Dell PowerVault LTO8 User Manual page 32

– Double-box the cartridge (place it inside a box, then place that box inside the shipping box) and add
padding between the two boxes.
Provide Proper Acclimation and Environmental Conditions
v Before you use a cartridge, let it acclimate to the normal operating environment for 1 hour. If you see
condensation on the cartridge, wait an additional hour.
v Ensure that all surfaces of a cartridge are dry before inserting it.
v Do not expose the cartridge to moisture or direct sunlight.
v Do not expose recorded or blank cartridges to stray magnetic fields of greater than 100 oersteds (for
example, terminals, motors, video equipment, X-ray equipment, or fields that exist near high-current
cables or power supplies). Such exposure can cause the loss of recorded data or make the blank
cartridge unusable.
v Maintain the following environmental conditions outlined in Table 4.
Table 4. Environmental Specifications
Environmental Factor Operating
Temperature 10° to 45°C
(50° to 113°F)
Relative humidity 10% to 80%
(noncondensing)
Wet bulb temperature 26°C (79°F)
1
Operational storage equals less than 1 year.
2
Archival storage equals 1 to 10 years.
Perform a Thorough Inspection
v Inspect the cartridge's packaging to determine potential rough handling.
v When inspecting a cartridge, open only the cartridge door. Do not open any other part of the cartridge
case. The upper and lower parts of the case are held together with screws; separating them destroys
the usefulness of the cartridge.
v Inspect the cartridge for damage before using or storing it.
v Inspect the rear of the cartridge (the part that you load first into the tape load compartment) and
ensure that there are no gaps in the seam of the cartridge case. If there are gaps in the seam, the leader
pin may be dislodged.
v Check that the leader pin is properly seated.
v If you suspect that the cartridge has been mishandled but it appears useable, copy any data onto a
good cartridge immediately for possible data recovery. Discard the mishandled cartridge.
v Review handling and shipping procedures.
Handle the Cartridge Carefully
v Do not drop the cartridge. If the cartridge drops, slide the cartridge door back and ensure that the
leader pin is properly seated in the pin-retaining spring clips.
v Do not handle tape that is outside the cartridge. Handling the tape can damage the tape's surface or
edges, which may interfere with read or write reliability. Pulling on tape that is outside the cartridge
can damage the tape and the brake mechanism in the cartridge.
v Do not stack more than six cartridges.
v Do not degauss a cartridge that you intend to reuse. Degaussing makes the tape unusable.
22
Dell PowerVault LTO Tape Drive: User's Guide
1
Operational Storage Archival Storage
16° to 35°C 16° to 25°C
(61° to 95°F) (61° to 77°F)
20% to 80% 20% to 50%
26°C (79°F) 26°C (79°F)
2
Shipping
-23° to 49°C
(-9° to 120°F)
5% to 80%
26°C (79°F)