Specifications

Overview: read me first 2-35
Tape drives
Standard 1.0 System Installation and Modification Guide January 1998
Retensioning tape
cartridges
Τape cartridge manufacturers recommend that their tapes be
retensioned when first inserted into the drive. This is done by
winding the tape from one end to the other and back to
increase tape reliability. Meridian Mail software
automatically retensions tapes before writing or reading
them. The retensioning takes about two minutes for a 6150
tape (137.16 m/450 ft) and about five minutes for a 6250 tape
(304.8 m/993 ft).
Tape drive formats
The following text provides a brief description of the types of
tape drives used in Meridian Mail 12 systems. The three tape
drives used are
• Tandberg 2500DSE
• Tandberg TDC4220
• Archive Viper
Meridian Mail systems installed during the releases of MM10
and MM11 use the Tandberg TDC4220 tape drive. Meridian
Mail 12 systems are supplied with the Tandberg 2500DSE
tape drive. Both Tandberg drives can read and write tapes
with a capacity up to 2.5 Gbyte and are backward compatible
with all existing Meridain Mail tapes.
The internal version of the Tandberg 2500DSE tape drives
used on the MM12 Modular Option, Modular EC, and the
Modular GP platforms will show no apparent changes. The
external version used with Card Option and EC11changed in
height, width, and shape for the MM11 release. Both versions
are teminated internally. This is noted by a label on the back
of the tape drive.
The Tandberg 2500DSE is shipped with all new MM12
systems. However, the Tandberg is not necessary to convert
to the new release. Prior to Release 10, Meridian Mail
systems used a Viper tape drive manufactured by the Archive
Corporation.
Existing tapes written by Archive drives which the Tandberg
can read include voice prompts written by the voice prompt
transfer tool (VPTT), and full and partial backups.