User`s guide

Drive Cleaning

96116 • Revision: KA Chapter 3 SL500 Automated Library Operations 63

Drive Cleaning

The library tape drives require periodic cleaning to prevent read and write errors. The

library supports two methods of drive cleaning:

■ Automatic Cleaning

■ Manual Cleaning

Cleaning Cartridges

Note – You must use cleaning cartridges whose media types are compatible with the

drive types in the library.

Cleaning cartridges have a limited life span. Refer to your tape drive publications to

determine the maximum usage count, or threshold, for each type of cleaning cartridge.

When you enter a cleaning cartridge into the library, the library controller considers the

cartridge to be new and sets the usage count to zero. It is therefore important to enter

only new cleaning cartridges into the library.

Whenever a cleaning cartridge is used to clean a drive, its usage count is incremented.

When a cleaning cartridge’s usage count exceeds its threshold, the cartridge must be

replaced.

You can use the SL Console to display the status of a cleaning cartridge at any time.

The following statuses are possible:

■ OK—The cartridge is still within the threshold.

■ Warning—The cartridge has reached the threshold.

■ Expired—The cartridge has exceeded the threshold.

Ejecting Expired Cleaning Cartridges

You must use care when ejecting expired cleaning cartridges from the library. If you

move an expired cleaning cartridge to a CAP and open the CAP, you must remove the

cartridge. If you close the CAP without removing the cleaning cartridge first, the

HandBot will re-enter the expired cartridge into the library, and the library controller

will reset the usage count to zero.

Automatic Cleaning

When auto clean is enabled, the library controller automatically initiates a cleaning

operation whenever a drive requires cleaning. The HandBot retrieves an appropriate

cleaning cartridge (based on drive type) from the reserved cells, mounts the cartridge

onto the drive, and returns the cartridge to its assigned storage cell after cleaning is

complete.