The CDR100 is also available with recorders supported by iXOS-JUKEMAN.
iXOS-JUKEMAN fully uses the Mercury's parallel capabilities and effectively serves 14 requests per minute for different CDs with a single Mercury. The four drives make it a good choice for archives in which high throughput and fast response to many client requests are key requirements.
The Mercury is simple to use. Its CD tray enables the server to import and export CDs without mistakes, and three removable magazines for 50 CDs each allow you to quickly exchange 50 CDs, 100 CDs, or all 150 CDs in the jukebox.
The Mercury changer is controlled by a serial line with a capacity for up to 16 jukeboxes (even if they are mixed with CDR100 jukeboxes on the same line). Note that the front key must be locked to permit software control.
The order of drives in the device description file must be the same as the order of the drive numbers (not the order of the SCSI IDs). On the back of newer Mercury 31/40 (20) jukeboxes there are four (two) switches to set the SCSI IDs. Older Mercury 31/40 models use IDs 3 to 6 corresponding to drives 1 to 4; Mercury 20 models use IDs 3 and 4 for the two drives. The first drive in the device description file should be drive 1 of the jukebox, and so on.
An NT device description looks like:
device=mercury
drive=\\.\p0b0t3
drive=\\.\p0b0t4
drive=\\.\p0b0t5
drive=\\.\p0b0t6
robot=com2:
robid=0
save=*.sav
A UNIX device description looks like:
device=mercury
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/3
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/5
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/6
robot=/dev/ttyb
robid=0
save=*.sav
Note that with version 2.1 of iXOS-JUKEMAN you can combine the two lines for the serial line and the roboter id in one by using
the syntax robot=
The tray simplifies import and export of CDs. To import a CD, call
and the jukebox opens the tray. Insert a CD and press any button or the tray, and the jukebox closes the tray. The server inspects the
new CD and it appears in the server's file system views. If you want to export a CD, call
causes the jukebox to export the CD that resides in slot 25, and
causes the jukebox to export the CD named x11r5.
The Mercury is available with recorders supported by iXOS-JUKEMAN.
These jukeboxes differ from the respective models without the trailing 's' by using SCSI control instead of a serial line.
Internally, however, the SCSI commands are transformed into serial commands.
The advantage of these models is the pure SCSI connection; disadvantages include the need for another free SCSI-ID for the
changer, more importantlt, that the throughput under high load is worse than the serial models. This is due to inherent problems of
the transformation of SCSI commands into serial command.
Nevertheless these Mercury models are fast and robust.
An NT device description looks like:
A UNIX device description looks like:
The NT device description looks like:
The UNIX device description looks like:
The jukebox has no mail slot, so importing and exporting CDs requires the same commands you use for NSM's CDR100. But
instead of opening a door and closing it, you must press the Eject button, turn one of the trays out of the magazine, insert a CD
with data side up and label side down, put the magazine back into the changer, and then issue the
The DRM-1804x 18-CD changer uses three small 6-pack magazines. It addresses the actual changer separately, so you must
specify it in the description file. The changer is always LUN 1 of the drive.
The NT device description looks like:
The UNIX device description looks like:
CD import and export commands are the same as those for the Pioneer 6-CD changer or the NSM CDR100.
This new jukebox contains up to 100 CD and two to four drives. One drive can be a recorder (supported by iXOS-JUKEMAN),
which occupies the space of two readers, hence only two more readers are feasible in this case.
Assuming a Pioneer DRM-1004x with three drives, a NT device description could look like
A description file for Unix may look like:
With four drives and space for 500 CDs, the Pioneer DRM-5004x s designed for large archives in which huge amounts of data must
be stored and retrieved. The changer and drives are independent SCSI devices, so the drives can read data while the changer is
moving a CD through the large jukebox.
An NT device description file looks like:
A description file for UNIX may look like:
The jukebox differs from all other jukeboxes by its virtual mail slot that is a position of the changer. We improved its handling in
version 2.1 in several ways.
Use
to move the changer halfway up and stop it. The -f switch changes the behavior of the import/export cdadm call with respect to the
return of the command: The -f variant returns as soon as the jukebox is ready for the opening of the door, whereas the normal
variant would return only after the completion of the whole changing.
Hence open the door (which is, unfortunately, not so easy and requires some power and/or skill) after the command
returns (respectively after the caption of the caption of the contents dialogue shows that the Pioneer 5004x is ready) and then place a
CD on the changer (or remove it in case of an export). Note that opening the door to early might cause a detach of the jukebox, so
please wait as described above. Close the door. This is sufficient to tell iXOS-JUKEMAN that the import/export has taken place. In
particular there is no need to issue the command
to instruct the server to continue as normal
The DRM-5004x is available with recorders supported by iXOS-JUKEMAN.
We introduced support for the new Panasonic jukeboxes in version 2.1 of iXOS-JUKEMAN. This jukebox uses both CDs and phase
change (PD) disks (either 50, 100 or 200, according to the model), which are both supported by iXOS-JUKEMAN. The up to four
drives permit writing to PD disks, both in batch and incremental mode, but no burning of CD-Rs. The magazines of the jukebox
each contain 10 disks, either CDs or PDs. The CDs can be imported and exported by the mailslot (like for the NSM Mercury
models), but no the PD media since they are very sensitive. Note that you should enable LUN mode for this jukebox by setting
DIP-switch 5 to 1 in order to prevent that the drives appear twice, first as CD-drive and second as PD-drive.
An NT device description file for a jukebox with three drives looks like:
A description file for UNIX may look like:
Sony's CDZ-R360 manages 360 CDs in a small and inexpensive jukebox with two drives. The changer and drives use different
LUNs of the same SCSI ID so you can connect several jukeboxes to a single bus.
If low cost and high capacity are key requirements for your archive, Sony is a good choice. For example, an average PCI-based NT
computer with four Adaptec AHA 3920 double SCSI adapters controlling three CDZ-R360s on each of the 4*2 buses, easily
controls 24 jukeboxes with 360 CDs each. That makes 8,640 CDs, more than 5 TB controlled by simple standard components. CDZ-
R360 uses LUNs 0 and 1 for the drives and 7 for the changer.
An NT description file looks like:
For UNIX, the description file looks like:
Similar to NSM's CDR100 or to the small Pioneer changers, the CDZ-R360 has no mail slot. For the CDR100 CDs are changed
manually; the CDZ-R360 supports CD exchange with the changer. After you open the door, the jukebox may move the first CD to the
changer. Ignore this CD. Use the three small black buttons on the right to set the number of the slot in which you want to insert,
export, or change a disk. Press the larger Enter button. If there is a CD in the slot you chose, the jukebox moves it to the changer.
Otherwise, it frees the changer. Then you can remove the CD on the changer or put a new one on it. Press the Enter button again.
The jukebox moves the new CD, if any, to the slot, and proceeds with the next slot. You can change a CD there or choose a new
number with the three small black buttons. If you do not want to change more CDs, close the door. The jukebox frees the changer
automatically. Tell the server in which slots CDs have changed by issuing
The Sony-CDL-2100 jukebox contains 125, the CDL-2200 225 CDs. Both models support up to four drives, which may be either
readers or (supported) recorders.
This jukebox is operated by pure SCSI and offers high throughput and speed. Changing CDs is easy due to its mailslot.
An NT description file for a jukebox with four drives looks like:
For UNIX, the description file looks like:
This Plextor Jukebox for 200 CDs and two 8x readers entered the market recently. This jukebox has no mailslot, but you have to
remove and insert the magazines by hand, like for the NSM CDR 100.
An NT description file for a jukebox with four drives looks like:
For UNIX, the description file looks like:
In Kubik's CDR240M, 240 CDs are arranged in a flat roundabout. On the back, four CD-ROM drives are ready to catch CDs that are
ejected from the carousel by four thin pushers in the middle of the carousel. An additional pusher throws CDs to a separate mail slot
in the front. If you access a CD, the jukebox rotates the carousel until the CD reaches the position in front of the drive in which it
must be inserted. Then the pusher throws it into the drive, the drive inserts it, and you can access the data.
Kubik's robot is controlled by a serial line, so the description file is similar to that of a Mercury, but since each Kubik jukebox needs
an exclusive line, you do not need to specify a robot ID.
A typical description file for NT is:
A typical description file for UNIX is:
The Kubik has a separate mail slot, so importing and exporting CDs is similar to NSM's Mercury. The difference is that it is not a
tray; it's simply a slot that you open manually if it's unlocked and then you close it manually. Between opening and closing, you can
remove or insert a CD or do both.
Note that for the Kubik jukebox
Plasmon's jukebox CD150J is similar to NSM's Mercury, except that it has a standard SCSI interface even for the robot.
A typical NT description is:
A typical UNIX description is:
Everything else, including import and export, is exactly the same as for the Mercury.
When used with iXOS-JUKEMAN, the Kodak jukeboxes are identical to the NSM CDR100 (ADL 100) or NSM Mercury (ADL 150).
This jukebox is identical to the NSM Mercury.
The small Nakamichi jukebox is a good choice for evaluating iXOS-JUKEMAN in demo mode. You can use either
For NT the description file looks like:
For UNIX the description file looks like:
This 4 CD changer with an 8x drive, suitable as an internal device, is very well suited as a fast device in an hierarchical jukebox
system. Like for the MCD-1020, you can use either
For NT the description file looks like:
For UNIX the description file looks like:
This changer is identical to the Nakamichi MCD-1020.
This changer is identical to the Nakamichi MJ-4.8s.
The Grundig jukebox M200 uses four drives, which can include recorders, for its 200 CDs. Like the Mercury it has a mail slot for
easy exchange of CDs. It uses a normal SCSI robot.
An NT device description file will look like:
A UNIX device description file will look like:
Note that the order in which the drives are listed must correspond to the order assumed by the changer.
The M200 is available with recorders supported by iXOS-JUKEMAN.
DSM offers jukeboxes starting from 28 up to 1600 Media (CDs, WORMs, or MOs), whose drive number and type is highly
configurable. The change of media is done by means of an exchange slot. The jukeboxes can be operated either by a
serial RS232 line or via SCSI. IXOS-JUKEMAN supports the latter.
The device description file starts with
and continues in a normal fashion.
DSM jukeboxes are available with recorders supported by iXOS-JUKEMAN.
DISC offers a wide range of jukeboxes with capacities that range from about 250 to 1,500 CDs. The number of drives and recorders
varies between 18 and 28, so DISC is a good choice for a large archive.
The jukeboxes are controlled by one or more SCSI robots and use caddies to protect the CDs. They use one or more mailboxes to
exchange CDs. To import a CD, first you have to insert the CD in its caddy into the mailbox. The export command accesses the CD
in this mail slot.
The description file starts with the device type disc:
and continues in a normal fashion.
DISC jukeboxes are available with recorders supported by iXOS-JUKEMAN.
iXOS-JUKEMAN supports all standard SCSI 2 jukeboxes with a mail slot; for example the large models of ASM. Device
descriptions are the same as for the Plasmon jukebox, but vary in the number of drives. Most of the standard jukeboxes are available
with recorders supported by iXOS-JUKEMAN (see "Supported Hardware" in Chapter 1).
Cope has devised a Tower jukebox that internally maps SCSI logical units on SCSI IDs. This means you can attach seven towers
with up to 49 drives to one single SCSI bus. Note that you can use either
You need to provide only one drive in the device file; iXOS-JUKEMAN does the rest.
A typical description for NT looks like:
A typical description for UNIX looks like:
Note that you do not need to provide a save file; it has no effect.
For drives in such a tower and any other single drive administered by iXOS-JUKEMAN you don't have to perform a CD change by
means of the GUI or cdadm commands anymore. Starting with Version 2.1, all those drives are periodically checked
for such manual changes (see the description of the server parameter dcheck).
Towers which identify the drives in normal fashion by SCSI-IDs are treated as devices of type single. Subsequently all drives have
to be listed as in the following NT device description:
For towers with LUN support, you don't have to change CDs by means of the GUI or cdadm commands anymore.
iXOS-JUKEMAN supports single drives as well as jukeboxes. They are simply treated as small and simple jukeboxes.
A typical NT device description is:
A typical UNIX device description is:
If you have more than one single drive, you can either define many single drive devices, one for each CD drive, or one device for all,
where all drives are listed line for line. As stated above, iXOS-JUKEMAN now permits manual changing of CDs for such drives
without any other interaction required to recognize the new CD.
Instead of a real CD drive, you can also use a hard disk image.
For example, on NT if you have the ISO 9600 image
On UNIX if you have an ISO 9600 image
Then you can attach it instead of a single drive. The file system represented by the image appears as a subdirectory of iXOS-
JUKEMAN's file system, just as if it were a CD stored in a jukebox or in a real CD drive.
This allows you to set up small, fast CD servers on a hard disk. For example, if you have 20 CDs, each containing 200 MB, you can set
up a server by copying the CDs to a 4 GB hard disk and defining a device description for each image, instead of using 20 real drives.
An easy way to copy CDs to hard disk is by using
For example,
will copy the CD in the drive with SCSI ID 4 on the first SCSI bus (this is what
You can store even more CDs on a hard disk if you use NT's transparent file compression. NTFS allows you to compress a file
or a whole subtree transparently. Simply create an
In summary, you can use hard disk copies and transparent compression to set up a fast and cheap CD server if you have CDs
that are compressible or not completely full and you don't want to use real CD drives or a jukebox for them. Even if you use a
jukebox, you might want to copy the CDs that are most often accessed to hard disk to reduce the jukebox load.
iXOS is continually adding new features and support for new jukebox types. Please check our web site
(www.jukeman.com) for an updated list of supported devices.
cdadm import device
cdadm export
device and the server moves a CD to the tray and opens it. The server prefers to export an invalid CD; if all CDs are
valid, it exports a valid CD. If you want to choose a particular CD, you can specify its slot number or the name in the default name
format, usually RR for the UNIX version and PC for NT. For example,
cdadm export device 25
cdadm export device x11r5
4.3 NSM 150 CD Mercury 20s/31s/40s
device=standard
robot=\\.\p0b0t2
drive=\\.\p0b0t3
drive=\\.\p0b0t4
drive=\\.\p0b0t5
drive=\\.\p0b0t6
save=*.sav
device=standard
robot=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/2
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/3
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/5
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/6
save=*.sav
4.4 Pioneer's 6-CD Changer
Pioneer's 6-pack has several variations, depending on the type of drive used. DRM-602x, DRM-604x, and DRM-624x mainly differ
in speed. The changer is always invisible, and it has no separate address, so the device description does not specify a robot.
device=pioneer6
drive=\\.\p0b0t3
save=*.sav
device=pioneer6
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/3
save=*.sav
testcd command.
4.5 Pioneer's 18-CD Changer
device=pioneer18
drive=\\.\p0b0t3.0
robot=\\.\p0b0t3,1
save=*.sav
device=pioneer18
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/3,0
robot=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/3,0
save=*.sav
4.6 Pioneer's 100-CD Jukebox
device=pioneer100
drive=\\.\p0b0t2
drive=\\.\p0b0t3
drive=\\.\p0b0t4
robot=\\.\p0b0t6
save=*.sav
device=pioneer100
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/2
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/3
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4
robot=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/6
save=*.sav
4.7 Pioneer's 500-CD Jukebox
device=pioneer500
drive=\\.\p0b0t2
drive=\\.\p0b0t3
drive=\\.\p0b0t4
drive=\\.\p0b0t5
drive=\\.\p0b0t6
robot=\\.\p0b0t6
save=*.sav
device=pioneer500
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/2
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/3
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/5
robot=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/6
save=*.sav
cdadm import -f device
cdadm testcd device
4.8 Panasonic LF-J 50/100/200 CD/PD jukeboxes
device=ps_lf_j
drive=\\.\p0b0t2
drive=\\.\p0b0t3
drive=\\.\p0b0t4
robot=\\.\p0b0t6
save=*.sav
device=ps_lf_j
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/2
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/3
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4
robot=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/6
save=*.sav
4.9 Sony's 360 CD Jukebox
device=sony_cdr
drive=\\.\p0b0t4,0
drive=\\.\p0b0t4,1
robot=\\.\p0b0t4,7
save=*.sav
device=sony_cdr
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4,0
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4,1
robot=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4,7
save=*.sav
cdadm testcd commands for the
slots involved.
4.10 Sony-CDL-2100/2200 125/225 CD Jukebox
device=sony_cdl
drive=\\.\p0b0t2
drive=\\.\p0b0t3
drive=\\.\p0b0t4
drive=\\.\p0b0t5
robot=\\.\p0b0t6
save=sony1.sav
device=sony_cdl
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/2
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/3
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/5
robot=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/6
save=sony1.sav
4.11 Plextor MegaPlex or PX-J2200 200 CD Jukebox
device=plextor200
drive=\\.\p2b0t4
drive=\\.\p2b0t5
robot=\\.\p2b0t6
save=plextor.sav
device=plextor200
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI2/4
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI2/5
robot=/dev/iXOS_SCSI2/6
save=plextor.sav4.12 Kubik's 240 CD Jukebox
device=kubik
drive=\\.\p0b0t3
drive=\\.\p0b0t4
drive=\\.\p0b0t5
drive=\\.\p0b0t6
robot=com1:
save=*.sav
device=kubik
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/3
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/5
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/6
robot=/dev/tty0
save=*.sav
cdadm import and cdadm export use special strategies. If you do not
specify a slot number or CD name, the server chooses a slot with the goal of keeping the roundabout balanced.
4.13 Plasmon's 150 CD Jukebox
device=standard
drive=\\.\p0b0t2
drive=\\.\p0b0t3
drive=\\.\p0b0t4
drive=\\.\p0b0t5
robot=\\.\p0b0t6
save=*.sav
device=standard
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/2
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/3
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/5
robot=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/6
save=*.sav
4.14 Kodak 100/150 CD ADL 100/150
4.15 MDI 150 CD Jukebox
4.16 Nakamichi 7 CD MCD-1020
nec or nakamichi as the device type.
device=nec
drive=\\.\p0b0t2,0
save=*.sav
device=nec
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/2,0
save=nec.sav
4.17 Nakamichi 4 CD MJ-4.8s
nec or nakamichi as the device type.
device=nakamichi
drive=\\.\p0b0t4,0
save=*.sav
device=nakamichi
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4,0
save=nec.sav
4.18 Smart and Friendly 7 CD CDJ 7004
4.19 Smart and Friendly 4 CD CDJ 4008
4.20 Grundig 200 CD M200
device=grundig200
robot=\\.\p1b0t2
drive=\\.\p1b0t3
drive=\\.\p1b0t4
drive=\\.\p1b0t5
drive=\\.\p1b0t6
save=*.sav
device=grundig200
robot=/dev/iXOS_SCSI1/2
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI1/3
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI1/4
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI1/5
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI1/6
save=*.sav
4.21 DSM Terastore Jukeboxen
device=dsm
4.22 DISC
device=disc
4.23 Standard SCSI Jukeboxes
4.24 Cope 6/7 Tower
tower6 or tower7,
depending on the number of drives.
device=tower6
drive=\\.\p0b0t1,0
device=tower7
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4,0
4.25 Towers without LUN support
device=single
drive=\\.\p0b0t1,0
drive=\\.\p0b0t2,0
drive=\\.\p0b0t3,0
drive=\\.\p0b0t4,0
4.26 Single Drives
device=single
drive=\\.\p0b0t4
device=single
drive=/dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4
4.27 CDs on Hard Disks
D:\images\cdrom.iso, create the following device description file:
device=image
drive=D:\images\cdrom.iso/images/cdrom.iso, create the following device description file:
device=image
drive=/images/cdrom.isocdglow.
cdglow -s /dev/iXOS_SCSI0/4 -T -t /images/cdrom.iso
/dev/iXOS_SCSI/4 means) to
the file /images/cdrom.iso.
/images directory on a NTFS partition and
use the File Manager to compress it. Then all images created in this directory are compressed automatically, so you never need the full
disk space except for CDs that contain already compressed data.
4.28 Other Jukeboxes
Send mail to webmaster@munich.ixos.de
with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 1997 iXOS Software GmbH
Last modified: