Chapter 7. Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and Repairs
67
Caring for Data Cartridges
Although AIT cartridges are ruggedly built, they must be handled with care to preserve
the data that they contain. The following are guidelines for storing and using AIT
cartridges:
•Do not open the tape access door of the cartridge or touch the magnetic tape; one
fingerprint can prevent a drive from reading the tape. Handle only the plastic tape
cartridge.
•Keep the cartridge away from sources of electromagnetic fields such as telephones,
dictation equipment, mechanical or printing calculators, motors, stereo speakers,
and bulk erasers. Do not lay cartridges on a computer monitor or on the base unit
of a computer.
•Keep the cartridge away from direct sunlight and heat sources, such as radiators and
warm air ducts.
•Keep the cartridge free of moisture. Do not wet or submerge a cartridge in liquid.
•Do not expose the cartridge to temperature extremes. Allow the cartridge to reach
room temperature slowly.
Handling of Tape Cartridges
Proper handing of tape cartridges is essential to ensuring data integrity.
•Tape cartridges must be kept in a clean, dust-free environment. Store tape cartridges
in a sealed container (the individual tape case or the Spectra Logic 15-slot cartridge
packs with the dust cover installed) when they are not loaded in the library. The
Spectra Logic PackRack™ magazine shelf is recommended when using the 15-
cartridge pack.
•Avoid abusive handling or dropping of tape cartridges. If a cartridge is inadvertently
dropped, inspect it for damage. The dust cover on the cartridge must be properly
seated or it could cause a jam condition in the tape drive.
•Cartridges should be used under the following conditions:
• Temperature: 41
o
F to 113
o
F (5
o
C to 45
o
C)
• Relative Humidity: 20% to 80% (non-condensing)
• Maximum Wet Bulb Temperature: 77
o
F (25
o
C)
• Extreme changes in temperature and humidity should be avoided whenever
possible.
•Conditioning of the cartridge: before use, the cartridge should be conditioned by
exposure to the operating environment for a time at least equal to the period during
which it has been out of the operating environment (up to a maximum of 24
hours).
