Inside A Tape Backup System

This is a video that I shot at work with my iPhone. Sorry about the quality. We had a Sony Storstation LIB-162 AIT 5 Tape Library system that had a tape stuck in the drive. After receiving numerous errors while trying to eject the tape, we decided it was time to open the case. I unscrewed 13 very easy to find screws and the top of the case came off very easily. After removing the case lid, I put power to the unit and watched at it calibrated. After figuring out the problem with the tape being stuck, I decided to put a video of how this system works on YouTube. By the way, the tape was stuck because of masking tape residue on the shel of the data tape that prevented it from ejecting properly. So you will see me in this video power the unit on. The device will auto-callibrate. I put a cleaning tape in the library. The tape gets scanned for a potential barcode using a CCD scanner. The tape gets initialized. Then I have the tape placed into the drive. The cleaning happens. I move the tape from the drive to the library. Then I move the tape from the library to be ejected. I then power the unit off.

It appears as if these units get tapes jammed very easily. I may just have to do it again.

Visit my technology blog at www.missionduke.com!

Enjoy!!!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• tape
• drive
• tape drive
• mass storage
• retrospect
• tape library
• catalog
• backup
• storage
• ait
• ait 5
• sony
• lib-162
• tech
• how it works
• mechanical
• robot
• arm
• automatic
• server mount
• server

[andydo2007vietnam]

are these tapes rewriteable ?

[djrock9000]

@andydo2007vietnam Yep. They are Sony AIT 4 tapes.

[outspwq28]

Excellent Video!

[djrock9000]

Thank you! I enjoyed opening the case up and seeing how it worked. Very nifty design. Works quite well.

[tastybrownies]

Very educational and entertaining, thank you.