Product manual

32 Viper 200 LTO Product Manual
Cartridge care and maintenance
To protect the data on your Ultrium data cartridges, observe the following
precautions:
• Always remove the cartridge from the drive when not in use and store it in its
protective case.
• Do not expose cartridges to dirt, dust or moisture.
• Do not touch the tape media within a cartridge.
• Do not use data cartridges outside the specified operating conditions: 10
o
C to
45
o
C, 10% to 80% relative humidity.
If a data cartridge has been exposed to temperature or humidity changes within
the limits listed above, allow the tape cartridge to acclimate to its surroundings
for at least one hour before use. Then retension the tape (as described below)
to allow the tape pack to become stable, for better performance.
If, during storage and/or transportation, a data cartridge has been exposed to
conditions outside the above range, it must be conditioned before use in the
operating environment. The conditioning process requires exposure to the
operating environment for a time equal to, or greater than, the time away from
the operating environment, up to a maximum of 24 hours. The data cartridge
should then be retensioned (as described below).
• Keep the cartridge away from direct sunlight and heat sources, such as
radiators, heaters or warm air ducts.
• Keep the cartridge away from sources of electromagnetic fields, such as
telephones, computer monitors, dictation equipment, mechanical or printing
calculators, motors, magnetic tools, and bulk erasers.
• Avoid dropping the cartridges. This can damage components inside the
cartridge, possibly rendering the tape unusable. If a tape is dropped it is
advisable to open the cartridge door and make sure that the leader pin is in the
correct position. A dropped cartridge should be retensioned before use.
• Do not bulk erase Ultrium cartridges. Bulk-erased cartridges cannot be
reformatted by the tape drive and will be rendered unusable.
Tape Retensioning:
Retensioning reduces pack shift and stabilizes the tape pack. See your backup
software manual for instructions on how to retensioning a tape cartridge. You should
retension a tape cartridge under the following circumstances:
• If the cartridge is being used for the first time.
• If the tape cartridge has not been used for over a month.
• If the tape cartridge has been exposed to changes in temperature (first allow the
media to acclimate to its surroundings).