My original LTO-1 library went back to the leasing company after three
years of use, averaging about 2 TB of data per DAY across 10 drives. In
that time period, we clocked 11 uses of one cleaning tape. All eleven
were manually triggered from the operator panel (move tape from slot to
drive) to check out tape drives after repair/replace in the first two
months (before we got the proper microcode installed on the drives).

In other words -- 3 years, 2 TB/day * 365 days *3 -- and the drives
never indicated they needed to be cleaned. And no I/O errors relating to
cleaning being required.

Tom Kauffman
NIBCO, Inc

-----Original Message-----
From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf Of
Prather, Wanda
Sent: Monday, November 29, 2004 3:42 PM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: Re: LTO Media

Same here.
LTO1 just never seems to need cleaning (these drives aren't under a very
heavy load, though).


-----Original Message-----
From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf Of
David E Ehresman
Sent: Monday, November 29, 2004 3:37 PM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: Re: LTO Media


>>        Using other than IBM tapes (and possibly with them), it seems
that
cleaning each drive AT LEAST once per week is imperative, rather than
waiting till the drive says it needs cleaning.  The IBMs do seem to
leave
lest 'dust' or residue on the heads.<<

You're cleaning LTO drives once a week?  What kind of environement are
the drives located in?  We clean our LTO drives less than once a YEAR!

David Ehresman