LTO1 and LTO2 drives together in one library

[Lucasdm_de_Max]

Hi,

I have StorageTek L80 library with two LTO1 and one LTO2 drive inside. In library are only LTO1 tapes.

LTO2 drive is configured as hcart2.

Why LTO2 drive can't write or read on LTO1 tapes?
(they change status to DOWN after load LTO1 tape)

Why LTO2 drive can't be clean by LTO cleaning tape (universal)?
Cleaning tapes are described as hcart, but fisically they are the same as hcart2.

Thx for help
Lucas

[patrickkuah]

You can use LTO1 media on LTO2 drive but you have to change the drive type to hcart instead of hcart2. the format between LTO and LTO2 are different.

You may download the white paper from http://www.veritas.com/van/articles/articles.jsp
"Migrating to or Integrating New Tape Drive Technologies in Existing Libraries" by Donald Peterson.

For your LTO cleaning tape, what the error you faced?

patrick

[Yasuhisa_Ishika]

Did you label correct barcode? Barcode for LTO has media type field, and some libraries(STK, l know) consider it. If requesting media has wrong type for drive, request are rejected. In such library, LTO2 drive can load tapes with L2 field only.

And you must configure differenct drive/media type as Patrick said. Cleaning type for hcart drive must be set as hacat_clean type, and hcat2_clean for hcart2 drive.

[Lucasdm_de_Max]

The hacart2 clean tape is set as hcart2_clean, but have L1 field, becouse L1 cleaning tapes are universal for both hcart and hcart2 drives.

[patrickkuah]

StorageTek library come with a delicated cleaning slot whereby it will automatically mount the cleaning tape when it sense the drive needs cleaning.
You have to enable this feature in the StorageTek Operator Panel and enter the "Max Clean" value, then insert the cleaning into the designated cleaning slot.

I believed you need to change media for your cleaning tape to hcart if you wish to use software cleaning.

patrick