User Guide

Operation and Maintenance: Dell PowerVault 120T DLT1 User's Guide Back to Contents Page

Operation and Maintenance: Dell PowerVault 120T DLT1 Autoloader User's Guide

	Normal Operations		Drive Status Messages
	Power On the System		PowerVault 120T Modes
	Power Off the System		Normal Maintenance

Operation and Maintenance describes the typical operating features of the PowerVault 120T DLT1, providing details about the media and drive head-cleaning cartridge and normal maintenance procedures.

Normal Operations

Once the PowerVault 120T DLT1 and the appropriate application software are installed and configured, backup and restore operations are available.

General Guidelines

Backup and restore can be performed automatically through the application software. The automated procedure requires the replacement of cartridges, as needed, during this process.

Always follow these general-operating guidelines:

Do not open the front door of the PowerVault 120T DLT1 except to perform manual Mode commands or change cartridges.
Use only the recommended types of media cartridges described in the DLT Media section.
Clean the DLT1 drive whenever the CT field appears on the LCD, signifying a cleaning request, or as soon thereafter as possible.
Never insert or remove cartridges from the storage slots unless LdR REAdY is displayed on the LCD.

Power Up Checks

Powering up the PowerVault 120T DLT1 performs the following actions:

Verify the drive configuration and status
Build a valid cartridge inventory log
Calibrate the Media Picker. Once the PowerVault 120T DLT1 completes the power up checks, the system automatically places itself in Ready Mode, LdR REAdY.

Power on the System

The two keys for the front door are taped to the rear panel of the PowerVault 120T DLT1.

Remove the keys from the rear panel, unlock and open the front door.
Remove the shipping block from the cartridge storage area.
Plug the power cord into the AC receptacle on the rear panel of the PowerVault 120T DLT1.
Plug the power cord from the PowerVault 120T DLT1 into a grounded electrical outlet.

Plug the power cord from the host computer into a grounded electrical outlet.
Press the POWER button on the Operator Panel to power on the PowerVault 120T DLT1.

While the PowerVault 120T DLT1 initializes, LdR INIT appears on the first line of the LCD. The Activity LED will blink slowly. The LCD displays the Activity Bars.

After the PowerVault 120T DLT1 robotics completes its initialization, the drive will initialize and dRIVE INIT appears on the first line of the LCD. The Activity LED will blink fast, and the Activity Bars appear on the LCD.

At the conclusion of drive initialization, LdR REAdY is displayed on the first line of the LCD.

Power off the System

Press and hold the POWER button for 2 seconds to power off the PowerVault 120T DLT1. Holding the button 2 seconds is a safety feature. This reduces the chances of data loss resulting from an accidental power off during use.

Set the SCSI IDs

The PowerVault 120T DLT1 consists of two SCSI devices: the drive and the robotics. The default settings for the SCSI IDs are: LdR Id 1 and dRV Id 3. Depending upon requirements, the SCSI ID default settings for the installation may need to change. To alter the SCSI ID of the robotics and/or the drive, perform the following steps:

Press the MODE button on the Operator's Panel until SET SCSI, Mode 6, appears on the first line of the LCD.
Press the SELECT button. LdR SCSI is displayed on the LCD.
Press the SELECT button. LdR ID X, where X is the current SCSI ID, appears on the LCD. Press the NEXT button to select a higher ID or the PREVIOUS button to select a lower ID.
Press the SELECT button to accept the new ID for the robotics. The LCD displays dRV Id XX, where XX is the current SCSI ID.
Press the SELECT button to accept the new ID for the drive. CYCLE PWR blinks on the LCD for approximately 10 seconds.
Press and hold the POWER button for 2 seconds to power down the PowerVault 120T DLT1.
Wait a few seconds, then press the POWER button again to power on the PowerVault 120T DLT1. The new SCSI IDs are now in effect. If necessary, power cycle the server and reconfigure the application software to view the new IDs.

Prepare and Install the Data Cartridges

To gain access to the cartridge storage slots unlock and open the front door.

Make sure the write-protect switch is set correctly on each cartridge (Figure 1). Slide the switch to the appropriate position.

Figure 1. Preparing for Data Cartridge Installation

Place data cartridges into slots 1 and 2. Never insert or remove cartridges from the storage slots unless LdR REAdY is displayed on the LCD.
Verify the LCD displays that tapes are in slots 1 and 2.
Press the MODE button on the Operator's Panel until LOAd SLOT, Mode 2, appears on the LCD.
Press the SELECT button to select the LOAd SLOT command. SRC SLOT 1 appears on the LCD. The LOAd SLOT command always moves the tape from slot 1 to slot 6.
Press the SELECT button to execute the LOAd SLOT command.

The PowerVault 120T will now move the data cartridge or cleaning tape from slot 1 to slot 6 or from slot 2 to slot 7. While executing, the LdR MOVE, LdR PICK and LdR PLACE messages appear on the LCD. When the PowerVault 120T has completed the command, LdR REAdY is displayed on the LCD.

Verify the LCD displays tapes are present in slots 2 and 6.
Press the MODE button on the Operator's Panel until LOAd SLOT, Mode 2, appears on the first line of the LCD.
Press the SELECT button to select the LOAd SLOT command. SRC SLOT 2 appears on the LCD.
Press the SELECT button to execute the LOAd SLOT command. The PowerVault 120T will now move the tape from slot 2 to slot 7.
Verify the LCD displays tapes are present in slots 6 and 7.
Install five additional cartridges into storage slots 1 through 5. Verify the LCD displays that tapes are present in slots 1 through 7.
Close the PowerVault 120T door, turn the key a quarter-turn clockwise and remove it from the lock.
Turn on the host computer power and launch the software application.

Drive Status Messages

During on-line operation, the PowerVault 120T DLT1 places drive status messages on the top line of the LCD. Table 1 lists the LCD messages:

Table 1. Definitions for Drive Status Messages

Drive Status Message Description

CALIBRATE Calibrating head to tracks on cartridge

EJECTING Cartridge is unloading from the drive

LOAdING Cartridge is moving between the home slot and the drive

CLEANING Cleaning cartridge is cleaning the drive head

ERASING Data stored on the tape is being removed

REAdING Cartridge is retrieving stored information and sending it to the request

WRITING Data is written to tape for storage

SEEKING Searching for the location of the requested data on the tape

REWINdING Tape is rewinding

PowerVault 120T DLT1 Modes

The following diagram (Figure 2) is a quick reference guide to the PowerVault 120T DLT1 modes. Note that when selecting modes, it is only possible to scroll forward through the choices. If the desired mode is passed, continue to press the MODE button until it is displayed on the LCD.

Figure 2. PowerVault 120T DLT1 Modes

To access a mode, press the MODE button until the LCD displays the desired mode on line 1. To exit a mode and return to LdR REAdY, press the MODE button.

Mode 1A - LOAD DRV

This option is used to load a tape into an empty drive. If LOAd dRV does not appear when pressing the MODE button, the drive is most likely loaded with a tape.

To access Mode 1A, press the MODE button until LOAd dRV appears on the LCD. Press the SELECT button. SRC SLOT appears on the LCD. If the source slot is empty, a blinking RESELECT is displayed on the LCD. The blinking RESELECT indicates an invalid source slot was selected.
Use the NEXT or PREVIOUS button to scroll through the slot choices. Press SELECT when the appropriate slot is displayed.

The PowerVault 120T DLT1 loads the desired tape into the drive. After completing the task, the PowerVault 120T DLT1 returns to LdR REAdY and the slot number of the tape in the drive is displayed on the LCD.

Mode 1B - EJECT DRV

EJECT DRV ejects the tape from the drive and returns it to the home storage slot. Mode 1B performs this operation. When the drive is empty, Mode 1B is disabled.

To access Mode 1B, press the MODE button until EJECT dRV appears on the LCD. Press the SELECT button. EJECTING appears on the LCD as this operation is performed.
When the PowerVault 120T DLT1 has completed the command, LdR REAdY is displayed.

Mode 2 - LOAD SLOT

Mode 2 is used to add one piece of media to slot 6 or slot 7 or to add media to both slots, 6 and 7. When these slots have cartridges in them, Mode 2 is disabled.

To load slot 6, place a cartridge in slot 1.
To load slot 7, place a cartridge in slot 2.
To load slots 6 and 7, place cartridges in slots 1 and 2.

To access Mode 2, press the MODE button until LOAd SLOT appears on the LCD.
Press the SELECT button. SRC SLOT N, where N is either 1 or 2, appears on the LCD.
Press the SELECT button to move the cartridge from slot 1 to slot 6, or from slot 2 to slot 7.

After moving the cartridge, the PowerVault 120T DLT1 will return to LdR REAdY.

Mode 3 - EJECT SLOT

EJECT SLOT is used to remove a cartridge from slot 6 or 7. If the source slot is empty or the destination slot is full, selecting EJECT SLOT causes RESELECT to blink on the LCD. This indicates an invalid mode was selected.

To access Mode 3, press the MODE button until EJECT SLOT appears on the LCD.
Press the SELECT button to select Mode 3. SRC SLOT N, where N is either 6 or 7, appears on the LCD.
Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS button as necessary, to choose slot 6 or 7 to eject.
Press SELECT when the slot to eject is displayed.

The PowerVault 120T DLT1 moves the tape from the source slot to the appropriate destination slot. EJECT SLOT always moves the tape in slot 6 to slot 1, and slot 7 to slot 2. When the PowerVault 120T DLT1 has completed the command, LdR REAdY appears.

Mode 4 - EJECT PCKR

EJECT PCKR is infrequently used. However, under circumstances such as a power outage, cartridges may be in transition between a slot and a drive. To remove this cartridge from the Picker, the EJECT PCKR option is utilized.

Prior to executing the EJECT PCKR mode, the media picker cannot be in the process of moving cartridges.

NOTE: If the media picker does not have a tape and EJECT PCKR is selected, the LCD displays the E, for error message, and PCKR EMPTY. Within 25 seconds, press the MODE button to return to LdR REAdY status.

To access Mode 4, press the MODE button until EJECT PCKR appears on the LCD.
Press the SELECT button to select Mode 4. dST SLOT N, where N is the slot the PowerVault 120T DLT1 identifies as the home slot, appears on the LCD while the drive ejects the tape.

Use the NEXT or PREVIOUS button to scroll through the destination slot choices. Press SELECT when the desired slot is displayed. If the destination slot is full, RESELECT blinks on the LCD, indicating the user attempted to select an invalid destination slot.

When the PowerVault 120T DLT1 has completed the command, LdR REAdY appears.

Mode 5 - DENSITY

The DENSITY option establishes the density of the data cartridge. DLTtape^TM IV data cartridges can be formatted to the densities shown in Table 2:

Table 2. Maximum Capacity

Drive Model DLT1

Data Cartridge DLTtape IV

Cartridge Density (native mode) 40.0 GB

Cartridge Density (compressed mode) 80.0 GB

To access Mode 5, press the MODE button until dENSITY appears on the LCD.
Press the SELECT button. FMT XX, where XX is the lowest native mode density selectable for this cartridge, appears on the LCD.
Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS button to scroll through the density choices. Press SELECT when the desired density setting is displayed. When the PowerVault 120T DLT1 has completed the command, it will return to LdR REAdY.

Mode 6 - SET SCSI

When the loader or the drive needs to be altered, SET SCSI is used. A power cycle is necessary for the alterations to take effect on the PowerVault 120T DLT1.

To access Mode 6, press the MODE button until SET SCSI appears on the LCD.
Press the SELECT button to select Mode 6. LdR SCSI appears on the LCD.
Press SELECT to choose the PowerVault 120T DLT1 robotics. LdR Id X, where X is the current SCSI ID for the robotics, appears on the LCD.
Press NEXT or PREVIOUS button to scroll through the ID choices. Press SELECT when the desired ID is displayed. dRV SCSI appears on the LCD.
In order to change the ID of the drive, press SELECT. dRV Id XX, where XX is the current SCSI ID of the drive, appears on the LCD.
Press the NEXT or PREVIOUS button to scroll through the ID choices. Press SELECT when the desired ID is displayed. CYCLE PWR appears on the LCD.
The CYCLE PWR message will blink for approximately 10 seconds. Then, the PowerVault 120T DLT1 will return to LdR REAdY.
Press and hold the POWER button for approximately 2 seconds to power down the PowerVault 120T DLT1. Wait two or three seconds and press the POWER button again. The new IDs are in effect.

Normal Maintenance

Keeping a drive clean is the single most important requirement for achieving and maintaining superior performance.

Cleaning the Drive Head

Cleaning the head should be performed when the CT field appears on the LCD. The tape head can be cleaned on a routine basis, once a month, or when the CT field appears on the Operator's Panel LCD.

Some application packages feature an auto clean cycle. If the application supports an auto clean function, using this option is strongly recommended.

The PowerVault 120T DLT1's built-in AUTOCLEAN feature is available when the application does not support an auto clean cycle. However, when AUTOCLEAN is enabled, the tape capacity of the PowerVault 120T DLT1 is reduced to 6 tapes.

Cleaning Tape

Use the DLT1 cleaning tape (Figure 3), shipped with the PowerVault 120T DLT1, to clean the drive heads.

NOTE: Use only cleaning cartridges designed for use in a Benchmark DLT1 drive. Any other type of cleaning cartridge or cleaning method can damage the drive's read/write head.

Figure 3. DLT1 Cleaning Tape

After 20 cleanings, the cleaning tape is exhausted. To keep track of tape usage, the cleaning tape label includes 20 small boxes. Always place a check mark in one box each time the tape is used for cleaning a drive head. Replace the cleaning cartridge when all boxes are checked.

Table 3. Using a Cleaning Tape

If... It means... Try...

The CT field appears on the Operator's Panel LCD. The drive head needs cleaning. Cleaning the drive head using a cleaning cartridge. When cleaning is completed, check a box on the cleaning cartridge label.

A particular data cartridge causes the CT field to appear on the Operator's Panel LCD. The data cartridge may be damaged. Backing up the data from the damaged cartridge onto a replacement cartridge. A damaged cartridge causes unnecessary use of the cleaning cartridge.

The CT field appears after performing a cleaning and a data cartridge is reloaded in the drive. The cleaning cartridge has been exhausted or the data cartridge may be damaged. Replacing the cleaning cartridge. Clean the drive head with the new cleaning cartridge. If the CT field appears at this point, back up the data from the damaged cartridge onto a replacement cartridge. Use the replacement cartridge.

Head Cleaning Procedure

An application's auto clean function, the AUTOCLEAN feature of PowerVault, and the CLEAN DRV function on the Diagnostic Menu require using a home slot for storing the cleaning tape. When this slot is better used to hold a piece of storage media, the tape drive head can be cleaned manually.

Manually Cleaning the Head

To initiate the cleaning cycle manually, note the present state of the PowerVault 120T DLT1 and the drive requiring cleaning. If a cartridge is present in the drive, use the Mode 1B, EJECT DRV, operation to remove the cartridge. Then, proceed with the following instructions:

Unlock and open the front door of the PowerVault 120T DLT1.
Insert the cleaning cartridge into any empty storage slot.
Use Mode 1A, LOAD DRV, to load the cleaning tape into the drive.

The cleaning cycle will be performed. When cleaning is completed, perform the following instructions:

Use Mode 1B, EJECT DRV, to unload the cleaning tape from the drive and place it back in the storage slot.
Remove the cleaning cartridge and check a usage box on the label.
To resume normal operation, close the front door of the PowerVault 120T DLT1 and lock it.

Cleaning the Enclosure

Use a damp towel to clean the outside of the enclosure for light cleaning. If deeper cleaning is required, apply a liquid, all-purpose cleaner to a towel prior to wiping the surface. Applying a liquid, all-purpose cleaner directly to the enclosure surface can damage the equipment.

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