IBM System Storage TS2900, Setup, Operator, And Service Manual

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TS2900 Tape Autoloader Setup, Operator, and Service Guide
Provide Proper Acclimation and Environmental Conditions
• Before you use a tape cartridge, acclimate it to the operating environment for 24
hours or the time necessary to prevent condensation in the drive (the time will
vary, depending on the environmental extremes to which the cartridge was
exposed).
• Ensure that all surfaces of a cartridge are dry before inserting it.
• Do not expose the cartridge to moisture or direct sunlight.
• Do not expose recorded or blank cartridges to stray magnetic fields of greater than
100 oersteds (for example, terminals, motors, video equipment, X-ray equipment,
or fields that exist near high-current cables or power supplies). Such exposure can
cause the loss of recorded data or make the blank cartridge unusable.
• Maintain the conditions that are described in “Environmental and Shipping
Specifications for Tape Cartridges” on page 5-18.
Perform a Thorough Inspection
After purchasing a cartridge and before using it, perform the following steps:
• Inspect the cartridge’s packaging to determine potential rough handling.
• When inspecting a cartridge, open only the cartridge door. Do not open any other
part of the cartridge case. The upper and lower parts of the case are held together
with screws; separating them destroys the usefulness of the cartridge.
• Inspect the cartridge for damage before using or storing it.
• Inspect the rear of the cartridge (the part that loads first into the tape load
compartment) and ensure that there are no gaps in the seam of the cartridge case
( in Figure 5-7 and in Figure 5-9 on page 5-13). If there are gaps in the seam
(see Figure 5-7), the leader pin may be dislodged. Go to “Repositioning or
Reattaching a Leader Pin” on page 5-11.
Figure 5-7. Checking for gaps in the seams of a cartridge
• Check that the leader pin is properly seated (see in Figure 5-8).
• If you suspect that the cartridge has been mishandled but it appears usable, copy
any data onto a good cartridge immediately for possible data recovery. Discard the
mishandled cartridge.
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