HP StorageWorks DAT USB Tape Drives User Guide (DW049-90916, June 2010)

Getting the most out of cartridges and drives
• Use mostly the matching media type (DAT 320 media for HP StorageWorks DAT 320, DAT 160
media for HP StorageWorks DAT 160, DAT 72 media for HP StorageWorks DAT 72, DDS-4
media for HP StorageWorks DAT 40).
• Use media for the recommended number of times (DAT 320, DAT 160, DAT 72 and DDS-4=100
full backups). Overuse of the tape will cause it to degrade and possibly shed tape debris in the
drive. Too many new tapes can also cause wear of the drive as they are rougher than used ones.
• Do not verify (DDS does read-after-write checking automatically).
• Do not overload the server during backups. Maximize the transfer rate (run overnight with no
other processes) and use incremental backups if convenient.
• Do not overuse your tape drive—it is designed for approximately three hours of tape pulling per
day, not constant usage—and clean the drive regularly. See “Cleaning cartridges” on page 49.
• If you want to bulk erase cartridges, this should be done in a controlled environment. You need
to make sure there are no other cartridges with sensitive information on them anywhere near the
bulk eraser when in use. All data will be lost on cartridges that are bulk erased.
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