MSL2024 Tape Library

[Louann Duchemin]

Good Morning,

We recetnly install this tape library on a ES40's. This library is connect to the SAN switch that goes with the Fibre Channel disk subsystem. I know with the system disk, we had to do a WWIDMGR setup to see the disks, do we need to do the same with these tape drives?

After the site had a downtime, they rebooted and they were not able to see the tape drives. They had to do an IO Find, then an IO Auto.

[EdgarZamora_1]

No you don't do WWIDMGR for the tape drives. The IO FIND and IO AUTO was sufficient.

[Louann Duchemin]

I understand that the IO Find and IO Auto will give will give them access to the tape drive, however, they should not have to do this everytime they reboot the system. I trying to find a solution that will keep the access to the tape drive intact without having to do IO steps.

[EdgarZamora_1]

No it does not have to be done every time you reboot the system. Only once.

The information is stored in SYS$SYSTEM:SYS$DEVICES.DAT and unless you delete that file the information should remain through reboots.

[Louann Duchemin]

Well, it didn't remain after a system reboot. It is also happening with the AS4100 too. These tape drive are not connect directly to the node. They are connected to the SAN switches but fibre.

[EdgarZamora_1]

Are you up to date with your patches, especially FIBRE-SCSI?

Please provide hardware models and OS versions. Can you also attach the file SYS$SYSTEM:SYS$DEVICES.DAT (it's a text file)?

[EdgarZamora_1]

Also check your loop mode on your MSL. It should be set to hard, not soft.

[EdgarZamora_1]

Actually forget that loop mode comment... you are connected to a switch. I don't think that parameter applies in this case.

[Louann Duchemin]

Not sure if my last response made it.

The two types of system effected at ES40's and As4100. They are both operating at OpenVMS 7.3-2 with
DEC AXPVMSVMS732_FIBRE_SCSI V11.0.

Attached is the Sys$devices.dat file. The new tape drives are referenced in the file, but they did not get setup after the reboot.

[EdgarZamora_1]

We're probably not getting the complete story here. When you said the site had a downtime did that include the tape library (being powered off or losing power, etc?)

How may reboots did you do wherein the tape drives didn't show up after the reboot? I have a feeling it's just once (for each system). Have you tested by rebooting again?

My gut feeling is that the id's on tape library changed somehow and so when VMS booted up it didn't configure the tape drives. That's just a guess though. I strongly suggest trying another reboot with logging of the startup (enable this through sysman startup).