Using Your Autoloader

Problems During the Self-Test

Front Panel Lights and Messages

Loading a Magazine and Cartridges

Ejecting the Magazine

Forcing Ejection

Localizing Language Display
(HP SureStore DAT40x6)

Labeling Cartridges and Magazines

Autoloader Modes of Operation

Using TapeAlert to Monitor Your Tape Drive

Choosing a Backup Strategy  

Switching on the Autoloader

• Internal autoloaders: Switch on the computer to switch on the autoloader.
• External autoloaders: Switch on the autoloader using the power switch on the rear panel by pressing the side with the I symbol down, and then switch on the computer.

Note: The diagram below shows an HP SureStore DAT24x6e autoloader. The rear view of the HP SureStore DAT40x6e autoloader is slightly different.

Wait for the autoloader to complete its self-test routine, during which the front panel lights flash and the display shows the message Self Test. The HP SureStore DAT40x6 autoloader alternates this display with its serial number.

After a successful self-test, the lights stop go out and the autoloader displays the message Insert Mag if there is no magazine loaded. If there is a magazine loaded, the message will say Mag Loaded and the green Magazine Present light (top) will be lit steadily.

If There Are Problems During the Self-Test

If the Operator Attention Required light (bottom) shows steady amber at the end of the self-test, this indicates a fault condition:

• If you have just installed the drive, check the installation for loose connections and repeat the self-test.
• Try the troubleshooting procedures or run TapeAssure to determine what the problem is.
• If the fault condition persists, write down the message displayed on the front panel and call for service.

Power-Cycling

To ensure reliable operation, do not switch off power to the autoloader while it is reading, writing, fast-searching, loading or unloading.

If the cartridge has just been unloaded from the drive (but has not been returned to the magazine) when the autoloader is switched off, the cartridge will be taken into the drive and threaded when the drive is next powered up.

Loading a Magazine and Cartridges

The autoloader is configured to use DDS Media Recognition System cartridges. Any other cartridge will be treated as write-protected; you will only be able to read it, not write to it. See Choosing Cartridges for advice on which cartridges to use with your autoloader.

In order to maximize drive and media reliability, we recommend that you normally use the autoloader to provide one week's backup per magazine. Ideally, use five cartridges and one cleaning cartridge in each magazine (DDS-3 cartridges with HP SureStore DAT24x6 autoloaders and DDS-4 cartridges with HP SureStore DAT40x6 autoloaders). This allows you to perform a full backup, up to 40 GBytes for DAT40x6 models and 24 GBytes for DAT24x6 models, each working day, and ensures that the tape heads are cleaned once a week.

Note: For best performance and error-free operation, it is advisable to use only one brand and type (tape length) of data cartridge in a magazine. Ideally, use only HP's DDS-4 or DDS-3 cartridges. Do not mix DDS-1 (90m) with DDS-2 (120m), DDS-3 (125m) or DDS-4 (150 meter) cartridges. It is perfectly acceptable to include a cleaning cartridge in a magazine.

1. Place the required number of cartridges in the magazine so that they point towards the center of the magazine. You can use any number of cartridges from 1 to 6, and can place the cartridges in any of the magazine slots. However,for ease and speed of use, start by using slot 1. During a stacker mode backup, the drive will attempt to load the first cartridge from slot 1.

2. Insert the magazine through the door in the front of the autoloader. Make sure that the large arrow is uppermost and pointing towards the autoloader, as shown below.

3. Apply steady pressure until the mechanism takes the magazine and pulls it into the autoloader. The autoloader will then check which magazine slots contain cartridges.
4. When the magazine check is complete, use either your backup software on the host computer or the autoloader's front panel buttons to select and load a cartridge from the magazine into the drive.

The drive now performs a load sequence. This takes a maximum of 25 seconds from the time the cartridge is inserted to the time the drive is ready to start acting upon the next command from the host. The sequence is as follows:

• The drive mechanism threads the tape and checks the tape format (DDS or audio). If the tape is blank, the drive leaves the tape at BOT (Beginning of Tape) and awaits the next command.
• If the tape is in DDS format and is write-enabled, the drive performs write and read tests. If the error rate is high, the Operator Attention Required light illuminates and an error message may appear on the front panel display.
• The drive reads the tape log, which contains details of the history of the tape.
• The drive rewinds to BOP (Beginning of Partition) and goes online, awaiting a command from the host.

Depending on whether the host computer instructed the autoloader to load a cartridge or you pressed the Load Cartridge button, the autoloader goes into one of two modes of operation: random mode, where movement of cartridges is controlled by the backup software, or stacker mode, where cartridges are loaded in numerical order from the magazine. For more information, see Autoloader Modes of Operation.

Ejecting the Magazine

To eject a magazine, press the Eject button.

The autoloader ejects the magazine. However, if one of the cartridges is still in the drive mechanism when you press the Eject button, the autoloader performs the following sequence of actions first:

• The drive rewinds the tape and updates the tape log (unless the cartridge is write-protected). It then ejects the cartridge from the drive mechanism.
• The changer mechanism replaces the cartridge in the magazine.
• The magazine is ejected.

Note: It is possible for the host computer to disable the Eject button by sending a PREVENT MEDIA REMOVAL command via SCSI. This will remain in force until either the host sends an ALLOW MEDIA REMOVAL command or the autoloader is reset or power-cycled.

Forcing Ejection

If you press the Eject button when the autoloader is busy, it may be a long time before the autoloader will respond to the request because it will finish the task it is performing first. This ensures that the task is terminated in a controlled manner and no data is lost.

However, if you need to unload a cartridge urgently, even at the risk of losing data, you must force ejection.

Caution: You can lose data if you force ejection. The tape may also end up invalidly formatted because an EOD (End of Data) mark might not be written. Force ejection only as a last resort to recover a cartridge.

To force ejection:
Hold the Eject button down for at least five seconds or press the Eject button three times within one minute. The autoloader responds as follows:

• The front panel display will show "Force Eject."
• The autoloader waits 35 seconds to give the normal eject procedure a chance to occur.
• Once this time has elapsed, if there is a cartridge loaded in the drive it is immediately unloaded, regardless of what operation the drive was performing. The cartridge is then returned to its slot in the magazine, and the drive is reset as though the power had been cycled.
  Because the forced ejection may interrupt any operation, it is possible that the drive will not write an EOD (End of Data) mark before the cartridge is ejected. This will cause loss of data and leave the cartridge with an invalid format.
• If no cartridge is loaded in the drive, the autoloader assumes that you want to eject the magazine. Following the 35-second pause, it does this. The autoloader is then reset as though power had been cycled.

Note: A forced ejection will abort any SCSI operations that may be in progress on the autoloader and overrides any SCSI PREVENT MEDIA REMOVAL in effect.

Write-Protecting Cartridges

If you want to protect the data on a cartridge from being altered or overwritten, you can write-protect the cartridge. To write-protect a cartridge, slide the tab on the rear of the cartridge so that the recognition hole is open, as shown below.

Caution: Write-protection will not prevent a cartridge being erased by bulk-erasure or degaussing.

Labeling Cartridges and Magazines

Ensure that no more than one label is stuck to the label area of the cartridge. Use only labels provided with cartridges. Never use non-standard labels, and never stick anything to the cartridge other than in the label area.

Make sure that the magazine label is stuck firmly in the recessed label area on the side of the magazine. If the label is stuck somewhere other than in the label area, the magazine may jam in the mechanism.

Ensure that the corners of cartridge and magazine labels stick firmly to the surface and do not curl at their edges.