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The drive itself determines when it must be cleaned and notiﬁes the library. When notiﬁed, the library indicates that the drive needs cleaning by turning ON the "Clean

Drive" LED on the front panel of the library and posting a message on the library display.

A tape drive within a library requires the use of a library menu function to either automatically or manually clean the tape drive. See Methods of cleaning the tape drive.

Important: The drive must be cleaned only when it is requested by the drive.

The IBM Ultrium Universal Cleaning Cartridge is valid for 50 uses. The cartridge's LTO-CM (Cartridge Memory) chip tracks the number of times that the cartridge is used.

Note: The drive automatically ejects an expired cleaning cartridge.

Cartridge memory chip (LTO-CM)

All generations of the IBM® LTO Ultrium data cartridges include a Linear Tape-Open Cartridge Memory (LTO-CM) chip.

This chip (1 in Figure 1) contains information about the cartridge and the tape (such as the name of the manufacturer that created the tape), and statistical information

about the cartridge's use. The LTO-CM enhances the efﬁciency of the cartridge. For example, the LTO-CM stores the end-of-data location which, when the next time this

cartridge is inserted and the Write command is issued, enables the drive to quickly locate the recording area and begin recording. The LTO-CM also aids in determining the

reliability of the cartridge by storing data about its age, how many times it was loaded, and how many errors it accumulated. Whenever a tape cartridge is unloaded, the

tape drive writes any pertinent information to the cartridge memory.

The storage capacity of the LTO Generations 9 LTO-CM is 32640 bytes. This capacity is double that of Generations 8, 7, and 6 (16320 bytes), and four times the capacity of

Generations 5 and 4 LTO-CM, winch is 8160 bytes. LTO Generations 3, 2, and 1 have an LTO-CM capacity of 4096 bytes.

Bar code labels

Bar code label requirements for LTO drives.

A bar code label contains:

A volume serial number (VOLSER) that is human-readable.

A bar code that the library can read.

Note: LTO drives do not require cartridges to have bar code labels. Speciﬁc library types or models might require cartridges to have bar code labels.

Table 1. Bar code label requirements for Ultrium tape

drives and libraries

Ultrium Tape Drive/Library Bar Code Label Requirements

3572 Required

3573 Required

3576 Required

3580 Not required

3581 Required with optional Bar Code Reader

3582 Required

3583 Required

3584 Required

When read by a library's bar code reader, the bar code identiﬁes the cartridge's VOLSER to the library. The bar code also tells the library whether the cartridge is a data

cartridge or cleaning cartridge. In addition, the bar code includes the two-character media-type identiﬁer or M8, or Lx, where x equals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 . The letter

L identiﬁes the cartridge as an LTO cartridge and the number represents the generation of cartridge for that cartridge type. Figure 1 shows a sample bar code label for the

LTO Ultrium tape cartridge.

Tape cartridges can be ordered with the labels included or with custom labels. To order tape cartridges and bar code labels, see Ordering media supplies. The bar code for

usage in IBM® tape libraries must meet predeﬁned speciﬁcations. They include (but are not limited to):

Eight uppercase alphanumeric characters, where the last 2 characters must be L9, L8, L7, L6, L5, L4, L3, L2, or L1 (LZ, LY, LX, LW, LV, LU, or LT for Ultrium WORM

cartridges).

Label and printing to be non-glossy.

Nominal narrow line or space width of 0.423 mm (0.017 in.)

Wide to narrow ratio of 2.75:1.

Minimum bar length of 11.1 mm (0.44 in.)

Table 2. Cartridges and VOLSERs compatible with the Ultrium Tape Drives

Cartridges VOLSER

Ultrium 9 Data Cartridge xxxxxxL9

Ultrium 9 WORM Cartridge xxxxxxLZ

Ultrium 8 Data Cartridge xxxxxxL8

Ultrium 8 WORM Cartridge xxxxxxLY

Ultrium M8 Data Cartridge xxxxxxM8