Administrator Guide

14 Dell EMC Tape Systems | Document ID | version (optional)
9 Cartridge Memory
Tape drives require information about the tape cartridge being used. For LTO tape cartridges, this information
is stored in a small chip within the tape and is referred to as the Cartridge Memory (CM). CM is a nonvolatile
memory that responds through a passive radio frequency interface.
The CM holds the following information:
• The type of cartridge
• Important information that the drive uses to setup and calibrate
• The tape directory to enable a quick search for data sets
You experience difficulties with the cartridge if the CM is damaged or corrupted. However, the user data can
still be recovered. To recover the data, set the write protect tab on the cartridge and the load the cartridge into
an Ultrium drive.
The drive stores enough information on tape to be able to recognize the tape. However, the data directory is
lost. Hence, the drive can only search from the beginning of tape (BOT) to end of tape (EOT) across all wraps
to find the data. A Fast Search to the correct location is not possible.