Guidelines For Bar Code Labels; Write-Protect Switch - IBM TS4300 3555 User Manual

Important: The bar code label must be applied as shown, with the alphanumeric characters on top and
the bar codes on the hub side (bottom). Never apply multiple labels onto a cartridge because extra labels
can cause the cartridge to jam in a tape drive.

Guidelines for bar code labels

Apply the following guidelines whenever bar code labels are used.
• Use only IBM-approved bar code labels on cartridges to be used in an IBM tape library.
• Do not reuse a label or reapply a used label over an existing label.
• Before you apply a new label, remove the old label by slowly pulling it at a right angle to the cartridge
case.
• Use peel-clean labels that do not leave a residue after it is removed. If glue residue is on the cartridge,
remove it by gently rubbing it with your finger. Do not use a sharp object, water, or a chemical to clean
the label area.
• Examine the label before it is applied to the cartridge. Do not use the label if it has voids or smears in
the printed characters or bar code. A library 's inventory operation takes much longer if the bar code
label is not readable.
• Remove the label from the label sheet carefully. Do not stretch the label or cause the edges to curl.
• Position the label within the recessed label area (see
• With light finger pressure, smooth the label so that no wrinkles or bubbles exist on its surface.
• Verify that the label is smooth and parallel, and has no roll-up or roll-over. The label must be flat to
within 0.5 mm (0.02 in.) over the length of the label and have no folds, missing pieces, or smudges.
• Do not place other machine-readable labels on other surfaces of the cartridge. They might interfere
with the ability of the drive to load the cartridge.

Write-Protect switch

All rewriteable data cartridges have a write-protect switch to prevent accidental erasure or overwriting of
data. Before a cartridge is loaded into the device, make sure the write-protect switch on the front of the
cartridge is in the wanted position.
The position of the write-protect switch on the tape cartridge (see
to the tape. If the switch is set to:
• Slide the switch to the right to write-protect the cartridge. An indicator, such as a red mark or small
padlock, is visible showing that the cartridge is write-protected.
• Slide the switch to the left to allow the device to write data to the cartridge.
If possible, use your server's application Software to write-protect your cartridges (rather than manually
setting the write-protect switch). This setting allows the server's Software to identify a cartridge that no
longer contains current data and is eligible to become a scratch (blank) data cartridge. Do not write-
protect scratch (blank) cartridges; the tape drive is not able to write new data to them.
If you must manually set the write-protect switch, slide it left or right to the wanted position.
162 IBM TS4300 Tape Library Machine Type 3555: User's Guide
5 in Figure 86 on page 156).
1 ) determines whether you can write