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StorageTek SL150 Modular Tape Library User's Guide Revision 6 E24606-06 |
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# 7 Maintenance and Upgrades

This chapter describes the few routine maintenance and upgrade activities that a StorageTek SL150 Modular Tape Library may require. These include the following tasks:

- Taking the Library On and Off Line

- Powering the Library On and Off

- Maintaining Tape Drives

- Moving the Library.

## Taking the Library On and Off Line

Always take the library offline before carrying out any maintenance or management activities that might conflict with host data operations. After the disruptive activity is complete, you can bring the library back online and continue host operations.

To take the library offline, proceed as follows.

### Take the Library Off Line

1. Quiesce the host application, so that active storage operations are not disrupted.

2. Log in to the browser-based user interface under the Operator, Service, or Administrator role.

3. On the status bar at the top of the interface, click on Library is Online and select Set Library Offline.

4. To take the library offline, press the OK button when the confirmation dialog appears.

5. To abort, press the Cancel button when the confirmation dialog appears.

### Bring the Library On Line

To bring the library back online, proceed as follows:

1. Log in to the browser-based user interface under the Operator, Service, or Administrator role.

2. On the status bar at the top of the interface, click on Library is Offline and select Set Library Online.

3. To bring the library online, press the OK button when the confirmation dialog appears.

4. To abort, press the Cancel button when the confirmation dialog appears.

## Powering the Library On and Off

If a maintenance procedure requires that you power the library off and/or restart, use the procedures below:

- Power the Library On

- Power the Library Off

- Restart the Library

For an explanation of library behavior following power interruptions, see "Restarting the Library Following a Power Outage".

### Power the Library On

When the SL150 library is powered off, the browser-based user interface is not running, so you cannot power the system on remotely. You must have physical access to the library.

To power the library on, press the power switch on the upper left quadrant of the front panel of the base module.

The library then boots and performs an audit of the contents. See Auditing, below, for details.

### Power the Library Off

1. If you have physical access to the library, press the power switch on the upper left quadrant of the front panel of the base module.

2. If you are working remotely, log in to the browser-based user interface under the Operator, Service, or Administrator role, click on the power-button icon in the top left corner of the interface.

3. Select Power Down Library from the context menu (remote interface) or popup dialog (local operator panel interface).

   A Power Down Library confirmation dialog appears.

4. If you plan to move the library to a new location, need to add or replace expansion modules, or need to remove or replace the robot/library controller assembly, go to "Securing the Robot and Controller Assembly", Park the Robot, and Lock the Robot.

5. Otherwise, in the confirmation dialog, press the OK button to power down or Cancel to abort.

### Restart the Library

1. If you have physical access to the library, press the power switch on the upper left quadrant of the front panel of the base module.

2. If you are working remotely, log in to the browser-based user interface under the Operator, Service, or Administrator role, click on the power-button icon in the top left corner of the interface.

3. Select Restart Library from the context menu (remote interface) or popup dialog (local operator panel interface).

   A Restart Library confirmation dialog appears.

4. When the Restart Library confirmation dialog appears, press the OK button to continue or Cancel to abort.

### Restarting the Library Following a Power Outage

The SL150 Modular Tape Library is designed to recover automatically if power is interrupted. If someone inadvertently unplugs the power cord or throws a circuit breaker at the wall panel or if building power is lost altogether, the library returns to its last power state once line power is restored. If the library was `ON` before the outage, it will be `ON` afterward. If `OFF`, it will be `OFF` afterwards.

So, if the library was powered `ON` at the time of the outage, the library will boot up normally as soon as power is once more available. But, if the library was powered `OFF` when the outage occurred, the library does not automatically restart. When power is restored, the library powers up and runs just long enough to check its previous power state. Since it was `OFF` at the time of the outage, it powers itself `OFF` after a few seconds.

Restarting a library that was off prior to a power interruption is thus exactly like restarting any other library that is off. See "Power the Library On".

### Auditing

A library audit checks each slot in the library for tape cartridges, reads the label of each tape cartridge found, and then checks the slot address and label in its internal database. The library updates any slot/label combinations that have changed and adds records for newly entered cartridges. The duration of the process varies based upon the size of the library. A 30-cartridge library takes about seven minutes, for example.

At any time, you can identify the resident cartridge and library address for an active slot by placing the cursor over the cartridge icon and reading the fly-over text:

- The Tape label property displays the value read from the label during the audit or the value [UNREADABLE].

  An [UNREADABLE] value means that the cartridge is unlabled, the label has been misapplied or damaged, or the label uses an incompatible format.

- The address within the library or partition is expressed as module number, side, row number, and column number (for example, 1,Left,1,2).

## Maintaining Tape Drives

The Linear Tape Open (LTO) Gen-5 and Gen-6 drives used in the StorageTek SL150 Tape Storage Library require little in the way of routine maintenance, other than occasional cleaning, restarts, and, when problems arise, removal:

- "Cleaning Drives"

- "Restarting Drives"

- "Preparing Tape Drives for Removal".

### Cleaning Drives

LTO drives normally clean themselves using internal brushes, so cleaning with external cleaning tapes is only necessary when and if the drive detects contaminant buildup that it cannot remove itself. If you have configured your host software application for automatic, reactive, or Tape Alert cleaning, as described in "Setting Up Host-Managed Drive Cleaning", even these remaining cleaning-related tasks may be nearly automatic.

If, however, you must clean your drives manually, this section describes the main tasks:

- "Managing Cleaning Media"

- "Cleaning Drives Using the Library User Interface".

#### Managing Cleaning Media

A cleaning cartridge expires when the drive determines that it is no longer usable, based on parameters stored in non-volatile LTO Cartridge Memory (LTO-CM). When the drive identifies an expired cartridge, it notifies the library by sending a Tape Alert. The library then dismounts the cartridge, flags it as expired, and alerts the browser-based user interface.

If you have configured your backup or storage management application to automatically handle cleaning requests, the application may manage cleaning media for you. Consult the vendor's documentation for details.

Otherwise, you can manage cleaning tapes using the procedures below:

- Monitor Cleaning Media Using the Library User Interface

- Eject Expired Cleaning Media with the SL150 User Interface

- Replace Expired Cleaning Media With New Media

- Import the New Cleaning Media into the Library

##### Monitor Cleaning Media Using the Library User Interface

You can monitor cleaning cartridges using the Library Health indicator, as described in "Using SL150 User Interfaces". You can also check individual cleaning cartridges as follows.

1. Log in to the browser-based user interface, and select Library from the menu at left.

2. Click on the storage or reserved slot that holds the cleaning cartridge that you want to check.

3. Select Properties from the context menu.

4. When the Slot Properties sheet appears, note the Cleaning Tape Status.

5. If the Cleaning Tape Status is OK, stop here.

6. If the Cleaning Tape Status indicates that the cartridge has expired and the cartridge resides in a host application-managed storage slot, use the host application to eject the cartridges, and "Move Cartridges into the Mailslot".

7. If the Cleaning Tape Status indicates that the cartridge has expired and you keep cleaning cartridges in reserved system slots, Eject Expired Cleaning Media with the SL150 User Interface.

##### Eject Expired Cleaning Media with the SL150 User Interface

1. Log in to the browser-based user interface under the Operator, Service, or Administrator role.

2. Select Library from the menu at left.

3. In the graphical library map, click on the expired cleaning cartridge.

4. When the context menu appears, select Move Tape. The Move Tape panel appears at the top of the screen. The Source type field should be set to Slot and the cartridge that you chose should be listed (you may change this selection if desired).

5. In the graphical library map, click on a free mailslot cell. The Destination type field of the Move Tape panel should now identify the Mailslot cell that you selected (you may change this selection if desired).

6. In the Move Tape panel, press the OK button to perform the move or Cancel to abort.

7. When the Move Tape panel shows that the move is complete, press the OK button to close the panel.

8. Repeat the above procedure from step 2 to step 6 until all expired cleaning cartridges have been moved to the mailslot.

9. Replace Expired Cleaning Media With New Media as soon as possible.

##### Replace Expired Cleaning Media With New Media

1. Carry out the procedure "Move Cartridges into the Mailslot". Remove the expired media.

2. Dispose of expired media promptly, so that dirty cartridges are not inadvertently reimported and reused.

3. Load the required number of new cleaning cartridges into the library mailslot, using the procedures for Loading and Unloading Individual Cartridges.

4. Import the New Cleaning Media into the Library.

##### Import the New Cleaning Media into the Library

1. If the cleaning cartridges are assigned to host-managed storage slots, use the application to move the new cleaning cartridges from the mailslot to the storage slot(s) that the application uses for cleaning media. Stop here.

2. Otherwise, log in to the browser-based user interface under the Operator, Service, or Administrator role.

3. Select Library from the menu at left.

4. In the graphical library map, move to the mailslot and click on a cleaning cartridge.

5. When the context menu appears, select Move Tape. The Move Tape panel appears at the top of the screen. The Source type field should be set to Mailslot and the cartridge that you chose should be listed (you may change this selection if desired).

6. In the graphical library map, click on the reserved slot where the cleaning cartridge will reside. The Destination type field of the Move Tape panel should now identify the Slot location that you selected (you may change this selection if desired).

7. In the Move Tape panel, press the OK button to perform the move or Cancel to abort.

8. When the Move Tape panel shows that the move is complete, press the OK button to close the panel.

9. Repeat the above procedure from step 3 to step 7 until all cleaning cartridges have been loaded.

#### Cleaning Drives Using the Library User Interface

Oracle does not generally recommend cleaning tape drives yourself if your host application can be configured to manage cleaning automatically. LTO drives rarely require cleaning with external cartridges, so monitoring for cleaning requests is best left to software (see "Selecting a Cleaning Strategy" for more information). If you must rely on the procedure described in this section when maintaining your drives, you need to understand when and why cleaning is required and why, when unneeded, it may damage the drive.

Linear Tape Open (LTO) drives are self-cleaning in normal use and do not require routine cleaning with cleaning cartridges. Internal brushes remove debris and contaminants before they have a chance to build up on recording surfaces. Cleaning cartridges are only needed if the recording surfaces of the drive frequently come into direct contact with the recording media. For example, when slow I/O causes excessive repositioning and retensioning of the tape media (a phenomenon called shoe-shining), the tape media wears rapidly and the normal gap between the tape surface and drive's recording surfaces becomes hard to maintain. When the shoe-shining is prolonged or repeated, magnetic debris from worn tape surfaces transfers to the recording heads of the drive, where it forms hard deposits that cause read/write errors. When the LTO drive detects excessive numbers of these read/write errors, it automatically requests supplemental cleaning by sending standard tape alerts that can be detected by the SL150 tape library and by most host applications.

Cleaning cartridges have to be abrasive to wear away the hard deposits that come with heavy use. So using these cartridges on the polished recording surfaces of a clean drive causes significant damage. For this reason, use the SL150 user interface to clean drives only when you are prompted to do so, either by a fault message in the Health Table (code `9030`, `DRIVE_NEEDS_CLEANING`) or in the Health property on the drive properties sheet. Never clean drives according to a calendar schedule or number of media mounts. On the other hand, you should not ignore cleaning requests. When an LTO drive requests cleaning, you can be sure that external cleaning is necessary to restore drive performance and minimize future problems.

##### Check for Drives that Require Cleaning

1. Log in to the browser-based user interface under the Operator, Service, or Administrator role.

2. If the Library Health indicator on the dashboard bar at the top of the interface is Degraded, click on it, and examine the Health Table for code `9030`, `DRIVE_NEEDS_CLEANING`.

3. Alternatively, use the Library screen to check each drive individually. Click on each drive, select Properties from the context menu, and check the Health property.

4. If a drive a health table entry or drive property indicates that cleaning is needed, note the component address (the module number and the position, either Top or Bottom), and Use the Library User Interface to Clean the Degraded Drive.

5. Otherwise, no drives need cleaning. Stop here.

##### Use the Library User Interface to Clean the Degraded Drive

1. Log in to the browser-based user interface under the Operator, Service, or Administrator role.

2. Select Library from the menu on the left side of the interface. The graphical library map appears.

3. Using the mouse, navigate to the icon for the drive that you need to clean, and click on the icon.

   Drive icons are identified by the library module number, physical position (Top or Bottom), and SCSI address of the corresponding drive.

4. Select Clean Drive from the drive icon's context menu.

5. When the cleaning dialog appears at the top of the interface, select a cleaning cartridge from the Use Cleaning Tape list control, and click the OK button. Or click the Cancel button to skip the cleaning.

6. When the cleaning completes, click the Close button to close the dialog.

### Restarting Drives

When you need to restart a drive, you can do so as follows:

1. Log in to the browser-based user interface under the Operator, Service, or Administrator role.

2. Select Library from the menu on the left side of the interface. The graphical library map appears.

3. Using the mouse or Tab key, navigate to the icon for the drive that you need to reset, and click on the icon.

   Drive icons are identified by the library module number, physical position (Top or Bottom), and SCSI address of the corresponding drive.

4. Select Restart Drive from the drive icon's context menu.

5. When the confirmation dialog appears at the top of the interface, press the OK button to continue or Cancel to abort.

6. When the drive has restarted, click the Close button to close the dialog.

### Preparing Tape Drives for Removal

When you need to remove a drive, prepare it for removal using the procedure below:

1. Log in to the browser-based user interface under the Operator, Service, or Administrator role.

2. Select Library from the menu on the left side of the interface.

   The graphical library map appears.

3. Using the mouse or Tab key, navigate to icon for the drive that you need to remove, and click on the icon.

   Drive icons are identified by the library module number, physical position (Top or Bottom), and SCSI address of the corresponding drive.

4. Select Remove Drive from the drive icon's context menu.

5. When the confirmation dialog appears at the top of the interface, press the OK button to continue or Cancel to abort.

6. Click the Close button to close the dialog.

   On the drive, a blue LED lights up to show that the drive can be safely removed.

## Securing the Robot and Controller Assembly

Before performing maintenance activities that might place obstructions in the path of the robot, Park the Robot in its housing at the top of the base module and Lock the Robot in place. This helps to prevent damage to the robot.

### Park the Robot

1. If you have not already done so, Power the Library Off using either the remote user interface or the local operator panel.

2. When the Power Down Library confirmation dialog appears, check the Prepare the Robot for removal before the library powers down check box.

   This moves the robot to its housing at the top of the base module.

3. Press the OK button to continue or Cancel to abort and stop here.

4. Lock the Robot.

### Lock the Robot

1. Locate the robot lock at top center on the back of the base module.

2. Loosen the captive screw on the lock assembly.

3. Pull the lock assembly straight out of the chassis until the long tab comes out of the slot at right.

4. Rotate the lock assembly counterclockwise 180 degrees, and slide the long tab into the slot at left. Push the lock assembly into the chassis.

   When the lock is correctly inserted, a red, locked padlock icon is visible in the small window on the right side of the lock assembly.

5. Secure the lock assembly by tightening the captive screw.

6. Return to the Power Down Library dialog, and check the I have secured the Robot Lock in the locked position check box.

7. Press the on-screen OK button to continue shutting down or Cancel to abort.

### Unlock the Robot

Once you have completed maintenance steps that require locking the robot, remember to unlock it prior to resuming normal operations. Proceed as follows.

1. Locate the robot lock at top center on the back of the base module.

2. Loosen the captive screw on the lock assembly.

3. Pull the lock assembly straight out of the chassis until the long tab comes out of the slot at left.

4. Rotate the lock assembly clockwise 180 degrees, and slide the long tab into the slot at right. Push the lock assembly into the chassis.

   When the lock is correctly inserted, a white, unlocked padlock icon is visible in the small window on the left side of the lock assembly.

5. Secure the lock assembly by tightening the captive screw.

## Removing Magazines Prior to Moves or Maintenance

You may need to remove the cartridge magazines prior to some maintenance tasks. You should remove the magazines before moving the library to a new location, for example, because, otherwise, tape cartridges may shift and obstruct library robotics. For each magazine, proceed as follows.

Caution: Use this procedure only during specified installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting procedures or under the direction of an Oracle service representative. Do not routinely override the automated magazine latches. To release a magazine during normal operation, use the user interface software: see "Unlatch the Magazine".

### Remove All Tape-Cartridge Magazines from the Library

1. Park and lock the robot and power down, as described in "Securing the Robot and Controller Assembly".

2. Insert a 1/64-in Allen wrench into the hole at the lower inside corner of the cartridge magazine (a large paperclip that has been straightened into an L shape will do in an emergency).

3. Align the Allen wrench parallel to the magazine face and slowly push it into the hole.

4. Grasp the handle on the front of the magazine and slowly and gently pull the magazine a short distance out of the library.

5. Remove the wrench.

6. Support the bottom of the magazine with your other hand.

7. Slowly and gently pull the magazine out of the module. Handle the magazine carefully so that cartridges do not spill out.

8. Set the magazine aside on a flat, stable, uncluttered surface, and make a note of the module that you removed it from.

9. Repeat this procedure until all necessary magazine have been removed from all modules.

## Moving the Library

1. Power the Library Off.

2. Park the Robot.

3. Lock the Robot.

4. Remove All Tape-Cartridge Magazines from the Library.

5. Move the library to its new location.

6. Reinstall the magazines.

7. Reconnect power, host-connection, and local area network (LAN) cables.

8. Unlock the Robot.

9. Start the library up using the procedure "Power the Library On".