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Part 2: Appendixes
The following appendixes contain the POST sequence, product specifications,
problem-solving information, help and service information, the product warranty, and
notices.
Appendix A. Maintaining your tape drive
This section contains important information about maintaining your tape drive and
caring for your storage media.
Tape handling and storage
Most tape is supplied in a sealed cartridge. Tape is provided this way so that the tape
will remain in a clean environment. Opening the cartridge allows dirt and airborne
particles to enter and then become a source of contamination. The cartridge must only
be opened by the tape drive and not by an operator. The tape is also held under
proper tension inside the cartridge. If the cartridge is dropped, this tension is relaxed.
Inserting a dropped cartridge into a tape drive can often cause a mis-load that results
in a jam. The jam ruins the tape and can cause physical damage if the cartridge is not
removed properly. When the tapes are stored, they must be reinstalled into their
protective containers and stored on their ends. You must store the tapes in a clean,
dry area with normal room temperature, and away from magnetic fields.
Environmental issues
The operating environment might adversely affect tape drive operation. The tape drive
is designed to operate in a clean environment. When tape is installed in a tape drive,
the clearance between the heads and the tape is measured in microns. Even particles
of smoke are larger than the space available between the tape and the heads. Other
environmental factors that adversely affect tape drive operation are dirt, dust, fibers,
and airborne particles.
Tape drive cleaning
Even if the operating environment is clean, dirt might build up on the heads of any
tape drive. Every time tape motion occurs, some of the media surface comes off on
the heads. Over time, this material builds up and causing the tape head clearance to
increase. The increased tape head clearance produces reading and writing errors.
Most tape drives today have a built-in cleaning indicator to notify you when the tape
needs cleaning.
Do not use any non-IBM cleaning cartridges with these tape drives. You can only use
cleaning cartridges for a limited number of times. A cleaning cartridge is expired after
it has been used for the maximum number of times. When a cleaning cartridge is
expired, you must replace it. Never reuse an expired cleaning cartridge. If you
continue to use an expired cleaning cartridge, you will reintroduce previously removed
dirt to the tape drive and you will not clean the drive. To make sure that you know
Copyright IBM Corp. 1999, 2000 2-1