Dell PowerVault LTO8 - Cleaning the Tape Mechanism

Cleaning the Tape Mechanism
Dell PowerVault drives have been developed to have a minimal cleaning requirement. The tape drive will
display a
C
on the single-character display and the fault LED will flash amber when the drive needs
cleaning. Only insert a cleaning cartridge into the tape drive when the
C
is displayed.
Notice: Only use LTO cleaning cartridges that are labeled "universal." The tape drive is only compatible
with the LTO Ultrium universal cleaning cartridges. Use of any other type of cleaning cartridge or
method can damage the read/write head in your drive. If you load any other type of cleaning cartridge,
the tape drive displays a
7
in the SCD and retains the cartridge until it is ejected manually by pressing
the Eject button.
An LTO Ultrium universal cleaning cartridge is supplied with each tape drive. Do not use swabs or other
means of cleaning the heads. The cleaning cartridge uses a special tape to clean the tape heads.
Though the number may vary according to the manufacturer, the universal cleaning cartridge is generally
valid for 50 separate cleaning operations. If you try to use the cleaning cartridge beyond 50 separate
cleaning operations, an error code of
7
will be displayed. Eject the cleaning cartridge and replace it
with a new one.
To use the LTO Ultrium universal cleaning cartridge:
1. Insert a cleaning cartridge into the tape drive. The tape drive performs the cleaning automatically.
When the cleaning is finished, the drive ejects the cartridge.
2. Remove the cleaning cartridge from the drive.
Using the Tape Drive 23