If the items you select for archiving exceed the capacity of the archiving device (such as a VTR tape, data tape, or a file system), you can split the archive across multiple tapes, disks, or files. The splitting of archives is seamless and virtually transparent to the archiving process.

The procedure for creating a multiple tape archive (an archive that is too large for a single tape) is almost the same as for creating an archive on a single tape. If the entries selected for archiving exceed the capacity of the tape, a message appears indicating that the archive requires multiple tapes. The archiving process begins for the first tape. When the first tape is full, you are prompted to insert a second tape. Insert and format this tape and continue with the archiving. This process continues for as many tapes as are required.

For instructions on how to open a multiple tape archive, see Opening Multiple Tape Archives.