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Using LTO Drives in a “NORMAL” Working Environment
Hi All,
Lately we’ve been seeing a lot of drives reporting that cleaning was needed after read or write errors with various software (not just BRU ☺ ). In doing research in the users’ environments, we’re seeing the onset of Summer playing a major roll in the problems.
LTO drives have a very specific “green zone” for proper operation. Too dry and static can cause particulates to build up and the tape to actually “stick” to the internal path components. Too wet and the humidity can cause a similar situation because of condensation within the drive mechanism.
Here’s a chart that we provide to give you the information that you should look at in your environment to keep your LTO drives working efficiently:
Tim
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Tim Jones
CTO – TOLIS Group, Inc.
https://www.tolisgroup.com
BRU … because it’s the RESTORE that matters! -
3 Replies
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[Tim Jones] “LTO drives have a very specific “green zone” for proper operation”
Thank you for providing this information as I was not aware that this “green zone” even existed as I assumed that since LTO drives and media can operate under a normal office environment that all values of humidity would be allowable but clearly according to that chart the humidity extremes have to be avoided. I do have one question though and I was wondering are these limits presumably originally for MP (metal Particle) tapes and do these same standards also apply to the new BaFe tapes as well or do they have a different range of values for their “green zone” limits?
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They apply for all media types. The issue is the Mylar backing material, not the surface coating. It’s so thin that any static or condensation in those extreme areas can cause it to stick to the surfaces in the drives.
Also, pay close attention to the dust collection on the intake areas on the front of your unit’s chassis. If dust bunnies are forming, you’re heading for problems.
Tim
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Tim Jones
CTO – TOLIS Group, Inc.
https://www.tolisgroup.com
BRU … because it’s the RESTORE that matters! -
I’ve deployed LTO drives in a variety of conditions in India. Here, ‘summer’ minimum is 35C (95F), and 48C (118F) is not uncommon. We work in air-conditioned vans or hotel rooms where the temperature is about 25C (77F).
And, we have a ‘monsoon’ when it rains for days on end, but the temperature is 30C (86F) and humidity is 100%.
Then too, we work out of air-conditioned vans or hotel rooms where the temperature is about 25C (77F) and humidity is kept low at about 40%.Our ‘winter’ is rarely below 10C (50F). Humidity in the ‘winter’ drops to about 60%.
And we have loads of dust all year round. We’ve rarely (almost never) deployed LTO drives outdoors.
I’ve seen tape head errors after a long round of backups.
I normally have a thin muslin cloth draped on the front of the machine, from where air is sucked in. The cloth passes air but not dust. After a few days (sometimes hours) it has visible dust collected on it. The cloth is changed as often as needed.
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Neil Sadwelkar
neilsadwelkar.blogspot.com
twitter: fcpguru
FCP Editor, Edit systems consultant
Mumbai India
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