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Maintaining tape drives
Issue 2.0 June 2004 127
Cleaning the tape drive
This section describes how you clean the tape drive.
Note:
Note: Starting around June, 2004, CMS servers will no longer ship with tape drive
cleaning tapes. Avaya recommends that customers purchase at least one
cleaning tape as soon as the server is installed and in service.
The number of cleaning cycles available on a cleaning cartridge depends on the
manufacturer of the cartridge. Regular cleaning is recommended to maximize tape drive
performance. Avaya recommends that you clean the tape drive once a week or every five
(5) data backups, whichever comes first.
The LEDs on the tape drives indicate when the tape drives need cleaning. See Tape drive
LEDs on page 178. If the Clean LED flashes, either the tape drive heads need cleaning, or
the backup tape needs replacing.
To clean the tape drive:
1. Load the cleaning cartridge into the tape drive.
The cleaning cycle begins automatically, and the Tape LED flashes. When the cleaning
cycle is complete, the cleaning cartridge is ejected automatically. If the cleaning
cartridge does not eject automatically, it may be defective and may need replacing.
2. The first time you use the cleaning cartridge, record the date on the cleaning cartridge.
Each time you clean the tape drive, mark an X in the box. After all boxes are filled,
replace the cleaning cartridge.
3. Return the cleaning cartridge to the plastic protection box.
If the Clean LED continues to flash, repeat the cleaning procedure using a different
cleaning cartridge. If the Clean LED is still flashing, repeat the backup operation with a
different tape. If this clears the signal, the first backup tape is nearing the end of its life.
Discard the old tape.