Cleaning Light stays on DLT70

[Steven Miller_4]

We have a HP DLT80 Surestore tape drive that requires cleaning every day. I have tried new cleaning tapes and blowing out the drive. After cleaning the drive the light goes out but comes back on as soon as I put a new tape in. Any suggestions on cleaning it so the light will stay out. My normal cleaning routine is once a week and I have 3 other drives that this is not happening to.
Thanks in advance

[Michael Steele_2]

I'd replace that unit and be concerned about any backups made on it.

If you have any recently made tapes check them on another drive.

Do you need help reading the Index or table of contents on those tapes? What backup application or utility did you use?

[Steven Miller_4]

I am using Arcserve and I have checked the backup tapes and they are fine. Its just that the light keeps coming on. The unit is only 2 years old and I would hate to have to replace it at this point.

[Michael Steele_2]

Can you consult with the Manufacturer then? I'm concerned about the drive's ability during a restore. And there's nothing that management's less forgiving about than backups, and restoring during a disaster.

What does LOGTOOL say about this devices HW address?

STM > TOOLS > UTILITY > RUN > LOGTOOL > FILE > VIEW > RAW SUMMARY.

Note the first and last dates of transactions and calculate the difference. If the difference is short, like 4 hours, then this is important to note. Now read down the report of hardware addresses and observe the integer numbers in parenthesis. Note the tape unit's HW address. Anything over 150 in this example for a 4 hour period should be called into for replacement. It???s this simple.

[Eugeny Brychkov]

In opposite to DAT drives whose should be cleaned regularly, DLT/LTO drives should be cleaned only by their request. So cleaning them once a week without drive prompt for cleaning is overcleaning and head wearing.
Drive starts flashing cleaning light when it senses excessive media errors (recoverable or non-recoverable).
Thus in your case I would consider drive replacement
Eugeny