We also have Orbit using the 90mm HP DDS tapes and have had only 1
     error during the validation. We clean the drives once a week, or about
     once every 20-30 uses.
 
 
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: DDS Drive failures
Author:  John Joerger <[log in to unmask]> at HMS-Internet
Date:    4/27/95 8:54 AM
 
 
On Wed, 26 Apr 1995, Isaac Blake wrote:
> Our site for quite some time has experienced what we would classify as a high
> failure rate with our DDS drives.  We have a wide variety of HP DDS drives, in
> fact between all our systems almost every model.  The failure we were
> experiencing ranged from bad media, stuck tapes, to unexplained errors with
the
 
   << snip >>
> One of our Operators noticed a build up in the glue both on the DDS drives and
> on the tapes themselves.  This came from the area where the small label goes
> which is on the same side as the read/write tab.  As well often this small
labe l
> would work it's way loose, or become misaligned with the side.
 
Our Operators use the thin DYMO label tape to label both the DDS tape and
its case.  We also use HP media (90 meters).  To date, we have had great
success with our drives -- two or three minor hick-ups in 15 months.
 
The tapes are a bit more questionable.  I haven't had a chance to diagnose
the tapes that have been marked "bad" yet.  The operators believe the
text they read from the backup (we use ORBiT).  I've had 10 tapes go
"bad" in the same 15 month period, none exceeding 60 writes.
 
Regards,
 
--- John Joerger  ([log in to unmask])  ---  Press-Telegram (Long Beach)