Cartridge Care And Maintenance; Drive Maintenance - Quantum Tape Drive LTO-3 User Manual

Chapter 3 Operation

Drive Maintenance

Cartridge Care and
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Maintenance
Drive Maintenance
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To protect the data on your Ultrium data cartridges, observe the
following precautions:
• Always remove the cartridge from the drive when not in use and
store it in its protective case.
• Do not expose cartridges to dirt, dust, or moisture.
• Do not touch the tape media within a cartridge.
• Do not use data cartridges outside the specified operating conditions:
o o
10 C to 40 C, 20% to 80% relative humidity.
If a data cartridge has been exposed to temperature or humidity changes
within the limits listed above, allow the tape cartridge to acclimate to its
surroundings for at least one hour before use.
If, during storage and/or transportation, a data cartridge has been
exposed to conditions outside the above range, it must be conditioned
before use in the operating environment. The conditioning process
requires exposure to the operating environment for a time equal to, or
greater than, the time away from the operating environment, up to a
maximum of 24 hours.
• Keep the cartridge away from direct sunlight and heat sources, such
as radiators, heaters or warm air ducts.
• Keep the cartridge away from sources of electromagnetic fields, such
as telephones, computer monitors, dictation equipment, mechanical
or printing calculators, motors, magnetic tools, and bulk erasers.
• Avoid dropping the cartridges. This can damage components inside
the cartridge, possibly rendering the tape unusable. If a tape is
dropped it is advisable to open the cartridge door and make sure that
the leader pin is in the correct position. A dropped cartridge should
be retensioned before use.
• Do not bulk erase Ultrium cartridges. Bulk-erased cartridges cannot
be reformatted by the tape drive and will be rendered unusable.
The Ultrium drive requires little or no maintenance. However, the drive
mechanism may need to be cleaned.
LTO-3 Tape Drive User's Guide
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