7 Managing Tape Cartridges

Contents

• View a List of Tape Cartridges

• View a List of Cleaning Cartridges

• Move or Mount a Tape Cartridge

• Import/Export Tapes in System Cells

• Set the Cleaning Tape Usage Thresholds

• Tips for Handling Tape Cartridges

See Also

• "Validating Media"

• "Enter Tapes Through a CAP"

• "Eject Tapes Through a CAP"

View a List of Tape Cartridges

1. Click Cells/Tapes in the left navigation area of the GUI.

2. Click the Tapes tab.

See Also

• "View a List of Cleaning Cartridges"

• "View a List of All Cells in the Library"

• "View the Cell Map"

View a List of Cleaning Cartridges

You can use the list of cleaning tapes to view the cleaner status, current cleaning count, cleaning thresholds, type, and location of all cleaning tapes in the library. Cleaning tapes in system cells are for library-managed auto cleaning. Cleaning tapes in storage cells are for host-managed cleaning.

1. Click Cells/Tapes in the left navigation area of the GUI.

2. Click the Cleaning Tapes tab.

See Also

• "Configure Drive Auto Cleaning"

• "Set the Cleaning Tape Usage Thresholds"

• "Import/Export Tapes in System Cells"

Move or Mount a Tape Cartridge

You can move a tape from a cell or drive to an empty cell, drive, or CAP cell. The User and Operator role can only move a tape to a cell within the same partition. The Administrator and service roles can move tapes between two offline partitions and into system cells or drives or CAPs (see "User Roles"). Moving cartridges in online partitions using the GUI is disruptive to host applications and is not allowed (see "How the Library Avoids Conflicting Move Requests Between SCSI, SCI, and the GUI").

Caution:

Moving a cartridge between partitions may confuse some applications requiring you to re-sync the application with the library.

1. If moving a tape between two partitions, take both affected partitions offline (see "Place a Partition Online or Offline").

2. Select the tape from the GUI tapes table or cell map (see "View a List of Tape Cartridges" or "View the Cell Map").

3. From the Actions drop-down (or right-click menu), select Move Tape.

   • If moving the tape to a drive, the destination drop-down only displays empty, compatible drives.

   • If moving the tape to a CAP, the destination drop-down only displays locked CAPs. You cannot move a tape into a CAP owned by another partition.

   • If moving a tape from a drive, the first option in the destination drop-down is the home cell.

4. Select the destination. If moving to or from a drive, select the options below.

   • Force unload — When selected, the drive stops any in-process read or write operations and unloads the tape. Generally, a force unload is only done through the GUI if there is a problem with the drive. This operation is disruptive.

   • Read-only mount — When selected, the drive only reads the tape and rejects any write commands. LTO drives do not support this feature.

How the Library Avoids Conflicting Move Requests Between SCSI, SCI, and the GUI

The ability for SCSI, SCI, and the GUI to request a cartridge move depends on the partition online/offline state and if the partition is SCSI enabled.

Interface Type Requesting the Move	Partition Online, SCSI Enabled	Partition Online, SCSI Disabled	Partition Offline, SCSI Enabled	Partition Offline, SCSI Disabled
SCSI	Allowed	Not possible	Not allowed	Not possible
SCI	Not allowed	Allowed	Not allowed	Not allowed
GUI	Not allowed	Not allowed	Allowed	Allowed

Import/Export Tapes in System Cells

You can import cleaning and diagnostic tapes into system cells and export tapes from system cells. During the import and export, the selected CAP will be unavailable to host applications. You must coordinate this activity with the hosts.

Cleaning tapes in system cells are for library-managed (automatic) drive cleaning (see "Configure Drive Auto Cleaning"). If you are using host-managed drive cleaning, import and export cleaning cartridges as you would with normal data tapes (see "Enter Tapes Through a CAP" and "Eject Tapes Through a CAP").

1. Click Cells/Tapes in the left navigation area of the GUI.

2. Click the Cleaning Tapes tab.

3. Click Import/Export System Cells .

4. Select the CAP to use.

5. Select tapes to export (optional). You are not required to export existing tapes in order to import new tapes. The number of tapes you can export is limited to the size of the selected CAP. Click Ok.

6. Remove any ejected tapes from the CAP.

7. Optionally, you can now import cleaning and diagnostic tapes into system cells. Verify there are enough empty system cells for the number of tapes you want to import. Insert the tapes into the CAP. Press the CAP button to close the CAP.

   Note:

   The library will not import data tapes into the system cells. If you place any data tapes in the CAP while importing to system cells, the library reopens the CAP. Remove the data tapes from the CAP (see "Enter Tapes Through a CAP" to import them to storage cells).

Set the Cleaning Tape Usage Thresholds

You should replace cleaning tapes after a certain number of uses (generally 50 max). The usage threshold gives a warning once the number of remaining uses for a cleaning tape falls below the threshold. You should set the threshold high enough to allow adequate time to replace the tape. The default threshold is 5 remaining uses.

Note:

When you import a cleaning tape, the library sets the usage count for that tape to zero, regardless if the tape has been used before. Therefore, Oracle recommends only importing new cleaning tapes.

1. Click Cells/Tapes in the left navigation area of the GUI.

2. Click the Cleaning Tapes tab.

3. Click Set Cleaning Thresholds .

4. Set the threshold for each type of cleaning tape. The threshold will apply to all cleaning tapes of that type.

See Also

• "Configure Drive Auto Cleaning"

• "Manually Clean a Drive"

Tips for Handling Tape Cartridges

CAUTION:

Improperly handling tapes can cause loss of data or damage to a library component.

• Keep tapes clean and inspect for damage before each use.

• Never open a tape cartridge.

• Do not handle tape that is outside the cartridge; the tape edge might be damaged.

• Do not expose the tape or cartridge to direct sunlight, moisture, excessive temperatures, or magnetic fields.

• Transport cartridges in shock resistent cases

Inspecting a Tape Cartridge

Always inspect a tape before you insert it into a drive or a library. A defective or dirty tape can damage a drive. Never use a damaged tape. Look for:

• Dirt or debris

• Cracked or broken housing

• Damaged write-protect switch

• Liquid in the tape cartridge

• Labels not firmly attached, or that extend over the tape cartridge edge

Cleaning the Tape Cartridge Exterior

Wipe all dust, dirt, and moisture from the cartridge with a lint-free cloth. Use Oracle StorageTek Tape Cleaner Wipes to clean the cartridge exterior. These wipes are saturated with isopropyl alcohol. Do not let any solution touch the tape or get inside the cartridge.

CAUTION:

To avoid damage to cartridges, do not use acetone, trichloroethane, toluene, xylene, benzene, ketone, methylethyl ketone, methylene chloride, ethyldichloride, esters, ethyl acetate, or similar chemicals to remove labels or clean cartridges.

Storing Tape Cartridges

Store tapes in a clean environment. Do not take a tape cartridge out of its protective wrapping until you are ready to use it. Use the tear string (not a sharp instrument) to remove the wrapping. Before using a tape cartridge, ensure that it has been in its operating environment for at least 24 hours so that it can adjust to changes in temperature and humidity.