Hi Zlatko, 

Thanks for replying...

The problems we are having is we been getting a lots of read/write error on our 
3590 J tapes.  We have about 1300 tapes in our 3494library and in just the last 
2 months, we have gotten 13 read/write errors on our tapes. Before the upgrade 
we very rarely see a bad tape and now we see too many.

Last summer, we did expand our 3494library adding two frame and another 
assessor to the library.  We also upgraded our 3590 tape drive from B1A to H1A. 
We are on the latest ATAPE driver too. 

David C. Pearson
IS Production Support Analyst
System & Network Service
Snohomish County PUD # 1
 <<ole0.bmp>> 
Phone: 425.347.4420
Pager:  425.290.0944
FAX:     425.267.6380
E-mail: DCPearson AT snopud DOT com

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Zlatko Krastev [SMTP:acit AT ATTGLOBAL DOT NET]
        Sent:   Friday, October 24, 2003 4:50 AM
        To:     ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
        Subject:        Re: Cleaning Machine for 3590 cartridges

        You did not called it IBM but I assumed it being unaware of the device.
        Thanks to Richard's clarification I was able to figure it out.

        Now to the topic:
        if you really need to use such machine, it would certainly mean your
        server room environment is *dirty*! If it indeed is, the risk of losing
        data would be rather close to the risk when you are not doing backups at
        all. I can only quote a sentence not invented by me:
        "Poor security is worse than no security at all, as it provides fake 
sense
        of security!"

        If your library environment is clean enough (through using and regular
        cleaning of appropriate filters in conditioners) and your operators are
        handling tapes only through library I/O station - you should not need 
such
        a device. At that point I personally would react nearly as Tom 
suggested.

        Zlatko Krastev
        IT Consultant






        "Pearson, Dave" <DCPearson AT SNOPUD DOT COM>
        Sent by: "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU>
        23.10.2003 17:26
        Please respond to "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager"


                To:     ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
                cc:
                Subject:        Re: Cleaning Machine for 3590 cartridges


        I apolgise for calling the 3599 model an IBM.... My mistake.

        I was just giving one model of cartridge cleaning machine called 3599 
(Yes
        there are cartridge cleaning meachine out there.)

        There is another cleaning machine called.. "STAR" 3590 cartridge 
cleaning
        machine.
        I'm sure there are many other 'brand' of machine that clean
        tapes/cartridge.

        Ziatko,  does you company clean their cartridges on these type of 
machine?
        If so,  Is it worth it?
        if not... why you don't use them?

        Thanks again Ziatko.

        Dave Pearson

        > -----Original Message-----
        > From: Zlatko Krastev [SMTP:acit AT ATTGLOBAL DOT NET]
        > Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2003 5:13 AM
        > To:   ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
        > Subject:      Re: Cleaning Machine for 3590 cartridges
                 IBM 3599 is not a machine, but so called "machine type / model"
        for
                ordering any Magstar cartridges.
                3599-001, -002, -003 are 3590 J cartridges (10/20/30 GB)
                3599-004, -005, -006 are 3590 K cartridges (20/40/60 GB)
                3599-007 is 3590 cleaning cartridge (what probably you are 
looking
        for!!!)
                3599-011, -012, -013 are 3592 cartridges (300 GB)
                3599-017 is 3592 cleaning cartridge.

                This is a second method to order cartridges through IBM Storage
        channel.
                The first is as components of 3590 drives. Same is for LTO - 
they
        can be
                ordered as part of 358x unit or separately as 3589-xxx media.
                If you need short confirm: Yes, this is working/supported 
cleaning
        media
                for any IBM 3590 drives (standalone, within IBM 3494, or within
        StorageTek
                silo)!

                Machine type does not mean automatically hardware. For example
        before
                joining Passport Advantage, TSM was machine type/model 5697-TSM
        and later
                5698-TSM!

                Zlatko Krastev
                IT Consultant