Exchange medium command for C6280-4000 changer

[Thet Win]

Hi !

I'm using one HSM software with HP C6280-4000 changer and that software issues exchange medium command(a6 00 00 00 00 20 00 01 00 1f 00 00) and gets back illegal request(05 22 00) status. I have a tape from slot#2 in drive and slot#1 has another tape at that time.

Is there any work around this situation ?

Thanks;
Thet

[Jan Klier]

This model of the autochanger (C6280-4000) doesn't support the exchange command because it has a single action picker. Exchange commands either require a dual-action picker or a dedicated temporary slot.

The problem is with your software, as it should know this based on information provided by the autochanger controller (capabilities page).

Check with the software vendor, they may not have tested/support this model autochanger. If they do support it, then it would be a bug in the software and they should address it.

[Curtis Ballard]

That changer does actually support the exchange command. I have one and just verified the exact same command. If you have the tapes loaded as indicated and are sending this command it should fail because it is requesting that the tape in the drive be moved to slot 1 and then move the tape from slot 2 to the drive. You indicated that slot 2 was empty and slot 1 was full so this command is impossible. You shouldn't get illegal command back though you should get source empty (05/3b/0e). Both 2.04 and 2.12 firmware worked correctly in my tests. Do you have any more details?

[Thet Win]

My changer got firmware 2.01, I'll try out with newer one.
BTW, can I have a link to download newer version of firmware ?

Thanks!

[David Ruska]

You can obtain firmware from the HP Customer Care website. Under Support / Automated Backup / Products no longer sold / 418 dlt autoloader. From here, select "update software and drivers" and then select "firmware bundle". He can pick either the HP-UX (for Support Tools Manager) or HP LTT (for Windows) format files.

[Thet Win]

Thanks for all the help!

I already upgraded firmware to 2.12 for my 418 changer, but I got same error. Tis time, first slot(#1) is empty because its tape is in drive. Slot #2 has the tape. When the software issues the command (a6 00 00 00 00 20 00 01 00 1f 00 00), it gets back illegal request(05 22 00). Here, some scsi commands come out from software before hitting problem :

09:26:50 0:6:0 read picker status b8 01 00 00 00 01 00 00 04 00 00 00
09:26:50 0:6:0 read shelf status b8 02 00 1f 00 08 00 00 04 00 00 00
09:26:50 0:6:0 read drive status b8 04 00 01 00 01 00 00 04 00 00 00
09:27:05 0:6:0 move medium a5 00 00 00 00 1f 00 01 00 00 00 00
09:27:10 0:2:0 inquiry 12 00 00 00 38 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 start 1b 00 00 00 01 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 test unit ready 00 00 00 00 00 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 mode sense 1a 00 00 00 04 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 prevent removal 1e 00 00 00 01 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 inquiry 12 00 00 00 38 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 test unit ready 00 00 00 00 00 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 rezero (rewind) 01 00 00 00 00 00
09:27:37 0:2:0 read_6 08 00 00 08 00 00
09:27:37 0:2:0 mode sense 1a 00 0f 00 1c 00
09:27:40 0:2:0 rezero (rewind) 01 00 00 00 00 00
09:27:40 0:2:0 mode sense 1a 00 0f 00 1c 00
09:27:40 0:2:0 mode select 15 10 00 00 1c 00
09:27:46 0:6:0 inquiry 12 00 00 00 38 00
09:27:46 0:6:0 test unit ready 00 00 00 00 00 00
09:28:02 0:2:0 locate 2b 00 00 00 00 04 f9 00 00 00
09:28:02 0:2:0 read_6 08 00 00 08 00 00
09:28:02 0:2:0 read_6 08 00 01 00 00 00
09:28:02 0:2:0 read position 34 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
09:28:35 0:2:0 rezero (rewind) 01 00 00 00 00 00
09:28:35 0:2:0 allow removal 1e 00 00 00 00 00
09:28:49 0:2:0 stop no eject 1b 00 00 00 00 00
09:28:49 0:6:0 exchange medium a6 00 00 00 00 20 00 01 00 1f 00 00 ILLEGAL REQUEST: ILLEGAL FUNCTION=(05 22 00)

It looks like exchange medium does't work even with firmware 2.12. My software is asking me for the scsi command reference manual for this jukebox to see what kind of equivalent command available to do this function.

Anyway to get the manual from somewhere ?
Thanks;
Thet

[Thet Win]

Thanks for all the help!

I already upgraded firmware to 2.12 for my 418 changer, but I got same error. Tis time, first slot(#1) is empty because its tape is in drive. Slot #2 has the tape. When the software issues the command (a6 00 00 00 00 20 00 01 00 1f 00 00), it gets back illegal request(05 22 00). Here, some scsi commands come out from software before hitting problem :

09:26:50 0:6:0 read picker status b8 01 00 00 00 01 00 00 04 00 00 00
09:26:50 0:6:0 read shelf status b8 02 00 1f 00 08 00 00 04 00 00 00
09:26:50 0:6:0 read drive status b8 04 00 01 00 01 00 00 04 00 00 00
09:27:05 0:6:0 move medium a5 00 00 00 00 1f 00 01 00 00 00 00
09:27:10 0:2:0 inquiry 12 00 00 00 38 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 start 1b 00 00 00 01 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 test unit ready 00 00 00 00 00 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 mode sense 1a 00 00 00 04 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 prevent removal 1e 00 00 00 01 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 inquiry 12 00 00 00 38 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 test unit ready 00 00 00 00 00 00
09:27:36 0:2:0 rezero (rewind) 01 00 00 00 00 00
09:27:37 0:2:0 read_6 08 00 00 08 00 00
09:27:37 0:2:0 mode sense 1a 00 0f 00 1c 00
09:27:40 0:2:0 rezero (rewind) 01 00 00 00 00 00
09:27:40 0:2:0 mode sense 1a 00 0f 00 1c 00
09:27:40 0:2:0 mode select 15 10 00 00 1c 00
09:27:46 0:6:0 inquiry 12 00 00 00 38 00
09:27:46 0:6:0 test unit ready 00 00 00 00 00 00
09:28:02 0:2:0 locate 2b 00 00 00 00 04 f9 00 00 00
09:28:02 0:2:0 read_6 08 00 00 08 00 00
09:28:02 0:2:0 read_6 08 00 01 00 00 00
09:28:02 0:2:0 read position 34 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
09:28:35 0:2:0 rezero (rewind) 01 00 00 00 00 00
09:28:35 0:2:0 allow removal 1e 00 00 00 00 00
09:28:49 0:2:0 stop no eject 1b 00 00 00 00 00
09:28:49 0:6:0 exchange medium a6 00 00 00 00 20 00 01 00 1f 00 00 ILLEGAL REQUEST: ILLEGAL FUNCTION=(05 22 00)

It looks like exchange medium does't work even with firmware 2.12. My software vendor is asking me for the scsi command reference manual for this jukebox to see what kind of equivalent command available to do this function.

Anyway to get the manual from somewhere ?
Thanks;
Thet

[David Ruska]

The SCSI reference manual is available on the HP web. From www.hp.com, select support, automated backup, products no longer sold, surestore 418 dlt autoloader, manuals, and then select the DLT SCSI-2 Drive and SCSI-3 Library Command Set. (Here is the manual web page: http://www.hp.com/cposupport/manindex/hpsurestor9740_eng_man.html)

[Curtis Ballard]

Congratulations you have found a firmware bug that has been hiding . I was able to reproduce the problem and have attached a firmware update that should fix it. The firmware revision of the attached file is 2T13. The "T" indicates that it is unreleased firmware. If there is a 2.13 firmware release it will be build from this code and contain this fix but since this product is discontinued I don't know if there will be another official release.

[Curtis Ballard]

I was unable to retrieve the firmware files from my previous posting so I'll try posting again from a different system. Hopefully you can get to one of these.