topic Re: Tape devices on OpenVMS in Operating System - OpenVMS

Tape devices on OpenVMS

Jasper_15 — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 00:58:31 GMT

Greetings,
Is there a way to remount a tape device in VMS without a reboot? I ama having some issues with 1 drive that I can't seem to get it to mount by doing "mcr sysman io auto" command. Please help a newbie with OpenVMS.

Thank you in advance.

Jasper

Re: Tape devices on OpenVMS

Uwe Zessin — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 01:14:33 GMT

The proper command to mount a tape is:
$ MOUNT

but that is probably not what you meant to ask.

When you have a tape device get stuck and you want to delay a reboot, an old trick is to give the tape drive a new address and then run
$ MCR SYSMAN IO AUTOCONFIGURE ! (on Alpha)

this should give you a new device to work with.

From your description I can't figure out what your real problem is, sorry. What are the "issues" you are having with the drive?

Re: Tape devices on OpenVMS

Steven Schweda — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 01:34:15 GMT

_If_ the problem is that you have connected a
new SCSI tape drive and you don't get a new
tape device from SYSMAN IO AUTO, then there's
probably some hardware problem (or
incompatibility). It might help to know:

1. What you mean.

2. System type.

3. VMS version

4. SCSI adapter type.

5. Tape drive type.

6. What you expect to happen.

7. What you do.

8. What does happen.

Re: Tape devices on OpenVMS

Arch_Muthiah — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 01:47:24 GMT

Jasper,

We don't know what is the problem with your tape device.

Using "$sh sys" command, you can find the status of device. If the tape got into the problem due to some read/write/backup operation, and it's process status forced to become "Read Write AST" - RWAST state, there is no other better way to remount the tape. We have to reboot the system to use that tape device.

Otherwise, If you have enough buttons on the tape drive to manually cause the tape to advance forward while offline, then manually begin a rewind operation while offline, and press the online/offline button to bring the tape back online before it reaches BOT, then you might be able to satisfy the AST condition, and the process will finish running down. you can then remount the device. Otherwise remount is not possible, you will have to reboot the system.

Archunan

Re: Tape devices on OpenVMS

Uwe Zessin — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 01:53:32 GMT

RWAST is short for Ressource Wait, Asynchronous System Trap

It's a special wait state that inhibits process deletion, because some OS internal data structures are inconsistent.

Re: Tape devices on OpenVMS

Vladimir Fabecic — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 03:05:55 GMT

First, what is the output of:
$ show device mk/full
If your tape drive is in state that you can not mount it but want to delay a reboot, you can do the following:
1. Turn off the tape device and change SCSI ID to next free ID
2. Do $ MCR SYSMAN IO AUTO/LOG (and see if it was recognized by OS)
3. Mount new tape device using MOUNT command
That is possible if you tape drive is external. If your tape drive is internal, only reboot can help.
Maybe I did not understand your question.If so, more details, please.
Regards