Tape cartridge types

A tape cartridge that is designed to receive information that is recorded to it by a tape drive. A scratch cartridge is a data cartridge whose tape no longer contains useful information and can be overwritten. To ensure that your tape library conforms to IBM®'s specifications for reliability, use only IBM LTO data cartridges in LTO tape drives and IBM 3592 tape cartridge in 3592 tape drives. You can use other LTO- or 3592-certified media, but they might not meet the standards of reliability that are established by IBM. If you are using mixed drive types, place only LTO tape cartridges into LTO frames; similarly, place 3592 tape cartridges into 3592 frames.

A tape cartridge that is used by the library to clean the heads of its tape drives. Use only the IBM LTO cleaning cartridge or an IBM-approved cleaning cartridge to clean an LTO tape drive. Use only the IBM 3592 cleaning cartridge or an IBM-approved cleaning cartridge to clean a 3592 tape drive. After you insert cleaning cartridges, they remain unassigned. You cannot assign them to a particular logical library, since they belong to the entire library.

Cleaning cartridges are identified by a volume serial (VOLSER) number that begins with a prefix of CLN for LTO and 3592 cleaning cartridges.

A tape cartridge used by an IBM Service Representative to service the tape library. The cartridge is installed when the library is installed – one for each type of drive used in the library (LTO and/or 3592).