Error Recovery Action codes

Unsolicited Sense

The sense command was issued without an existing contingent allegiance. Any existing unit check conditions and associated sense data remain pending in the controller.

Read Data Check

An unrecoverable error was detected while attempting to read a data block or tape mark. The controller attempts, if possible, to send whatever data is read, correct or incorrect, to the host before presenting unit check status. Failure to perform DDR recovery can result in the controller preventing further access to the volume.

Read Opposite

A Read Backward command was issued to the subsystem.

Command Reject

X'20'-X'13'

Process Sequence: The command is incompatible with the state of the subsystem or a resource in the subsystem established by a prior command.

X'20'-X'17'

Process Sequence: The resource requested by the command is in use by another process in the subsystem.

X'20'-X'30'

Parameter Error: An invalid parameter has been specified.

X'20'-X'32'

Parameter In Conflict: A valid parameter has been specified that is incompatible with the state of the subsystem.

X'20'-X'33'

Reserved Field Error: A reserved field has been set to a non-zero value.

Function Incompatible

A command issued requested an operation that is understood by the subsystem, but cannot be performed due to the state of the subsystem, its configuration, or the set of installed features. This ERA code is indicated for the following conditions:

• For commands other than Clear Virtual Device, the path or path group a command was issued on is disabled for that command. For the Clear Virtual Device command, the path group ID specified in the command is disabled for restricted commands. Sense bytes 8:9 will also indicate X'2015'.
• A Perform Subsystem Function command was issued which specified the Set Volume Token or Delete Volume Token order and the token specified in the current token field did not match the token currently associated with the specified volume in the Volume/token database. Sense bytes 8:9 will also indicate X'3150'.
• A Perform Subsystem Function command was issued which specified the Set Volume Token order and the volume specified does not have an entry in the volume/token database and the database is at its maximum capacity. Sense bytes 8:9 will also indicate X'3151'.
• A Perform Library Function command was issued, which specified the Library Set Volume Category order and a target category of one of the eject categories, to a PTP VTS subsystem and the subsystem is in the Service Preparation mode.
• A Perform Library Function command was issued, which specified the Library Audit order, to a PTP VTS subsystem and the VTS subsystem, with the only valid copy of the specified volume, is in the Service Preparation mode.

• A Perform Library Function command was issued, which specified the Prepare for Read Subsystem data order, to obtain information from a specific distributed library in a PTP VTS subsystem and that subsystem is in the Service Preparation mode.
• A Perform Library Function command was issued to a PTP VTS subsystem which would cause either an eject or audit operation to be performed and the subsystem is already at the limit of the number of eject or audit operations it can concurrently support.
• A Perform Library Function command was issued to a PTP VTS subsystem which specified a parameter value that is not supported by the subsystem.
• A Perform Library Function command was issued, the microcode to support this command is installed, but the function requested by the command is not supported as described below.
• A Perform Library Function command was issued, the microcode to support this command is installed, but the function cannot be performed due to the current state of the library as described below.

• The Export/Import List VOLSER field specifies all binary zeros and there was not a corresponding operation pending in the library.
• The Export/Import List VOLSER field specifies a VOLSER that does not match the VOLSER that was specified when the corresponding operation was initiated.

A PLF Library Set Volume Category order was issued that specified the export-pending or exported category and the library does not have an export operation in progress.

A PLF Library Set Volume Category order was issued that specified the import-pending category and the library does not have an import operation in progress.

A PLF Library Set Volume Category order was issued that specified the insert category, the VOLSER specified is assigned to the import-pending category and the library does not have an import operation in progress.

• A Perform Library Function command was issued, which specified the Library Set Volume Category order and a target category of one of the eject categories, to a PTP VTS subsystem and the subsystem is in the Service Preparation mode.
• A Perform Library Function command was issued, which specified the Library Audit order, to a PTP VTS subsystem and the VTS subsystem, with the only valid copy of the specified volume, is in the Service Preparation mode.
• A Perform Library Function command was issued, which specified the Prepare for Read Subsystem data order, to obtain information from a specific distributed library in a PTP VTS subsystem and that subsystem is in the Service Preparation mode.
• A Perform Library Function command was issued, which specified the Library Set Volume Category order or Library Set Volume Attribute order and a source category of insert, to a PTP VTS subsystem and the subsystem is in the Service Preparation mode.

• A Perform Library Function command was issued, which specified the Library Set Volume Category order and a target category of one of the eject categories, to a PTP VTS subsystem and the subsystem already has 1000 eject operations in progress.
• A Perform Library Function command was issued, which specified the Library Audit order, to a PTP VTS subsystem and the subsystem already has 1000 audit operations in progress.

• The information type specified is X'1D', All Device Data and the device set being requested is not configured in the library.
• The information type specified is X'29', Volume Pool Statistical data and the pool set being requested is not configured in the library.

• A LUM PLF order is issued to a device in a PTP VTS subsystem, an I/O VTS is specified in the definition for the provided management constructs and that VTS is unavailable.
• A library mount or library universal mount PLF order is issued to a device in a cluster in a TS7700 Grid configuration and the cluster the command was received on is in service or service preparation mode.

ERA 2B, Environmental Data Present, occurs in log data presented to a Read Buffered Log command. In this case, unit check is not presented and, consequently, there is no software recovery action invoked.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 2C, Permanent Equipment Check, when the controller detects an unrecoverable error due to subsystem hardware or microprogram failure.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 2D, Data Security Erase Failure, in ending status to a Data Security Erase command if the controller cannot complete the command.

Controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 36, End of Data, to a forward motion command if the controller detects it is at the end of the data previously written to the volume.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 38, Physical End of Volume, when the virtual drive has reached the maximum amount of data allowed for the media type mounted while executing a forward-motion-type command.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 38, Physical End of Volume, when the virtual drive has reached the maximum amount of data allowed for the media type mounted while executing a forward-motion-type command.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 3D, Block Not Found Before Timeout, when the timeout value specified in a search command has been reached prior to finding a block that satisfies the search expression. Sense bytes 8:9 will also indicate X'3114'.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 41, Record Sequence Error, if the controller detected a Block ID number in a record indicating that it was not in proper sequence on the tape. The controller may prevent further accesses to the volume (see ERA 47, Volume Fenced).

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 42, Degraded Mode, when it detects a condition which indicates that certain subsystem resources are either unavailable or performing in a degraded mode. The subsystem remains operational, but degraded performance may be observed. If tape positioning has been lost, the controller will prevent further accesses to the volume (see ERA 47, Volume Fenced).

The controller presents unit check initial status with associated sense data indicating ERA 43, Drive Not Ready, when a command is issued and the device state in the controller is not ready and command requires the device to be ready.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 44, Locate Block Unsuccessful, if the tape could not be positioned at the end of the block preceding the block specified by a Locate command.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 47, Volume Fenced, if a condition has occurred which has resulted in the loss of volume integrity due to lost positioning or assignment. The controller prevents further access to the tape volume by generating deferred unit checks with associated sense data indicating ERA 47, Volume Fenced, for all eligible commands until the condition is reset or until the cartridge is unloaded. The original condition which subsequently caused ERA 47, Volume Fenced, to be presented has already been indicated by a previous unit check and associated sense data.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 48, Unsolicited Informational Data, when there is unsolicited data to be logged as an OBR record in the ERDS file. It is also presented when the transfer of parameter or tape record data is interrupted from the channel due to a halt condition. Presentation of this ERA code in sense format 20 causes the host to reissue the command that was interrupted. The controller may prevent further accesses to the volume (see ERA 47, Volume Fenced).

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 4D, Resetting Event, when resetting event notification is pending for a device-path pair and a command is issued which is eligible to receive this indication.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 4E, Maximum Block Size Exceeded, when the host issues a write command that would write a data block larger than the maximum size that the controller can write. The data block is not written to tape.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 51, Read Buffered Log (EOV), to indicate the controller is requesting the control program to issue a Read Buffered Log command. Buffered log data may or may not be present when this ERA is presented and an MDR record may or may not be required to be written in the ERDS file.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 52, End of Volume Complete, to indicate the successful completion of a Rewind Unload command.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 53, Global Command Intercept, when a global command is issued on a channel path which is associated with a path group when the global command intercept condition is active.

When attention-intercept status (X'82') or not ready to ready-intercept status (X'87') is presented, the associated sense data indicates ERA 57, Global Status Intercept.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 5F, No PGID Established, to a command issued on channel path for which a path group ID has not been established and the command processing requires that a path group ID is established. Sense bytes 8:9 will also indicate X'3155'.

The controller presents unit check status, to a Perform Library Function command, with associated sense data indicating ERA 60, Library Attachment Facility Equipment Check, if the controller detects an unrecoverable error on the library attachment interface either during initialization or during subsequent command processing and there are no other operational paths between the controller and the library manager.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 62, Library Manager Offline to Subsystem, if any of the following conditions apply:

• A PLF-library mount or PLF-library universal mount order is issued to a device in a VTS and the number of physical drives available to the VTS is less than two. Sense byte 8 will also indicate X'03'.
• A PLF-library mount order is issued to a device in a Peer-to-peer VTS and all available VTSs are in the VTS is Out of Empty Stacked Volumes state. Sense byte 8 will also indicate X'04'.
• A PLF command is issued and the library manager is offline to the subsystem.

The controller presents unit check status, to a Perform Library Function command, with associated sense data indicating ERA 63, controller and Library Manager Incompatible, if any one of the following conditions apply:

• The library manager and VTS controller microcode levels are not compatible.
• If the sequence number of the VTS subsystem does not match the value known to the library manager.
• A valid message type is received from a VTS subsystem, but it contained information not recognized by the library manager. The message is considered to be incompatible with the library manager. (This is most likely caused by a code error.)

Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, indicates which of the following reasons is being reported:

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 64, Library VOLSER in Use, if the VOLSER specified, in certain orders of the Perform Library Function command, is in use. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, indicates which of the following reasons is being reported:

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 65, Library Volume Reserved, if the VOLSER specified, in certain orders of the Perform Library Function command, is reserved. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, indicates which of the following reasons is being reported:

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 66, Library VOLSER Not in Library, if the VOLSER specified, in certain orders of the Perform Library Function command, is not in the library partition the command was issued to. This unit check is also presented to a PLF - LUM or PLF - LSVA order if the clone VOLSER field specifies a VOLSER that is not in the library or the type of media is incompatible. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, indicates which of the following reasons is being reported:

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 67, Library Category Empty, if:

For a Perform Library Function Library Mount order

There is no VOLSER specified and the category specified by the source-category parameter does not contain any assigned volumes, and, if not X'0000', the alternate-source-category does not contain any assigned volumes. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is set to X'01'.

The mount is issued to a TS7700 Grid configuration and there is no VOLSER specified and the category specified by the source-category parameter does not contain any compatible volumes owned by the cluster performing the mount, and, if not X'0000', the alternate-source-category does not contain any compatible volumes owned by the cluster performing the mount. Sense byte 8 will also indicate X'01'.

There is no VOLSER specified and the source-category specified had been assigned to the device by a previous library set device category order which also specified the category order parameter as active and all of the volumes assigned to the category have already been mounted. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is set to X'02'.

There is no VOLSER specified and the source-category specified had been assigned to the device by a previous library set device category order which also specified the category order parameter as active and the next volume in the specified category, whose media type is compatible with the device the order was issued to, is in-use, inaccessible, misplaced or has been manually ejected or in a TS7700 Grid configuration, is owned by another cluster and ownership cannot be obtained. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is set to X'03'.

For a Perform Library Function Library Universal Mount order

The source-category or alternate-source category specified has not been assigned to the device by a previous library set device category order which also specified the category order parameter as active, the enable blank storage group selection parameter is inactive and the categories specified by the source category and alternate-source-category do not contain any available volumes that meet the specified selection criteria. In a TS7700 Grid configuration, part of the selection criteria is whether the cluster processing the mount has ownership of the volume. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is set to X'01'.

The source-category or alternate-source category specified has not been assigned to the device by a previous library set device category order which also specified the category order parameter as active, the enable blank storage group selection parameter is active and the categories specified by the source category and the alternate-source-category parameters have no available volumes that meet the specified selection criteria including a blank storage group assignment. In a TS7700 Grid configuration, part of the selection criteria is whether the cluster processing the mount has ownership of the volume. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is set to X'01'.

The source-category specified had been assigned to the device by a previous library set device category order which also specified the category order parameter as active and all of the volumes meeting the specified selection criteria in the category have already been mounted. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is set to X'02'.

The source-category specified had been assigned to the device by a previous library set device category order which also specified the category order parameter as active and the next volume in the specified category that meets the specified selection criteria is in-use, inaccessible, misplaced or has been manually ejected or in a TS7700 Grid configuration, is owned by another cluster and ownership cannot be obtained. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is set to X'03'.

For a Perform Library Function Library Import order

There are no volumes assigned to the import category. The import operation cannot start until the stacked volumes to import have been added to the library. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is set to X'04'.

There are no scratch stacked volumes. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is set to X'05'.

For a Perform Library Function Library Export order

There are no scratch stacked volumes. Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is set to X'05'.

All other values of sense byte 8 are reserved.

Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is set to one of the following values based on the condition being reported:

The controller presents a Volume Exception attention message and unsolicited unit check with associated sense data indicating ERA 6C, Library Misplaced Volume Found, if during processing in the library, a volume is found that is flagged as misplaced in the inventory.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 6D, Library Drive Not Unloaded, if A Perform Library Function, Library Demount order does not have the Force Unload on Demount flag as active and it is issued for a device which has a mount operation in progress or is already loaded and a Rewind Unload command has not been executed.

The controller presents a Volume Exception attention message and unsolicited unit check with associated sense data indicating ERA 6E, Library Inaccessible Volume Restored, if during processing in the library, a volume that is flagged as inaccessible in the inventory is no longer inaccessible.

During processing in the library, the library manager has become non-operational. An unsolicited attention message, Operational State Change, with an unsolicited unit check, with associated sense data indicating ERA 70, Library Manager Equipment Check, is generated to report the failure.

The controller presents an unsolicited unit check with associated sense data indicating ERA 71, Library Equipment Check, when the library has detected an unrecoverable error which causes the library to automatically enter the Pause state.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 72, Library Not Capable - Manual Mode, when a Perform Library Function command specifies an order that cannot be performed because the library is operating in manual mode.

The controller presents an unsolicited attention message, Operational State Change, with an unsolicited unit check, with associated sense data indicating ERA 73, Library Intervention Required, when intervention is required to retrieve a cartridge that has become inaccessible to the library.

The controller presents an unsolicited unit check with associated sense data indicating ERA 74, Library Informational Data, when an event in the library needs to be logged. Depending on what condition is being reported, the unit check may be associated with an Operational State Change attention message.

Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is used with ERA 74, Library Informational Data, to provide further information on the reason for the unsolicited unit check as follows:

The controller presents an unsolicited attention message, Volume Exception, with an unsolicited unit check, with associated sense data indicating ERA 77, Library Duplicate VOLSER Ejected, during the execution of an operation, when a duplicate VOLSER was found in the library. The VOLSER that is ejected is the one that is not at the location indicated by the inventory.

The controller presents an unsolicited attention message, Volume Exception, with an unsolicited unit check, with associated sense data indicating ERA 78, Library Duplicate VOLSER Left In Input Station, during the execution of an insert operation, when a duplicate VOLSER was found in the input station.

The controller presents an unsolicited unit check with associated sense data indicating ERA 7A, Read Library Statistics, about once an hour when the subsystem is installed in a library and the library manager is online to the subsystem.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 7B, Library Volume Manually Ejected, if the volume specified in certain orders of the Perform Library Function command has been assigned to the manually-ejected category.

Note: The function for manual ejection of volumes from the library and their supporting categories (Manually-Ejected, Purge-Volume) and errors codes are only implemented for the 3494 type libraries.

The controller presents an unsolicited attention message, Operational State Change, with an unsolicited unit check, with associated sense data indicating ERA 7C, Library Out Of Cleaner Volumes, when a drive cleaning operation is attempted but there are no cleaner volumes in the library.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 7D, Library Volume Exported, if the virtual volume specified in certain orders of the Perform Library Function command has been assigned to the exported category

Note: This error is reported only on IBM libraries that have a Virtual Tape Server installed that also supports the export/import functions.

All other values of sense byte 8 are reserved.

The controller presents an unsolicited attention message, Volume Exception, with an unsolicited unit check, with associated sense data indicating ERA 80, Library Unexpected Volume Ejected, during the execution of an operation, when a volume was found in the library that was not in the inventory. The volume is ejected from the library.

The controller presents an unsolicited attention message, Library I/O Station State Change, with an unsolicited unit check, with associated sense data indicating ERA 81, Library I/O Station Door Open, when one of the I/O station doors is detected to be open.

Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is used with ERA 81, Library I/O Station Door Open, to provide further information on the reason for the unsolicited unit check as follows:

The controller presents an unsolicited unit check with associated sense data indicating ERA 82, Library Manager Program Exception, when a program exception has been detected by the library manager.

The controller presents an unsolicited unit check, for a specific device address, with associated sense data indicating ERA 83, Library Drive Exception, when the enhanced device error recovery on a 3490 device installed in a managed tape library was successful.

Note: Although this ERA code is generated by the library, it is reported in sense format 20 to provide information about the specific device error.

The controller presents an unsolicited unit check, for a specific device address, with associated sense data indicating ERA 84, Library Drive Failure, when the enhanced device error recovery on a VTS device installed in a library was unsuccessful.

Note: Although this ERA code is generated by the library, it is reported in sense format 20 to provide information about the specific device error.

The controller presents an unsolicited attention message, Operational State Change, with an unsolicited unit check, with associated sense data indicating ERA 85, Library Environmental Alert, when an environmental alert condition has been detected in the library enclosure.

Sense byte 8 indicates the reason for the environmental alert as follows:

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 86, Library All Categories Reserved, to a Library reserve Category order of the Perform Library Function command when there are not enough available categories to satisfy the request or if the Requested Category field is not X'0000' and the specified category is reserved for another identification token.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 87, Library Duplicate Volume Add Requested, during the execution of a Library Add Volume Information PLF order when a VOLSER is specified which is already in the library inventory. The controller also presents this error to either a Library Set Volume Category or Library Set Volume Attribute PLF order if the specified VOLSER is in another partition of the non-U/I library in a PTP VTS.

Sense byte 8, Library Error Modifier, is set to one of the following values based on the condition being reported.

The controller presents an unsolicited attention message, Volume Exception, with an unsolicited unit check, with associated sense data indicating ERA 88, Damaged Cartridge Ejected, when the library determines that a problem exists with the cartridge or media and has ejected the cartridge to an output station.

Sense byte 8 indicates the reason why the cartridge was ejected:

When the subsystem needs to notify a host, that has established access to a file in a Virtual Tape Server subsystem, that the file is needed for a higher priority access, the next Read Forward or Write command issued for the file is presented unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 90, File Contention Notification.

Sense bytes 8:9 will indicate X'8030'.

Sense byte 8 is set as follows:

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 92, Command Time Limit Exceeded, to the Perform Subsystem Function - Remote Command Execution order if during synchronous execution, the execution time of the script specified in the parameter data exceeds the time limit also specified in the parameter data.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 93, Script Command Error, to the Perform Subsystem Function - Remote Command Execution order if during synchronous execution, the script specified in the parameter data detects an error.

The controller presents unit check status with associated sense data indicating ERA 94, File Access Denied - OOS, to the Perform Subsystem Function - Control File Access order if the order specifies that a file is to be opened and the volume pool the resulting file would be premigrated to does not have any scratch physical volumes.

Sense bytes 8:9 will indicate X'2018'.