DellTM Digital Data Storage/Digital Audio Tape Media Handbook (DDS/DAT) Version 1.0 Last Modified 08/17/05 Information in this document is subject to change without notice. © 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, PowerEdge, and PowerVault are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
1 Introduction............................................................................................... 5 2 Dell PowerVault DDS/DAT Drives and Media ......................................... 6 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 3 Drive Types and Basic Characteristics – DDS/DAT Drives...................................................... 6 Media types used in Dell PowerVault DDS/DAT drives........................................................... 7 Media Color Schemes and description ...........................
List of Tables Table 1 DDS/DAT Drive Types and Basic Characteristics ............................................................................ 6 Table 2 - Media Types and Interoperability..................................................................................................... 7 Table 3 - LED drive codes ............................................................................................................................... 9 Table 4 -Cleaning Characteristics per Drive...................
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1 Introduction This document describes media compatibility, handling for all DellTM PowerVaultTM DDS/DAT Drives. For information regarding use and operation of the PowerVault Tape Drive, please consult the User’s Guide located on http://support.dell.com.
2 Dell PowerVault DDS/DAT Drives and Media 2.1 Drive Types and Basic Characteristics – DDS/DAT Drives Capacity (native/compressed) Native Speed Primary Media Figure 1- Dell PowerVault 100T DAT72 External Figure 2- Dell PowerVault 100T DDS4 External Figure 3 - Dell PowerVault 120T DDS4 Autoloader 36 GB/72 GB 20 GB/40 GB 20 GB/40GB 3.5 MB/s Digital Audio Tape 4mm • Label: DAT72 2.75 MB/s Digital Audio Tape 4mm No specific label.
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2.3 • • Media Color Schemes and description Dell DDS/DAT media and most other manufacturer’s media are black and marked with the DDS/DAT label. (See Table 2 for figures.) Dell recommends the use of Dell branded media in all Dell PowerVault DDS/DAT drives. Note: DDS/DAT tapes are normally black, but Non-Dell branded media may come in other colors. Please pay attention to the DDS/DAT label on the tape to determine correct media for your drive. 2.
3 Cleaning & LED/LCD Definitions 3.1 Standalone Drive LED Figure 8 - LED Diagram CLEAN LED (Green) Solid On Slow Flashing Rapid Flashing LED codes on Dell DAT/DDS tape drives MEDIA LED (Green) DRIVE LED (Amber) Off Off Off Off Off Off Off Off Solid On Rapid Flashing Off Off Off Solid On Solid On Off Solid On Rapid Flashing Description Cleaning recommended Cleaning required Expired cleaning tape (Use new cleaning tape) No problems Possible write error. Cleaning recommended.
3.2 Autoloader LCD and Magazine Layout Figure 9 - DDS4 Autoloader LCD The autoloader will accept a cleaning cartridge only in Slot 8 of the magazine. See the figure below for the magazine slot layout. You can use the cleaning tape in slot 8 with the magazine fully loaded in slots 1-7, or empty, or partially loaded. Please consult the Autoloader’s User’s Guide for magazine configurations.
3.3 Cleaning Cycles Regularly cleaning DDS/DAT drives helps in long-term reliability and should be conducted on a scheduled cycle as well as when requested by the drive. The recommended cleaning interval for the drive is 50 tape motion hours which is indicated when the cleaning LED comes on solid. Dell does not recommend cleaning outside of the normal cleaning requests from the tape drive unless you are performing Read/Write troubleshooting steps.
3.5 Identifying Exhausted/Expired Cleaning Tape Characteristics The cleaning tape for a DDS/DAT drive only moves in one direction. Looking at the figure below if all of the tape resides on the left roller, then you have a new cleaning tape. If all the tape resides on the Right roller then the tape is expired.
4 Stuck Tapes Dell standalone tape drives have the capability to reset the drive in the event of a stuck tape or other nonresponsive drive issues. Attempting this drive reset may or may not help in removing a stuck tape. Note: Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics also includes a Media Eject test that can be run to eject the media in the drive.
5 Diagnostics 5.1 Troubleshooting Cleaning/Read/Write errors If Clean, Read, or Write errors are reported by backup software try alternate pieces of media before replacing tape drives. If there are invalid media errors reported by the drive via the LED/LCD then also try using an alternate piece of media before replacing the drive. To troubleshoot errors with tape drives, you need to determine the root of the problem. Tape related problems can come from two primary sources; Media and Hardware.
Tests included in Dell PowerEdge Diagnostics are the following: 1. The media can be used to determine if errors are related to tape hardware or certain pieces of media. • The media test can be run in full mode which will fill 80 percent of the tape. • The media test can also be run in quick mode that will fill 20 percent of the tape. Note: These tests could take between 2 to 6 hours. Read, Write, Space, Rewind, and Verify tests will be run to exercise the drive and media. 2.
6 Erasing a prewritten DDS/DAT Tape Write-protection will not prevent a cartridge from being erased by bulk-erasure or degaussing. You may bulk erase DDS/DAT format cartridges. The cartridge will be usable; however the previous data will be lost. NOTE: The erase feature in backup software is the preferred method for erasing a DDS/DAT tape. DAT 72 drives do not support long erase. They only support quick erase. To prevent erasing a tape set the write protect switch.
7 Media Handling 7.1 Perform a Thorough Inspection • Inspect the cartridge's packaging to determine potential rough handling. • When inspecting a cartridge, make sure there is no blockage over the open holes. These are cartridge sensors to identify the type of tape, the magnetic thickness and whether the tape is pre-recorded, unrecorded, or is a cleaning cartridge. Other cartridge features allow the drive to determine the cartridge in the BOT (beginning of tape), or EOT (end of tape) points.
• Never ship a cartridge in a commercial shipping envelope. Always place it in a box or package. • If you ship the cartridge in a cardboard box or a box of a sturdy material, ensure the following: 7.4 o Place the cartridge in polyethylene plastic wrap or bags to protect it from dust, moisture, and other contaminants. o Pack the cartridge snugly. Do not allow it to move around.
A single media under optimum conditions can run around 250 backup, restore or verify operations. Media Coating - Patented Ceramic Coated Metal Particle Archival life – 30 years. o • • 7.6 Media Do’s and Don’ts DO Store cartridges in their protective cases Store Cartridges vertically Inspect Cartridge for damage before each use Unload cartridge prior to powering down the drive. Allow 24-hour conditioning period before using media when moving between environment change i.e.
