User`s guide

Chapter 6: Performing Library Operations
Cleaning Tape Drives
Quantum Scalar i40 and Scalar i80 User’s Guide 165
About AutoClean Configuring one or more dedicated cleaning slots automatically enables
AutoClean see
Configuring Cleaning Slots on page 59). Cleaning
cartridges are stored in designated cleaning slots. When a tape drive
needs cleaning, it notifies the library, and the library automatically
cleans the tape drive using a cartridge loaded in a cleaning slot.
Automatic cleaning is integrated into routine library operations. For
example, if the host application requests the library to move a tape
cartridge, and the tape drive performing the operation needs cleaning,
the library will perform the move operation and then automatically
clean the tape drive with a cleaning cartridge before informing the host
application that the move operation is complete.
Note: The AutoClean or manual cleaning feature on the library
assumes that any tape cartridge imported into a cleaning slot is
a cleaning tape cartridge, regardless of the label on the
cartridge or type of cartridge. In order for a cleaning cartridge
to be recognized by the library as such, it must be imported
into the library cleaning slot(s). Application-managed cleaning
uses the barcode label to determine if a tape cartridge is for
cleaning or data use. Be sure to label and import cleaning
cartridges appropriately. See
Chapter 11, Working With
Cartridges and Barcodes and Valid Cleaning Cartridges on
page 164.
When a cleaning cartridge has expired, the library issues a diagnostic
ticket that tells you to export the expired tape from the library. If more
cleaning cartridges are present, the next cleaning cartridge will be used
for the next cleaning request. If no more cleaning cartridges are
available, the library issues a diagnostic ticket informing you that the
tape drive needs cleaning and that a cleaning cartridge needs to be
imported (see
Importing Cleaning Cartridges on page 166 and
Exporting Cleaning Cartridges on page 168).
Enabling AutoClean To enable AutoClean, all you need to do is configure at least one
cleaning slot in the library. For information on configuring cleaning
slots, see
Configuring Cleaning Slots on page 59.