Maxell LTO Ultrium 4 800GB User manual

Introducing the Maxell LTO Cartridge Memory Analyzer
All LTO Cartridges contain an internal memory chip called Cartridge Memory
(CM). is chip contains vital information about the cartridge. e Maxell CM
Analyzer reads this information and extracts it into special software with a clear
and concise display.
●
Identify deteriorating cartridges before they fail
●
Head off a problem before it becomes one
●
Store mission critical data with confidence
●
Establish quality standards for LTO
cartridges and tape drives
Do you know the quality
of your cartridge?
Your cartridge does!
If you don’t know the quality of your
cartridge, you may be gambling with
your company’s data. e cartridge
knows its past history. Don’t you
think you should know it too? e
Maxell Cartridge Memory Analyzer
gives you the ability to access and
display that history in a clear and
easy to understand format, and
takes the “mystery” out of trying to
determine whether or not a tape is
safe to use.
LTO Cartridge Memory Analyzer
Revealing the Quality of LTO Cartridges and Tape Drives
www.maxell.com

Cartridge Notch Locator Frame
How It Works
Loading The Cartridge
e Maxell CM reader is approximately the same size as an LTO cartridge. Unlike an LTO tape
drive, however, the Maxell CM reader does not need to thread the tape in order to access the
CM. Just place the cartridge on top of the reader and the display immediately shows the
relevant information.
A locator feature in the frame matches a notch in the cartridge, thereby ensuring that the
cartridge is always correctly oriented.
Most systems identify defective cartridges after
they fail.These cartridge failures can be
disruptive and expensive. But with the
Maxell CM Analyzer you can
monitor any cartridge and retire
aging or damaged ones BEFORE
they fail! Fewer Failures equals
saving time and money in reruns.
There is no way to judge the cartridge quality
from the outside appearance of the cartridge.
The Maxell CM Analyzer allows you
to “look inside” the cartridge and
get its complete history.
When saving critical data to tape you must have
complete condence that your data can be
recovered without problems. The Maxell
CM Analyzer enables you to
identify and eliminate any
cartridge that does not meet your
standards.
100
90
70
50
0
MaxellScore
Good Cartridge,
No Problems
Fair Cartridge,
Some Problems,
Close To End Of
Life
Poor Cartridge,
Several Problems,
Avoid Using If
Possible
Bad Cartridge,
Should Be Retired.
Do Not Use Interpreting Maxell data
It can be time consuming, tedious, and inconsistent if you try to examine all the data in order
to evaluate a cartridge. Not everyone may give each parameter the same weight. It is more
helpful to create a single score number that is automatically and consistently calculated from
all available data. MaxellScore is a Tape Evaluation Score ranging from 0 (very bad) to 100
(very good). Within seconds you will learn if a used cartridge meets your standards.
Data displayed with the Maxell CM reader
e available data include:
●
Percentage of records in error
■
Recovered read & write errors
■
Unrecovered read & write errors
■
Servo errors & fatal servo errors
●
Number of bytes written & read
●
Number of cartridge loads
●
Age of cartridge
●
Details of the last four times the cartridge was used
●
Details of the drive(s) that the cartridge was used in

Maxell Software
Display
When in ‘automatic mode’, the Maxell CM reader automatically detects the presence of a cartridge,
reads its memory chip, and displays the data.
Save
e ‘save file’ function allows you save the CM contents in a file.
Save Cartridge History
e ‘Save Cartridge History’ function reads the CM and saves its contents in a file. is function
allows you to rapidly read and save the CM contents of many cartridges.
If you scan a cartridge that has been previously scanned, the Maxell software automatically finds
and appends the previously saved file, allowing you to easily build a complete performance record
for each cartridge.
Open
Opens and displays previously saved files. When more than one file is selected, the software
performs a statistical analysis and displays statistical data including maximum, minimum, average,
and standard deviation from the selected files.
Regardless of the number of cartridges you evaluate, unacceptable cartridges will immediately be shown.
Summary Screen
e display gives you the
information you need. Values
that are outside acceptable
norms are highlighted in
order of severity in yellow,
orange, and red colors.
Maxell Score and Summary
Errors that occurred within the
last four times the cartridge was
loaded are known as “recent
errors”. Because of their
importance they are displayed
rst and are weighted higher
than other errors in calculating
MaxellScore.
Error summary for entire
cartridge
Summary Screen
When the saved results of several cartridges are selected, the Maxell
software displays the summary information of all tapes plus
additional statistical information, which includes the minimum, the
maximum, the average, and the standard deviation of all values.
Click on a value (on MaxellScore, for example) and the table is
sorted for this value. Cartridges that do not meet your standard can
immediately be identified and discarded.
Usage History Screen
Scanning a cartridge periodically with the "Save Cartridge
History" option enabled, creates a complete record of the
cartridge. e example above shows a cartridge record with 8
scans. Notice the change of MaxellScore. (82 to 76)
Scanning a cartridge periodically is the best way to track its
performance and detect the time when the cartridge should be retired.
e graph below is derived from the MaxellScore row in the "Usage
History" page of a cartridge that has been scanned periodically.
The red vertical line
shows the point when
the cartridge should
be retired.
Hardware & Software
Requirements
The Maxell CM reader can be connected to
most systems. All you need is a USB port. The
Maxell application software runs under all
recent Windows operating systems.
Item # 183100
UPC 0-25215-9099-0

©2008 Maxell Corporation of America MX08CMA
Maxell Corporation of America
22-08 Route 208 Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
Tel: [phone] / Fax: [phone]
For more information, visit us at www.maxell.com