Installation guide

5-18 Troubleshooting and maintenance
Maintaining the external tape drive
Standard 2.0 Meridian Mail Mini and Enhanced Card Option May 2000
Installation and Maintenance Guide
Maintaining the external tape drive
Introduction
To ensure reliable tape drive performance, you should establish
a regular cleaning schedule and observe the following
precautions:
• Avoid mounting the tape drive where it is subjected to
continuous shocks or vibrations.
• Maintain a clean, dust-free environment within the
temperature and humidity limits listed in the specifications
of the Meridian 1 Option 11 system.
• Keep all liquids away from the drive and tapes to prevent
spills into the equipment.
• Exercise reasonable care when using and storing tape
cartridges. Do not place cartridges on the Meridian 1
cabinet or the monitor of the system administrator’s
terminal.
• When a stored tape is moved to an environment with a
greatly different temperature, allow the tape to slowly reach
room temperature before using it.
• Do not open the cartridge access door or touch the tape.
• Keep the tape drive turned on when it is connected to
Meridian Mail.
Cleaning the tape
drive—general
To clean the tape drive, you need the following supplies:
• low-pressure aerosol air
• tape-head cleaning fluid or reagent grade chemically pure
isopropyl alcohol
• tape-head cleaning pads, lint-free cotton swabs, or any
industry-acceptable head-cleaning swabs, 15.24 cm (six
inches) or longer
Clean the head assembly after an initial pass with a new tape
cartridge and after eight hours of normal use. Clean the sensor
hole and tape cartridge cavity whenever dust is visible.