How to configure multiple tape devices (like internal and external) for a given configuration?

If you have an internal drive, and you now want to add an external drive to your backup server and have Amanda use the internal and external for the same configuration, you can use "chg-multi" value to the changer variable to emulate a tape changer with two tapedrives.

In amanda.conf:

   #tapedev may be commented out
   tpchanger "chg-multi"
   changerfile "chg-multi.conf
   amrecover_changer "changer"
   amrecover_do_fsf true
   amrecover_check_label true

Create a new file named "chg-multi.conf" in the same directory as the amanda.conf file:

   multieject 0
   gravity 0
   needeject 0
   ejectdelay 0
   statefile /var/lib/amanda/daily/changer-status   # Configuration specific
   firstslot 1
   lastslot 2
   slot 1  /dev/nst0  # Configuration specific
   slot 2  /dev/nst1  # Configuration specifc

Where it is marked "Configuration specific", the value has to reflect how things are set up in a given environment. Note, you want to make sure that the "runtape" directive has the value of atleast 2. Also note that because its tied to a single configuration, its tied to a specific tapetype.