TapeAlert flags supported by the drive

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Flag Number Flag Name Hex Code Description Action Required Event
1 Read warning 01h Set when the tape drive is having problems reading data. No data is lost, but there is a reduction in the performance of the tape. Isolate the fault between drive and tape by following these steps:
  • Use a known good tape cartridge in the suspect drive. If the drive fails, contact your IBM® Service Representative.
  • Use the suspect tape cartridge in a known good drive. If the test fails, discard the cartridge.
 Warning Event
2 Write warning 02h Set when the tape drive is having problems writing data. No data is lost, but there is a reduction in the performance of the tape. Isolate the fault between drive and tape by following these steps:
  • Use a known good tape cartridge in the suspect drive. If the drive fails, contact your IBM® service representative.
  • Use the suspect tape cartridge in a known good drive. If the test fails, discard the cartridge.
 Warning Event
3 Hard error 03h Set for any unrecoverable read, write, or positioning error. (This flag is set with flags 4, 5, or 6). See the Action Required column for Flag Number 4, 5, or 6 in this table.

Ensure that tape drive firmware is at the latest version. See Minimum firmware levels for common library features.

 Warning Event
4 Media 04h Set for any unrecoverable read, write, or positioning error that is due to a faulty tape cartridge. Replace the tape cartridge. Warning Event
5 Read failure 05h Set for any unrecoverable read error where isolation is uncertain and failure might be due to a faulty tape cartridge or to faulty drive hardware. If Flag Number 4 is also set, the cartridge is defective. Replace the tape cartridge. If Flag Number 4 is not set, see Error Code 6 in Drive Error Codes: Single-character display (SCD). Warning Event
6 Write failure 06h Set for any unrecoverable write or positioning error where isolation is uncertain and failure might be due to a faulty tape cartridge or to faulty drive hardware. If Flag Number 9 is also set, make sure that the write-protect switch is set so that data can be written to the tape. If Flag Number 4 is also set, the cartridge is defective. Replace the tape cartridge. If Flag Number 4 is not set, see Error Code 6 in Drive Error Codes: Single-character display (SCD). Warning Event
7 Media life 07h Set when the tape cartridge reaches its end of life (EOL).
  1. Copy the data to another tape cartridge.
  2. Discard the old (EOL) tape.
 Warning Event
8 Not data grade 08h Set when the cartridge is not data-grade. Any data that you write to the tape is at risk. Replace the tape with a data-grade tape. Warning Event
9 Write protect 09h Set when the tape drive detects that the tape cartridge is write-protected. Make sure that the cartridge's write-protect switch is set so that the tape drive can write data to the tape. Warning Event
10 No removal 0Ah Set when the tape drive receives an UNLOAD command after the server prevented the tape cartridge from being removed. Refer to the documentation for your server's operating system. Info Event
11 Cleaning media 0Bh Set when you load a cleaning cartridge into the drive. No action is required. Informational message only. Info Event
12 Unsupported format 0Ch Set when you load an unsupported cartridge type into the drive or when the cartridge format is corrupted. Use a supported tape cartridge. Info Event
14 Unrecoverable snapped tape 0Eh Set when the tape is snapped/cut or has a mechanical failure. Do not attempt to extract the old tape cartridge. Call the tape drive supplier's help line. Warning Event
15 Cartridge memory chip failure 0Fh Set when a cartridge memory (CM) failure is detected on the loaded tape cartridge. Replace the tape cartridge. If this error occurs on multiple cartridges, see Error Code 6 in Drive Error Codes: Single-character display (SCD). Warning Event
16 Forced eject 10h Set when you manually unload the tape cartridge while the drive was reading or writing. No action is required. Informational message only. Warning Event
17 Loaded media is Read-only format 11h Set when a write attempt is made on a read-only cartridge. The flag is cleared when the cartridge is ejected (this flag is not supported for Ultrium 1 or Ultrium 2). No action is required. Informational message only. Warning Event
18 Tape directory is corrupted in the cartridge memory 12h Set when the drive detects that the tape directory in the cartridge memory is corrupted. Reread all data from the tape to rebuild the tape directory. Warning Event
19 Nearing media life 13h Set when the tape cartridge is nearing its specified end of life.
  1. Copy the data to another tape cartridge.
  2. Replace the tape cartridge.
 Info Event
20 Clean now 14h Set when the tape drive detects that it needs cleaning. Clean the tape drive. Warning Event
21 Clean periodic 15h Set when the drive detects that it needs routine cleaning. Clean the tape drive as soon as possible. The drive can continue to operate, but you must clean the drive soon. Warning Event
22 Expired clean 16h Set when the tape drive detects an expired cleaning cartridge. Replace the cleaning cartridge. Warning Event
23 Invalid cleaning tape 17h Set when the drive expects a cleaning cartridge and the loaded cartridge is not a cleaning cartridge. Use a valid cleaning cartridge. Warning Event
25 Interface 19h Set when the tape drive detects a problem with the SCSI, Fibre Channel, or RS-422 interface. Locate Error Code 8 or 9 in Drive Error Codes: Single-character display (SCD). Warning Event
26 Cooling Fan Failure 1Ah A tape drive cooling fan failed. Fan failure inside tape drive mechanism or tape drive enclosure. Warning Event
27 Power Supply 1Bh A redundant power supply failed inside the tape drive enclosure. Check the enclosure users manual for instructions on replacing the failed power supply. A redundant power supply failed inside the tape drive enclosure. Check the enclosure users manual for instructions on replacing the failed power supply. Warning Event
30 Hardware A 1Eh Set when a hardware failure occurs that requires that you reset the tape drive to recover. Reset the tape drive. If the error persists even after resetting the drive, note the error code on the single-character display and look for the code in Drive Error Codes: Single-character display (SCD) for appropriate instructions. Warning Event
31 Hardware B 1Fh Set when the tape drive fails its internal Power-On Self-Tests. Note the error code on the single-character display and see in Drive Error Codes: Single-character display (SCD) for appropriate instructions. Warning Event
32 Interface 20h Set when the tape drive detects a problem with the SCSI, Fibre Channel, or RS-422 interface. Set when the tape drive detects a problem with the SCSI, Fibre Channel, or RS-422 interface. Warning Event
33 Eject media 21h Set when a failure occurs that requires you to unload the cartridge from the drive. Unload the tape cartridge, then reinsert it and restart the operation. Warning Event
34 Download fail 22h Set when the tape drive detects a problem with the SCSI, Fibre Channel, or RS-422 interface. Ensure that it is the correct FMR image. Download the FMR image again. Warning Event
35 Drive humidity 23h Sets when the drive humidity sensor indicates that the drive's humidity exceeds the recommended humidity of the drive. See Error Code 1 in Drive Error Codes: Single-character display (SCD). Warning Event
36 Drive temperature 24h Set when the drive's temperature sensor indicates that the drive's temperature is exceeding the recommended temperature of the library. See Error Code 1 in Drive Error Codes: Single-character display (SCD). Warning Event
37 Drive voltage 25h Set when the drive detects that the externally supplied voltages are either approaching the specified voltage limits or are outside the voltage limits. See Error Code 2 in Drive Error Codes: Single-character display (SCD). Warning Event
38 Predictive failure 26h A hardware failure of the tape drive is predicted. Call the tape drive supplier helpline. Predictive failure of drive hardware Warning Event
39 Failure 27h The tape drive might have a fault. Check for availability of diagnostic information and run extended diagnostics if applicable. Check the tape drive user's manual for instructions on running extended diagnostic tests and retrieving diagnostic data. The drive might have a failure that can be identified by stored diagnostic information or by running extended diagnostics (Send Diagnostics). Warning Event
49 Diminished Native Capacity 31h Set when Native Capacity is diminished. No action is required. Informational message only. Info Event
51 Tape directory invalid at unload 33h Set when the tape directory on the tape cartridge that was previously unloaded is corrupted. The file-search performance is degraded. Use your backup software to rebuild the tape directory by reading all the data. Warning Event
52 Tape system area write failure 34h Set when the tape cartridge that was previously unloaded cannot write its system area successfully. Copy the data to another tape cartridge, and discard the old cartridge. Warning Event
53 Tape system area read failure 35h Set when the tape system area cannot be read successfully at load time. Copy the data to another tape cartridge, and discard the old cartridge. Warning Event
55 Load Failure 37h The operation failed because the media cannot be loaded and threaded. Remove the tape and try another. If the problem persists, contact your IBM® service representative.

Ensure that tape drive firmware is at the latest version. See Minimum firmware levels for common library features.

 Warning Event
56 Unrecoverable unload failure 38h The operation failed because the media cannot be unloaded. Contact your IBM® service representative. Warning Event
59 WORM Medium – integrity check failed 3Bh Set when the drive determines that the data on tape is suspect from a WORM point of view.
  1. Copy the data to another WORM tape cartridge.
  2. Discard the faulty WORM tape.
 Warning Event
60 WORM Medium – Overwrite attempted 3Ch Set when the drive rejects a write operation because the rules for allowing WORM writes are not met. Data can be appended only to WORM media. Overwrites to WORM media are not allowed. Write the data to a WORM tape cartridge or write the data to a non-WORM tape cartridge. Warning Event