> I started out in December 2002 with all new SDLT tapes and a brand-new
> library with new drives. Since then 3 of the new tapes have had this
> "media fault" condition. As I am researching this, I am finding that
> they are among the most heavily used tapes.
>
> ITSM does not give us any decent statistics on this. Useage numbers are
> kept for a "volume", not for a "libvol", which is a serious shortcoming.
> This means that these useage and error statistics are lost each time a
> tape is reclaimed and returned to the scratch pool.

Well, neither applications nor libraries should actually be tracking that
kind of information, given the propensity of removeable media to migrate
and periodically inhabit different locales: such statistical information
about a cartridge should be carried by the cartridge.

More modern tape technologies incorporate a non-volatile memory chip in
the cartridge to record information and track usage.  LTO has CM
(Cartridge Memory), and AIT has MIC (Memory in Cassette).  DLT and 3590,
unfortunately, lack such auxiliary memory.  (The 3590 has a Volume Control
Region at the head of the tape, for limited recording.)

  Richard Sims, BU