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“Source element empty” usually means one of two different problems. In a Quantum Scalar tape library, a Get or Move command targeted an element whose occupancy sensor reported no cartridge; the cartridge may be missing, mis-seated, or represented by stale inventory. It is an element-status condition, not proof that the tape drive has failed. In a web page, the same wording usually means a <source> or media src was rendered with an empty URL. For a Scalar library, inspect and reseat the media, inventory the affected column, refresh element status, and retry only after source and destination checks pass. For HTML, emit a real non-empty media URL or omit the source until one exists.
What does “source element empty” mean?
The exact meaning depends on where the message appeared. Quantum’s Scalar documentation uses the message for a library sensor result: “A Get command was issued but the sensor indicated that the source location is empty.” The source is an element address, such as a storage cell, drive, or import/export station, rather than a generic file path.
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Quantum’s Scalar Intelligent Libraries SCSI Reference Guide describes the same check during MOVE MEDIUM: the library verifies that the source element is occupied and that the destination element is empty. A failed check can therefore indicate an empty source, a full destination, or an element database that has not caught up with a recent door opening, power cycle, or cartridge change.
If the message came from an HTML validator, browser console, or a page template, it has a different cause. A media element was given an empty URL, for example <source src=''>. The HTML Standard requires a valid, non-empty media URL.
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How do I fix the error on a Quantum Scalar tape library?
Work from the physical element to the library’s inventory and then to the host’s status cache. Do not keep issuing moves while the source occupancy is uncertain.
1. Record the address and diagnostic code
- Write down the source coordinate exactly as shown by the library or host, including the element type and column or slot number.
- Record any Service Action Code (SAC). Quantum identifies this condition as SAC 74, whose wording is that a Get command was issued but the sensor indicated an empty source location.
- Note whether the operation was a Get, Move, or another media command, and record the intended destination. This prevents a second error from being mistaken for the original one.
The coordinate matters because a storage cell, drive element, and import/export station have different physical checks. A correct SAC and address also give a service technician a reproducible starting point if the fault persists.
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Open the library only according to your site’s safety procedure, then inspect the reported source. Quantum specifically calls out a cartridge in the storage cell immediately above a failing cell. A cartridge can appear present while its leading edge is not fully inside the cell, leaving the sensor in an empty state.
- Check whether the cartridge is actually in the reported cell.
- Inspect the cell directly above it for a cartridge that is protruding or sitting at an angle.
- If a cartridge is not fully inserted, push it completely into its cell without forcing the mechanism.
- Confirm that the source cell is unobstructed and that the cartridge is not resting between positions.
Do not substitute a random cartridge during this check. If media must be replaced, the LTO generation must be compatible with the installed drive and library; the cited Scalar material does not identify the generation in your system.
3. Apply the check for the element type
| Element reported as the source | What to verify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Storage cell | Cartridge is fully inserted; inspect the cell above for a protruding cartridge. | The occupancy sensor can read empty when media is present but not seated. |
| Drive element | Drive sled is completely seated in the library. | An unseated sled can prevent the library from reporting the drive element as occupied and ready. |
| Import/export element | Magazine is completely seated and the door is completely closed. | The station’s door and magazine position are part of the element’s physical state. |
These checks distinguish a physical seating problem from a stale software view. Correct the physical condition before attempting a status refresh.
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4. Inventory the affected column
After reseating a cartridge in a storage cell, run the library’s inventory for the entire column. On the Scalar operator interface, use Main Menu → Commands → Inventory, then select the affected column as required by your model’s panel prompts.
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Column inventory lets the library rescan the cells and reconcile what its sensors see with the element database. Wait for the operation to finish before asking the host to move media. An inventory of only one cell may leave an adjacent, mis-seated cartridge unresolved, which is why Quantum’s procedure specifies the column.
5. Refresh stale host status with SCSI commands
If the source became empty or full after a door opening, power cycle, or other media change but the host still reports the old state, reinitialize element status. Quantum identifies INITIALIZE ELEMENT STATUS (07h) as the command that determines full/empty state and barcode information.
- Send
INITIALIZE ELEMENT STATUS (07h)to the library. - Wait for the library to complete the scan.
- Issue
READ ELEMENT STATUSand read the refreshed occupancy and barcode data. - Compare the returned source address with the coordinate you recorded in step 1.
This sequence refreshes what the host believes about each element; it does not physically move a cartridge. If the returned status still says empty while the cartridge is correctly seated, treat the disagreement as a persistent element or sensor fault rather than repeatedly retrying the move.
6. Verify both sides of the move
Before retrying, confirm that the refreshed source element is occupied and that the destination element is empty. Scalar’s MOVE MEDIUM operation uses opcode A5h and checks both conditions. A destination that already contains media can produce an element-status failure even after the source problem has been corrected.
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Also verify media compatibility when changing cartridges. An LTO cartridge from an incompatible generation can create a separate media or drive error; it does not make an empty source report trustworthy.
7. Retry once, then stop if the fault returns
Retry the Move only after the physical inspection, column inventory, and status refresh agree. If the same storage source still fails, stop issuing repeated moves. Quantum’s documented escalation for a persistent storage-source fault is vendor service or the authorized service channel for the site’s Scalar installation.
What do the SCSI status and sense values tell me?
Quantum lists source-empty, destination-full, and incompatible-media conditions as element-status failures for MOVE MEDIUM. Its recovery direction is to reinitialize and resynchronize element status rather than assume that the drive itself is defective.
A compatible generic autoloader manual describes the same class of failure as Check Condition with an Illegal Request sense key when the source is empty or the destination is full. The exact sense bytes and wording depend on the library model, so use the Scalar model’s service documentation for interpretation. The useful identifiers here are the operation and commands: A5h for Move Medium, 07h for Initialize Element Status, followed by Read Element Status.
How can I tell whether the problem is physical absence or stale inventory?
| Observation | Most likely branch | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| No cartridge is visible in the reported storage cell. | Physical absence. | Confirm the intended source coordinate and load the correct cartridge according to site procedure. |
| Cartridge is visible but not fully seated, or the cell above is protruding. | Physical seating. | Seat the cartridge fully, then inventory the entire column. |
| Drive is present but its sled is not fully seated. | Drive-element seating. | Seat the sled, then refresh element status. |
| Import/export source has an open door or loose magazine. | Station interlock or seating. | Seat the magazine and close the door completely. |
| Physical state changed after a door opening or power cycle, but the host still shows the old state. | Stale inventory. | Run Initialize Element Status (07h), then Read Element Status. |
| Source remains occupied and correctly seated, yet the library repeatedly reports empty. | Persistent element, sensor, or mechanical fault. | Stop repeated moves and contact Quantum or the authorized library service channel. |
Why does the same wording appear in an HTML video or audio page?
In HTML, the error means the page emitted a media source with no usable URL. The URL may be an empty template variable, an empty src, or a value assigned before the media data has loaded. This is separate from a tape-library element address.
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Use a real, non-empty source
<video controls>
<source src='/media/example.mp4' type='video/mp4'>
</video>The src value must resolve to a non-empty URL when the element is rendered. Check the final, rendered markup in the browser’s Elements panel rather than only the template source, because a framework may replace a populated variable with an empty string.
Do not render an empty source while data is pending
If the media URL is not available yet, conditionally omit the <source> element. Add it after the URL exists, or assign the media element’s src at that point and reload the media resource.
<video id='clip' controls></video>
<script>
const url = getMediaUrl();
if (url) {
const clip = document.getElementById('clip');
clip.src = url;
clip.load();
}
</script>Replace getMediaUrl() with the application’s real data source. The important rule is that an empty value must not be emitted as a media URL.
Check currentSrc correctly
HTMLMediaElement.currentSrc is an empty string when the browser has not selected a media URL. That result identifies a source-selection problem; it does not, by itself, prove that the server, network, or video file is unavailable. Inspect the rendered src, the data variable feeding it, and whether the element was created before the URL became available.
What should I check before escalating either branch?
- For Scalar, preserve the exact source coordinate, element type, operation, and SAC.
- Confirm whether the physical source is a storage cell, drive, or import/export station.
- After any seating correction, complete the affected-column inventory before testing a move.
- When the host view is stale, run Initialize Element Status (07h) and then Read Element Status.
- Retry Move Medium only with an occupied source and an empty destination.
- For HTML, inspect the rendered element and the variable that supplies
srcorsrcset. - Do not treat an empty
currentSrcas proof of a network outage without first confirming that a non-empty URL was selected.
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Frequently asked questions
How can I tell whether this message came from a tape library or a web page?
A Scalar message normally includes an element address, a Get or Move operation, or a Service Action Code such as SAC 74. A web-page report appears in rendered HTML, a validator, or a browser console and points to an empty src or <source> value. Identify that context first because the remedies are unrelated.
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Does INITIALIZE ELEMENT STATUS move or unload a cartridge?
No. The command refreshes the library’s full/empty and barcode information so the host can read current element status. Any physical movement still requires a separate library operation, and that operation should be attempted only after the refreshed status is consistent.
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Yes. A cartridge that is not fully inserted, or a cartridge obstructing the cell above, can leave the occupancy sensor reporting empty. Correct seating and a column inventory are the appropriate first response before replacing media.
Is an empty HTML src the same as a broken video file?
No. An empty src means the browser was given no URL to select, while a broken file or unavailable server is a later loading problem. Render the source only when a real URL exists, then diagnose file or network errors separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell whether this message came from a tape library or a web page?
A Scalar message normally includes an element address, a Get or Move operation, or a Service Action Code such as SAC 74. A web-page report appears in rendered HTML, a validator, or a browser console and points to an empty src or <source> value. Identify that context first because the remedies are unrelated.
Does INITIALIZE ELEMENT STATUS move or unload a cartridge?
No. The command refreshes the library’s full/empty and barcode information so the host can read current element status. Any physical movement still requires a separate library operation, and that operation should be attempted only after the refreshed status is consistent.
Can a cartridge be present even when the library reports an empty source?
Yes. A cartridge that is not fully inserted, or a cartridge obstructing the cell above, can leave the occupancy sensor reporting empty. Correct seating and a column inventory are the appropriate first response before replacing media.
Is an empty HTML src the same as a broken video file?
No. An empty src means the browser was given no URL to select, while a broken file or unavailable server is a later loading problem. Render the source only when a real URL exists, then diagnose file or network errors separately.
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