Users Guide
To determine the complete specications of the bar code and the bar code label, contact your sales
representative.
LTO tape cartridges have a recessed area on the face of the cartridge next to the write-protect switch. Use
this area for attaching the adhesive-backed bar code label. Place the label only in the recessed label area
(see 5 in Figure 85 on page 157). A label that extends outside of the recessed area can cause loading
problems in the drive.
Attention: Do not place any type of mark on the white space at either end of the bar code. A mark
in this area might prevent the library from reading the label.
Figure 87. Sample bar code label on the LTO8 Tape Cartridge
Important: The bar code label must be applied as shown, with the alphanumeric characters on top and
the bar codes on the hub side (bottom). Never apply multiple labels onto a cartridge because extra labels
can cause the cartridge to jam in a tape drive.
Guidelines for bar code labels
Apply the following guidelines whenever bar code labels are used.
• Do not reuse a label or reapply a used label over an existing label.
• Before you apply a new label, remove the old label by slowly pulling it at a right angle to the cartridge
case.
• Use peel-clean labels that do not leave a residue after it is removed. If glue residue is on the cartridge,
remove it by gently rubbing it with your nger. Do not use a sharp object, water, or a chemical to clean
the label area.
• Examine the label before it is applied to the cartridge. Do not use the label if it has voids or smears in
the printed characters or bar code. A library 's inventory operation takes much longer if the bar code
label is not readable.
• Remove the label from the label sheet carefully. Do not stretch the label or cause the edges to curl.
• Position the label within the recessed label area (see 5 in Figure 85 on page 157).
• With light nger pressure, smooth the label so that no wrinkles or bubbles exist on its surface.
• Verify that the label is smooth and parallel, and has no roll-up or roll-over. The label must be flat to
within 0.5 mm (0.02 in.) over the length of the label and have no folds, missing pieces, or smudges.
• Do not place other machine-readable labels on other surfaces of the cartridge. They might interfere
with the ability of the drive to load the cartridge.
Write-Protect switch
All rewriteable data cartridges have a write-protect switch to prevent accidental erasure or overwriting of
data. Before a cartridge is loaded into the device, make sure the write-protect switch on the front of the
cartridge is in the wanted position.
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Dell EMC ML3 Tape Library: User's Guide