DLT reliability in a home environment?

[Jonathan Sachs]

I am trying to use a DLT drive to back up my home system, and am having severe problems. I'm seeking comments and suggestions from others who have used DLT under similar conditions.

I used DAT drives for backup for over 10 years with essentially no problems. Then, about a year ago, I had two drive failures in quick succession. I lost confidence in DAT technology and decided to replace it with DLT.

Since then I have experienced several failures with the DLT drive. Typically I write a full backup to a tape with no problems, then reinsert the tape a few days later to append a differential backup, only to find that the drive no longer recognizes the tape's existence. Meanwhile, the drive has no problems with any other tape.

In discussions with experienced people in this forum and elsewhere, I think I have identified the problem. My home has wall-to-wall carpeting and two cats; it is inevitably dirtier than a typical commercial equipment room. Consequently, dirt is working its way into the drive and getting on the tapes. Once this happens to a tape, it is dead. Using a cleaning tape does no good. When I put the problem tape back in the drive, it is still unusable.

I typically use a tape about a half-dozen times in a month, then retire it. With this pattern of use, I am experiencing a tape failure rate of about 15% per year.

It has been suggested to me that the problem is caused by particles from my laser printer (located about 1 foot below the DLT drive) or the cats' litter box (located on the floor about 4 feet below it). But space limitations would make it very difficult for me to move either of these items. Also, I know that my last DAT drive tolerated them for years with no problems.

Is DLT simply unsuited for this environment, or is there something I can do to eliminate the problems?