Chapter 4

Storing data cartridges

To maximize the shelf life of your data cartridges and ensure data integrity, follow the guidelines below when storing cartridges.

￿Store cartridges in a suitable environment. Follow the specifications for storage temperature and other environmental requirements, as described on the cartridge packaging. Do not allow the temperature and humidity in the storage environment to fluctuate.

￿Keep the storage area as free of airborne particulates as possible. To eliminate obvious sources of particulates, do not permit anyone to smoke, eat, or drink near the storage area, and do not store cartridges near a copier or printer that may emit toner and paper dust.

￿Store cartridges as soon as possible after you remove them from the library. Immediate storage helps avoid many of the conditions that can damage tapes, such as temperature and humidity fluctuation, particulate contamination, and excessive handling.

￿Store cartridges with the write-protect switch in the protected position (the red switch is fully visible).

￿If possible, store data cartridges in a cartridge magazine. In the cartridge magazine, cartridges are protected from airborne contaminants by a clear plastic cover. With the cover in place, the magazines can be stacked on top of each other to make the most efficient use of storage space.

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Exabyte 440 and Exabyte 480

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Exabyte 480, 440 manual Storing data cartridges