User guide

Table Of Contents
66 Running the Library
NB: When you are unloading tape drives, only drives loaded with media appear.
The paths to open the appropriate screens are:
From the RMI, select Operations > UnLoad Drive
From the FPI, select Menu > Operations > UnLoad Drive
Cleaning Tape Drives
Tape drives require periodic cleaning at recommended intervals. At least one cleaning slot must be
configured to enable automatic cleaning of tape drives. Manual cleaning can be performed even if no
cleaning slots are configured. On a manual clean request, the library will scan the cleaning slots, if
any, and then the I/E slots for a cleaning cartridge.
If you want to use host-based cleaning, configure zero cleaning slots on the library and set up your
host application to manage the cleaning process.
For more information on configuring cleaning slots, please refer to Configuring Cleaning Slots.
Cleaning cartridges remove accumulated residue from the tape drive and the read/write head.
Importing Cleaning Media
The Import Media command previously described is also used to import cleaning media. To import
cleaning media, you should open the I/E station and insert one or more cleaning cartridges. Once the
I/E station is closed and the inventory has completed, the cartridges must be assigned to the Cleaning
or System partition. If cleaning slots are configured, you may Import the cartridges to the cleaning
slots. Each cleaning cartridge, when imported, is moved to the first free cleaning slot.
If no cleaning slots are configured, the cleaning cartridges assigned will remain in the I/E station.
Cleaning Media Handling
When a cleaning cartridge is imported into a cleaning slot, the cleaning count for that cartridge is set
to zero. Each time the cartridge is used for drive cleaning, the cleaning count is incremented.
The tape drive will detect when the specified life-span of a cleaning cartridge has expired and report
this back to the library. The cartridge is then flagged as expired and no longer used. The
Administrator is prompted to export the expired cartridge and import a new one.
If the drive detects that a cartridge used for cleaning is a data cartridge, this is also reported to the
library, as for expired cartridges. The cartridge is flagged as a data cartridge and not used. The
Administrator is prompted to export the expired cartridge and import a new one.
Exporting Cleaning Media
The Export Media command previously described is used if you want to export a cleaning cartridge
from a cleaning slot to the I/E station.
Auto Clean
If Auto Clean is enabled, and at least one cleaning slot is configured and stocked with a cleaning
cartridge, the library will initiate cleaning when this is required. For more information on configuring
cleaning slots and enabling Auto Clean, please refer to Configuring the Library.
An automated cleaning operation is performed, if requested by the tape drive, when a cartridge is
moved out of the drive. The response to the Move command will be delayed until the cleaning
operation has been performed.