General Information for 8-mm Tape Drive Recommendations
Use only Data Grade 8-mm tape cartridges. These cartridges are identified by
either a Data, D, or D8 marking on the data cartridge. Use of video grade
cartridges can damage the 8-mm tape drive and can void the warranty of your
8-mm tape drive, and data written on these tapes may be lost over a short period
of time.
Remove the tape cartridge from the tape drive when it is not in use, and store
the cartridge in the cartridge case.
Do not open the door on the data tape cartridge. This door covers and protects
the magnetic tape material from dirt, dust, and damage.
Avoid touching the tape since this can cause loss of data.
Keep the tape drive door closed except when loading or unloading a tape
cartridge.
Back up and then discard any tape cartridge that repeatedly produces error
messages. The error information is in the system error log.
Clean the tape path regularly according to the cleaning procedure of the 8-mm
tape drive. Use only recommended cleaning cartridges; other cleaning cartridges
can permanently damage your 8-mm tape drive.
Attention: Do not use video grade cartridges in the 8-mm tape drive. Video grade
tapes may be unreliable and may cause permanent damage to the 8-mm tape drive.
Types of 8-mm Tape Cartridges
Test Tape Cartridge: This is a specially labeled tape cartridge that is in the
media kit with the 8-mm tape drive. Use this cartridge only when checking the
operation of the drive or running diagnostics; do not use it to save programs or
data.
Data Tape Cartridge: This is a non-labeled blank tape cartridge that is in the
media kit. Use this cartridge for saving your programs or data. The same data
tape cartridge can be used in either a 2.3GB 8-mm tape drive or a 5.0GB 8-mm
tape drive.
Cleaning Tape Cartridge: Use this cartridge for cleaning the 8-mm tape path. For
more information, see “Cleaning the Tape Path on the 5.0GB 8-mm Tape Drive”
on page 2-29.
2-20 IBM RS/6000 7025 F50 Series User's Guide