HP StoreEver TapeAssure Software - Manual (Page 55)

production quality. A working drive will have positive margin, whereas negative margin indicates
an issue. The percentages are also mapped to simple wording as follows:
Warning < 0%
Fair >= 0% and < 25%
Good >= 25% and < 50%
Great >= 50%
Corrective action should be considered if the margin does not meet the levels of confidence that
the data requires. For example, a nightly backup probably doesn't need the same level that a ten
year archive does. In general, corrective action is only required if Warning is shown, but Fair
suggests possible future issues, and corrective action could prevent such issues from occurring.
Corrective action could take the form of:
•
Cleaning the drive
•
Trying another tape (look at the tape history to see if other drives have had similar issues)
•
Checking the environment. Temperature extremes can have an effect. Contamination can be
a significant issue.
If in doubt, run the L&TT Drive Assessment test with a trusted (or new) tape. This is the test approved
by HP support to give the most accurate assessment of drive health. If a drive passes this test, it is
considered to be good. If it fails (and the tape is good), then HP support will exchange the drive.
Things to look for
After generating the report, look for the following trouble indicators:
•
Device Analysis Rules—These are device-specific items that L&TT tests. These rules are displayed
in the Drive Health section under Device Analysis. This is the first place to look for health
information and advice on corrective action.
•
Drive health varying with different tapes—In this case, the tapes are most likely causing the
variation.
•
Tape health varying with different drives—In this case, the drives are most likely causing the
variation.
•
A drop of margin over time—Rapid drops can indicate contamination.
•
Tapes nearing the end of their working life—Older tapes are less reliable and may need to
be replaced.
•
Drives nearing the end of their normal working life—This is unlikely because the estimated
lifespan of HP drives is very high.
Device-specific report analysis
This section explains device-specific report data. Currently, the report format is only available for
LTO drives and media. As support for the report format is added to other devices, the information
will be added to this section.
LTO drives
The report groups information into the following standardized sections, and wherever possible,
identifies the drive and media as separate devices.
•
Identity
•
Health
•
Configuration
Using a report or support ticket 55