If you start making copies of your tapes for onsite storage, the copy
process could serve as your tape validation, and you wouldn't need to do
a VSTORE.  It does seem that DDS drives need to be cleaned often.  I
wonder if that is because the cleaning cartridges used in DDS drives
simply can't clean as thoroughly as solvent-based cleaning methods.  On
the other hand, those drives record at an incredible density, so I can see
why the heads need to be very clean.

>>> "Trudeau, James Lhrl" <[log in to unmask]> 03/24/98
07:24am >>>
        Greg Stiegers wrote:
        <snip snip>
> I am surprised no one mentioned verifying the tapes... Again, comments
> and suggestions welcome.
>

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Yep, we do a VSTORE after each backup.  We get errors about
 <= 20 % of the time.  I've on numerous occasions taken the tape
 in question and restored the problem file(s)......no problem.  Went
 round & round with HPRC, and replaced the transports/electronics
 a coupla times.  We clean the drives each Monday morning and
 (generally) use them only once a day Monday thru Saturday for
 backups.  They are DDSII drives and we use only one tape each
 for the backups, giving 6 uses between cleaning.  Our HP CE
 says "clean 'em more often".  I say "hogwash".  Of course I
could be wrong....anyone else see this problem?

Drives are C1530B, OS is 5.0 PP 3, tapes are 90m HP Media
Recognition System and are almost 2 years old.  That means
each tape has been used ummm...about 20 times.  I don't think
its an age problem, as we've had these oddball messages since
the tapes and drives were new.

Back to the chase,
Jim Trudeau