Cartridge Handling Precautions; Identify A Defective Cartridge - Sun Microsystems StorageTek T10000 Operator's Manual

Cartridge Handling Precautions

Cartridge Handling Precautions
Caution – Tape data corruption: Be certain that a data cartridge never comes close to
strong electrical fields or any form of magnet or magnetic field.
Magnetic fields are present near electric motors (the larger the electric motor, the
stronger the magnetic field surrounding it in most cases) and disk drives. Items
containing buzzers of any form produce alternating current electrical fields strong
enough to partly erase a magnetic tape.
Caution – Tape media damage: You must keep cartridges dry.
Never store cartridges on a floor where moisture might be present or near air
conditioners or air handlers. Air conditioners might leak water as a function of cooling
the air, and air handlers might be adding moisture to the air as a function of controlling
the environment in a computer room.
Caution – Cartridge damage: Avoid dropping or handling cartridges roughly.
There is a hub locking mechanism within the T10000 data cartridge, but it has
limitations on just how much braking it provides. Rough handling of a data cartridge
could cause the locking mechanism or brake to slip, resulting in a loose tape. Loose
tapes are easily damaged by a tape drive.

Identify a Defective Cartridge

Before you load a cartridge into a drive or library, look for these problems:
A cracked or broken case (including the access door)
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A dirty case
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A missing, broken, or cracked leader
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Note – In most cases, your service representative can fix broken leaders.
A damaged write-protect switch
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Liquid in the data cartridge case
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A loose label
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Any other obvious damage
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Also see
44 T10000 Operator's Guide • July 2008
"Dropped Cartridges" on page 83.
Revision EA • 96174