VMS will not dismount Tape

[Douglass Anderson]

VMS 7.3.2 I did a stop to a backup but the tapes won't dismount.

SYS_OSIBK1>show dev /moun
Device Device Error Volume Free Trans Mnt
Name Status Count Label Space Count Cnt
OSIBK1$DKB0: Mounted 0 ALPHA732 4.11GB 488 1

Device Device Error Volume Free Trans Mnt
Name Status Count Label Space Count Cnt
$2$MGA0: (OSIBK1) Mounted dismount 0 1_0809 0 1 0
alloc foreign
$2$MGA1: (OSIBK1) Mounted dismount 0 2_0809 0 1 0
alloc foreign

SYS_OSIBK1>dismount $2$mga1
%SYSTEM-F-DEVNOTMOUNT, device is not mounted

Help.

[Ian Miller. · Accepted solution]

For some reason does not what to dismount yr tape drives. Parhaps there is some process still assigned.

what does
$ SHOW DEV/FULL $2$MGA
say?

[Douglass Anderson]

It does list a process but the process is not lited in show system, and stop /id=PID
says it does not exist. I think it was the process(es) I killed earlier.

[Ian Miller.]

Is the ref count nonzero?

Sounds like the classic mag tape assigned to non-existant process which VMS Eng have been tying to fix for years.

Sometimes some hackery can make the tape available, sometimes you can rename the tape drive, and sometimes its reboot time.

[Douglass Anderson]

Great...

I just Rebooted.

[Volker Halle]

Douglass,

please see ITRC thread:

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=947287

Do you have VMS732_MOUNT96-V0100 or VMS732_UPDATE-V0400 (or higher) installed ? This should have solved the 'tape allocated to non-existant process' problem.

If not, consider to install the most recent UPDATE patch. If this patch is installed, force a crash next time and log a call with HP.

Volker.

[Benito Salinas_1]

Douglass,
I know you rebooted and the problem is gone but I have an .exe that will deallocate a device. I ran into the same problem some time ago and I have used it several times and it works fine. No need for reboot!! Email me if you are interested.

DISM_ALCTD_DEV.EXE;


Benito

[Ian Miller.]

Benito,
do you have the source for that program. Before running such a utility I would want to know exactly what it was doing.

[Benito Salinas_1]

Ian,
Unfortunetly, I do not. I understand your concern and I always run it on "off" hours. I was going to mention that to Doug when he emailed me. Of course, it is not supported. I believe the prior Systems guy here got it from a HP source but as "not supported". I have used it about 4 times when I stop a backup etc. then disconnect (not log off)my PowerTerm session. My now gone process still has the device allocated and I can not stop the process etc. I then run it, and it works. The thing is, I do not think that I would use it on a real volume or anything like this, tapes are ok.

Benito