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4 DAStape 100 Tape Drives and Media
The DAStape 100 uses a Sony AIT tape drive, either AIT-2 or AIT-3. The Sony AIT tape
drive is a high-performance, low-maintenance tape drive. This chapter covers the
following information:
• AIT Tape Drives
• AIT Tape Drive LEDs
• Maintaining the AIT Tape Drive
• Caring for AIT Data Cartridges
• Handling of Tape Cartridges
AIT Tape Drives
The AIT tape drive has an internal, variable-speed fan that cools the baseplate and
other drive components without introducing airborne dust into the tape path. The fan,
visible from the outside of the DAStape, is also a critical part of the drive-cooling
mechanism.
The Sony AIT drive uses a built-in head cleaner designed to last for the life of the drive.
This built-in cleaner works well, but it should not be relied upon as the only drive-
cleaning mechanism, particularly in environments where more excessive drive head
contamination may occur. Spectra Logic recommends that drives be cleaned after every
100 hours of use in normal data center environments. If excessive read or write errors
occur while the drives are being cleaned with that frequency, Spectra Logic
recommends cutting the cleaning time to every 50 hours of drive use.
Caution: Drive cleaning should be performed using only approved Sony
SDX-TCL cleaning cartridges. For ordering information, see
Purchasing Media and Cleaning Cartridges on page 16.
For more information about cleaning your drives, see Tape Drive Head Cleaning on
page 20.