topic Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization in Operating System - OpenVMS

OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

CO_5 — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 00:00:26 GMT

When a tape drive was pulled out accidentally, and when it was inserted back to the slot, the SHOW DEVICE could not detect anymore the device name. How to recover this device name ?

I checked there was IO Connect command under SYSMAN.

For example: the tape drive is MKA600:

Since there is a NOTE saying abt Caution when using IO Connect, I wnt to make sure it is safe to use this command below:
IO CONNECT MKA600:

May i also know the proper way to disconnect the drive ?

Thank you.

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

Karl Rohwedder — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 00:22:29 GMT

I would try a SYSMAN IO AUTO /LOG to let SYSMAN rscan the buses.

Fro the help:
This command is for use on Alpha and I64 systems. It automatically
identifies and configures all hardware devices attached to a
system by connecting devices and loading their drivers.

On VAX systems, use the SYSGEN command AUTOCONFIGURE.

regards Kalle

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

Steven Schweda — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 02:05:48 GMT

> [...] tape drive was pulled out [...]
> when it was inserted back to the slot [...]

Pulled out of what? In what is this slot?

Generally (assuming that you're on a non-VAX),
MCR SYSMAN IO AUTOCONFIGURE is pretty
harmless. You can add /SELECT = MKA600
if you wish to limit it to the one device.

MCR SYSMAN HELP IO

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

CO_5 — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 02:42:03 GMT

hi,

Initially, i did the IO AUTOCONFIGURE ALL. The device name $mka600: is still not visible on the SHOW DEV.

Now, i performed the IO AUTOCONFIGURE/LOG
and followed by IO AUTOCONFIGURE/SELECT=$MKA600:

It still did not show any sign of it.

Not sure what happened ? The tape drive was unplugged from a primary machine and reconnected back to the machine.

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

Steven Schweda — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 02:47:38 GMT

> [...] reconnected back [...]

Apparently not.

Was the SCSI ID changed?

It might help to know to what you're
connecting the tape drive, and how.

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

CO_5 — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 03:03:31 GMT

There is a scsi cable connected to the machine and a power cable from the drive connected to the power line switch.

I am not sure how it was unplugged earlier by a personnel. But, it seems ok with the connection. There is no change in SCSI number.

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

Jan van den Ende — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 03:10:46 GMT

CO,

The tape drive was unplugged from a primary machine and reconnected back to the machine.

"Primary machine"?
Is this perhaps a cluster config?
Are you issuing the tape commands from another node as the node which has the tape-unit?
If so, is TAPE_ALLOCLASS non-zero?

In general:
-what configuration?
-what version?

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

John Abbott_2 — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 03:11:32 GMT

Hi,

What's the drive, (cable) and host bus adaptor model nos ?

J.

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

Steven Schweda — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 03:14:45 GMT

It _still_ might help to know to what you're
connecting the tape drive, and how.

What else is on the SCSI bus?

SHOW DEVICE DKA
SHOW DEVICE MKA

Are any of those devices working?

Termination?

If you can shut the system down, SHOW DEVICE
at the SRM console might be interesting.

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

CO_5 — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 03:24:31 GMT

Hi Guys,

thks for ur prompt replies.

The model of tape drive is SDLT 320.

It is connected to the primary node of a cluster(2 nodes) system.

i tried the IO autoconfigure/select=$mka600: from both nodes. It seems not much help either.

Btw, how do i know if TAPE_ALLOCLASS is non-zero?

Thks.

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

CO_5 — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 03:31:21 GMT

Btw, a check on the sys$config.dat file.

The device is as below.

device = "SCSI Tape Class"
name = MK
driver = SYS$MKDRIVER
adapter = NONE
end_device

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

CO_5 — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 03:35:44 GMT

I tried not to shutdown the server if there is manual way of initializing this drive. Reboot of the server will be my last option.

SH DKA or MKA , gave no such devices available.

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

John Abbott_2 — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 03:41:19 GMT

Is this the only device connected to this host bus adaptor ?

SDLT320 are LVD, is it a single drive or in a library ?

Try a $ SHOW DEVICE/FULL PKA0 .. does it say LVD SCSI ?

LVD (low voltage diff)... It's possible that if you've connected the drive without powering off from the HBA end, you could have damaged the HBA card.

Do you know what model the HBA is ? Is it a 3X-KZPCA-AA ?

J.

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

Steven Schweda — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 03:57:27 GMT

> Reboot of the server will be my last option

I guessed that. It's harder to guess:

What model computer(s)?

Connected how?

What model SCSI adapter(s)?

Connected to what? How?

If the device was MKA600 before you
disconnected it, and if it was connected
directly to a SCSI card in one system, then
it should still be MKA600 when you reconnect
it. But in that case, the device would not
disappear when you unplugged it. (Unless you
rebooted the system.) Are you sure that
MKA600 was its original name?

If it's installed in some smart box instead
of being connected directly to a SCSI card,
then it could all be more complicated (and I
would know less about what to do).

If you would describe all your equipment and
how it's all connected, this might be much
less painful.

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

CO_5 — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 04:57:31 GMT

$ SH DEV/FULL PKA0

Device PKA0:, device type SYM53C895 LVD SCSI, is online, error logging is
enabled.

Error count 0 Operations completed 336
Owner process "" Owner UIC [SYSTEM]
Owner process ID 00000000 Dev Prot S:RWPL,O:RWPL,G,W
Reference count 0 Default buffer size 0

HBA ? I need to check this.

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

CO_5 — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 05:07:06 GMT

Hello guys,

after some try n errors, there are still no clue how this IO AUToconfigure THING does not work. After reboot the system, it appears online again.

One more last question: How do i bring a device like this tape drive offline ?

So, pls close this case.

Re: OpenVMS tape drive device Initialization

Duncan Morris — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 06:05:25 GMT

I am not sure that I understand what you are really asking here, but you can make the drive unavailable to the system, as show below.

SET

DEVICE

/AVAILABLE

/AVAILABLE
/NOAVAILABLE

Controls whether the specified disk or magnetic tape is to be
considered available. You must dismount the specified disk
or magnetic tape before entering the SET DEVICE/[NO]AVAILABLE
command. If you specify the /NOAVAILABLE qualifier, any attempt
to allocate or mount the specified disk or magnetic tape is
prevented. Devices are automatically set /AVAILABLE when brought
online even if the device had been previously set /NOAVAILABLE.