TROUBLESHOOTING THE IBM VXA-2 TAPE DRIVE
This document describes problems that you might encounter while operating the IBM VXA-2 tape
drive and provides suggestions for resolving the problems.
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
TAPE DRIVE WILL NOT ACCEPT A CARTRIDGE
If the tape drive does not accept a cartridge when you insert it into the tape drive door, do the
following:
1. Determine if there’s already a cartridge loaded. Press the eject button; there may be a
cartridge already loaded in the tape drive.
2. Make sure you are using either VXA X-Tape cartridges or VXATape cartridges. The tape drive
automatically ejects other cartridge types.
3. Check that the tape drive is powered on and that it is not indicating an error state on its
LEDs. Refer to the Product Manual for a complete list of LED states.
4. Check to see if the Fault (!) LED is orange, indicating that the tape drive is over-temperature.
If the tape drive is over-temperature, it must cool down before operations can continue.
5. Check to see if the LEDs indicate a firmware download failure. A firmware download failure
is indicated with the Ready, Activity, and Fault LEDs flashing. If a firmware upgrade was
interrupted or did not complete successfully, the firmware must be reloaded. The tape drive
will not accept a cartridge until the firmware is successfully reloaded.
6. Power cycle the tape drive. Power down the tape drive. Wait 10 seconds, then turn the tape
drive back on. On power-up, observe the tape drive’s LED code sequence. If the LEDs do
not illuminate, check the power supply and power cable connection. If the tape drive is
installed internally in a server, try connecting a different power cable to the tape drive.
7. Push the cartridge straight into the tape drive. If the cartridge is inserted or pushed at an
angle, you will feel resistance and will not be able to load the cartridge.
TAPE DRIVE WILL NOT EJECT A CARTRIDGE
If the tape drive does not eject a cartridge when you press the eject button, do the following:
1. Use your backup application to eject the cartridge.
To protect against accidental tape ejection during a backup or restore operation, many
applications prevent using the tape drive’s eject button for media removal.
If you cannot eject the cartridge through the application, use VXATool to unload the
cartridge. Refer to the readme file or on-line help available with VXATool for instructions.
2. If you cannot eject the cartridge through the application, use VXATool to unload the
cartridge. Refer to the readme file or on-line help available with VXATool for instructions.
3. Reset the tape drive.
