Does this apply to 3583's (or just 3584's). On our 3583 "autoclean" is disabled and I don't see any way to enable it. When I've asked IBM h/w support they said it can't be enabled for 3583 and that you should use host cleaning (ie library will tell TSM when to clean.)
We've been running a 3583 since last August with 2 drives (another drive added in Novemeber). No cleanings have been done. Even when I tried to force a cleaning I don't think it actually did one (said it completed in seconds). I've found the following info on cleaning: "Note: If you insert a cleaning cartridge when the drive does not need to be cleaned or if you insert a cleaning cartridge that has expired, the drive will automatically eject the cartridge." (I'm assuming that was what happened to me - I issued a clean drive command, it said it worked but was way to quick - seconds!) " Integrated head cleaner The head of the drive must be kept clean to prevent errors caused by contamination. During the load process a brush, integrated in the drive mechanism, cleans the head before it is used with the tape. This keeps head and media free of debris on a continuing basis and is expected to lead to less requirement for drive cleaning operations." "Cleaning the drive In addition to the integrated head cleaning mechanism, IBM recommends that the drive be cleaned regularly, with automatic cleaning enabled where supported in the libraries. By continually keeping itself clean, the drive does not shut itself down because of improper maintenance or contaminants that cause the drive to fail. In the unusual occurrence that the drive head becomes clogged, it may be necessary to use the specially labeled IBM LTO Ultrium cleaning cartridge supplied with each Ultrium tape drive product. The cleaning cartridge is good for 50 cleaning operations. Note: The use of cleaning cartridges is not necessary (and is discouraged) for the normal operation of Ultrium tape drives. See LTO 3580 Tape drive Operator Guide, GA32-0415, for more information on drive cleaning. If cleaning proves necessary, the LTO-CM memory in a cleaning cartridge is used to track the number of times that the cartridge has been used. If the cartridge has already been used 50 times, the drive will mark the cleaning cartridge as expired. This also protects you from accidentally reinserting a cleaning cartridge that has been used 50 times." "IBM's 3580 tape drive employs particle elimination techniques before each start-up to help keep the heads free of dust. A head cleaner, integrated in the tape drive, uses a brush to clean the head during the load process before the tape passes over the area. Nevertheless, the drives may still require occasional cleaning with a cleaning cartridge." IBM support also told me once that when using new LTO cartridges it is basically like cleaning the drive (of course another support person told me that using new cartridges may require more cleaning of the drives). We bought 10 cleaning carts - haven't done one cleaning yet - I think they'll last until I retire! (15 or so years). Tim Rushforth City of Winnipeg -----Original Message----- From: Mark Stapleton [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2002 6:25 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: LTO don't need clean up? From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Tomáš Hrouda > one of LTO 3583 (2 drives) we take care of still didn't clean > drives. It is > operate from january 2002 and there is about 10-20 GB daily data flow > through each drive, 3-5 daily tape-mounts. Both drives are set to ASNEEDED > cleaning frequency, but no clean occured from january (!!), no dirty drive > signalized on display ... is it possible? LTO box is placed in climatized > dust-free environment, but .....??? Has anyone some similar > experience with > LTO clean frequency? IBM LTO libraries clean themselves; you shouldn't be using TSM to schedule cleanings. Set your tape drives to CLEANFREQ=NONE and RTM at http://www-1.ibm.com/support/manager.wss?rt=4&org=ssg&doc=570001038&aid=1 The trick is that you have to insert the cleaner cartridge into the library through the I/O station on the door of the library by using the MOVE MEDIA command that you run from the front panel of the library. (Not to be confused with TSM's MOVE MEDIA command.) -- Mark Stapleton ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Certified TSM consultant Certified AIX system engineer MSCE