Service information messages

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Service information messages (SIM) and FICON® media information messages (MIM) provide information about abnormal conditions in the subsystem or media.

The SIMs and MIMs are a primary function in the Enterprise controller TS7700 Server plan for improved product availability:
  • A SIM alerts the customer of an abnormal condition in the subsystem. Information in the SIM identifies the affected drive, the controller (or control unit [CU]), the failing component, the severity of the fault condition, and the expected impact of the pending service action.

    A SIM contains the machine type, machine serial number, and field replaceable unit (FRU) Identifier (FID) information required for service personnel to repair the machine fault.

SIM sense bytes

The following table defines SIM Sense Bytes.

Table 1. Service information message (SIM) Sense Bytes
0-7 Common Sense Bytes
Byte Meaning  
0 Flags 0  
1 Flags 1  
2
Bit
Description
0-1
Basic Recovery Action (BRAC)
1
Continue
2
Re-issue
2-4
Logging Code (LC)
3
A3
5
VLF Active
6
Synchronous Transfer Mode
7
Medium Positioning
  
3 Error Recovery Action (ERA)
48
Unsolicited Informational Data
  
4-5 Reason Code (RC) - Reason Qualifier Code (RQC)
11-01
I/O-Subsystem SIM
11-02
Device SIM
  
6 Message Code (MC)
F1
I/O-Subsystem SIM
F2
Device SIM
  
7 Sense Format
71
SIM Sense
  
8-22 Format-dependent Sense Bytes
Byte I/O-Subsystem SIM Sense (Message Code=F1) Meaning Device SIM Sense (Message Code=F2) Meaning
8-9 Message Modifier
Bit
Description
0-3
Exception Message Code
0
Reserved
1
Effect of failure is unknown
2
CU Exception - No Performance Impact
3-F
Reserved
4-7
Service Message Code
0
Reserved
1
Repair Impact is unknown
2
Repair will not impact CU performance
3-F
Reserved
8-9
Report Severity
0
Service
1
Moderate
2
Serious
3
Acute
10
Repeated Report Presentation: set to '1'b if this SIM was previously reported.
11
Message To Operator (MTO): set to '1'b if this SIM should be reported to the operator console.
12-14
Reserved
15
Message Data Flag
 Message Modifier
Bit
Description
0-3
Exception Message Code
0
Reserved
1
Effect of failure is unknown
2
DV Exception - No performance Impact
3
DV Exception on Interface xx
4
DV Exception on ACF
5
DV Exception on Operator Panel
6
DV Exception on Tape path
7
DV Exception in Drive
8
DV Preventive Maintenance Required
9-F
Reserved
Where italicized fields are determined as follows:
xx
Format 71, byte 10
4-7
Service Message Code
0
Reserved
1
Repair Impact is unknown
2-6
Reserved
7
Repair will disable access to DV
8
Repair will disable message display ids on DV
9
DV Cleaning Required
A
DV Cleaning Complete
B-F
Reserved
8-9
Report Severity
0
Service
1
Moderate
2
Serious
3
Acute
10
Repeated Report Presentation: set to '1'b if this SIM was previously reported.
11
Message To Operator (MTO): set to '1'b if this SIM should be reported to the Operator Console.
12-14
Reserved
15
Message Data Flag
10-12 Message Data

Reserved, set to X'000000'
Byte
Meaning
10
Exception Data xx
11
SIM Message Code
Value (ASCII)
Description
'00'
No Message
'41'
Device Degraded - Call for Service
'42'
Device Hardware Failure - Call for Service
'43'
Service Circuits Failed, Operations Not Affected - Call for Service
'55'
Drive Needs Cleaning: Load Cleaning Cartridge
'57'
Drive Cleaning Complete: Cleaning Cartridge Ejected
12
Reserved - set to X'00'
13 SIM Identifier

This field contains the same value when a SIM is presented more than once and can be used in interactions with the product during maintenance activities.

 SIM Identifier

This field contains the same value when a SIM is presented more than once and can be used in interactions with the product during maintenance activities.
14-15 Unit Modifier

Microcode EC level

 Unit Modifier

Expert Systems Data from Log Page 31, bytes 16-19 (ASCII->HEX)
16-17 REF Code 1
Bit
Description
0-2
SIM Type
B'000'
Hardware, non-encoded SRN (HDWE)
B'001'
Hardware, encoded POST error (EPOST) (future)
B'111'
Microcode Detected Error (MDE)
3-15
Reserved (used for encoded POST errors in future)
 REF Code 1
Bit
Description
0-2
SIM Type
B'011'
Device SIM
3-7
Reserved
8-15
FRU Identifier (FID)
18-19 REF Code 2
HDWE SIM Type
Bits 0-7 are set to X'00'

Bits 8-15 are set to the first 2 digits of the SRN

MDE SIM Type
Bits 0-15 are set to the CU MDE code
 REF Code 2

For Device SIMs, this value will be set to the 1st FSC code reported from the device.
20-21 REF Code 3
HDWE SIM Type
Bits 0-15 are set to the last 4 digits of the SRN
MDE SIM Type
Bits 0-15 contain CU MDE supporting data
 REF Code 3

For Device SIMs, this value will be set to the last FSC code reported from the device.
22 Reserved Reserved
23-31 Common Sense Bytes
Byte Meaning  
23 Flags 3  
24 Flags 4  
25-26 Product Identifier (MM-PP)  
27-29 Product Serial (SSSSS)  
30 CU/Library Type-Model  
31 Device Type-Model  

FICON MIM formats

The following figure displays FICON MIM format.

Figure 1. Description of Service Information Message Format
                 1                                      2
TAPE SERVICE INFORMATION MESSAGES               REPORT DATE 263 96
 
                                                          3
                                                PERIOD FROM 363 98
                                                       
 
 4     5    3    7    8   
 
  DEVICE-0860   S/N 01113-07780   DATE-007/99  TIME-12:23:58:70     ID=1F       
9 10 11 12 13 14
*ACUTE ALERT   D/T UNKNOWN   REF-60B0    REF-305D   REF3-305D    UM-2268                              
   * SERVICE ALERT  D/T-3494-B11  REF1-60FF  REF2-C559   REF3-C559   UM-1229
 
     15
   * DV EXCEPTION IN DRIVE
 
     16
   * REPAIR WILL DISABLE ACCESS TO DV
 
 
 
DEVICE-0815  S/N 0113-23456  DATE-007/99 TIME-01:44:53:87  ID=97
   * ACUTE ALERT   D/T-3590-A00  REF1-E000 REF2-30B7 REF3-0000 UM-0913
   * EFFECT OF FAILURE IS UNKNOWN
   * REPAIR IMPACT IS UNKNOWN
 
 
 
DEVICE-08A2 S/N 0113-00011  DATE-006/99 TIME-11:25:38:00 ID=6C
   * SERVICE ALERT  D/T-3590-A00  REF1-E000 REF2-8083 REF3-0000 UM-0000
   * Controller (Control unit [CU]) EXCEPTION - NO PERFORMANCE IMPACT
   * REPAIR WILL NOT IMPACT CU PERFORMANCE
 
 
 
DEVICE-08A3 S/N 0113-0001A  DATE-007/99 TIME-11:29:56:01  ID=1B
   * SERVICE ALERT   D/T-3590-B11  REF1-60FF REF2-C559 REF3-C559 UM-160F
   * DV PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE COMPLETED
   * DV CLEANING COMPLETE
 
 
 
DEVICE-086F  S/N 0113-23A56  DATE-007/99 TIME-03:44:53:87  ID=23
* SERIOUS ALERT   D/T-3590-A00  REF1-0000  REF2-0089   REF3-0109   UM-0913 
* EFFECT OF FAILURE IS UNKNOWN
*REPAIR IMPACT IS UNKNOWN
 
 
 
DEVICE-087F  S/N 0113-23C56  DATE-007/99 TIME-04:44:53:87  ID=21 
* ACUTE ALERT   D/T-3590-B11  REF1-60E5  REF2-9999   REF3-DECC   UM-160F   
* DV EXCEPTION IN DRIVE
* REPAIR WILL DISABLE ACCESS TO DV

 

The following table describes the FICON MIM format.

Table 2. Description of fibre connection (FICON) media information message format
Reverse Keys Field Explanation
1 Type of EREP report - service information messages (SIMs)
2 Julian date the report ran
3 Julian date of the earliest record
4 The 4 hex digits of the controller address
5 Plant of manufacture and the machine sequence number
6 Date of failure
7 Time of failure
8 SIM identifier. Contains the same value when presented more than once
9 Severity: Moderate, Serious, Acute or Service
10 Machine type and model number
11 Reference code from bytes 16 and 17 in format 71 sense
12 Reference code from bytes 18 and 19 in format 71 sense
13 Reference code three from bytes 20 and 21 in format 71 sense
14 Unit modifier for Expert System Data
15 Informational message
16 Informational message

Other MIM formats

The following figure is a sample MIM EREP report.

                1                             2
 TAPE MEDIA INFORMATION MESSAGES                 REPORT DATE 008 99
                                                         3
                                                      PERIOD FROM 363 98
                                                        TO   008 99
 
*******************************************************************
 4               5            6          7
      VOLUME-0883          DEVICE-0333                    DATE-006/99             TIME-07:45:44:04
         8                          9                                                                    
         * D/T-3590-B1A               S/N 1804-MXGKM
         10          11       12        13
 * MODERATE ALERT           REFCODE-6157         MEDIA IDENTIFIER-0130        IDENTIFIER-23
         14
        * DATA DEGRADED
         14
  * REFERENCE MEDIA MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE 57
 
VOLUME-JANZ01  DEVICE-0338   DATE-006/99   TIME-07:40:45:04
  * D/T-3590-B1A     S/N 160G-*****
  * MODERATE ALERT  REFCODE-6103   MEDIA IDENTIFIER-0002 IDENTIFIER-01
  * MEDIUM EXCEPTION
  * REFERENCE MEDIA MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE 03
 
VOLUME-JAAZ01 DEVICE-1741  DATE-007/99 TIME-07:40:45:04 **REPEATED**
  * D/T-3590-B1A    S/N 16G4-*****
  * MODERATE ALERT  REFCODE-6157  MEDIA IDENTIFIER-0130 IDENTIFIER-23
  * DATA DEGRADED
  * REFERENCE MEDIA MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE 57
 
VOLUME-JANZ04  DEVICE-0336   DATE-008/99   TIME-07:45:44:04
  * D/T-3590-B1A     S/N 160G-*****
  * MODERATE ALERT REFCODE-6155  MEDIA IDENTIFIER-0130 IDENTIFIER-23
  * BLOCK 0 ERROR
  * REFERENCE MEDIA MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE 55
 
VOLUME-JANZ04  DEVICE-0337 DATE-007/99 TIME-07:39:44:0
 * D/T-3590-B1A    S/N 16G4-*****
 * MODERATE ALERT  REFCODE-6157  MEDIA IDENTIFIER-0130 IDENTIFIER-23
 * DATA DEGRADED
 * REFERENCE MEDIA MAINTENANCE PROCEDURE 57
 
 ********************************************************************

 

The following table describes the MIM format.

Table 3. Description of Media Information Message Format
Reverse Keys Field explanation
1 Type of report - Media Information Messages (MIM)
2 Julian date the report ran
3 Julian date of the earliest record and latest record
4 The VOLID from bytes 16 - 21 in format 70 sense
5 The drive the tape was on when the failure occurred
6 Julian date of the MIM sent to the host
7 Time the failure occurred
8 Device type
9 Machine sequence number
10 Severity: high number of temporary R/W errors, serious permanent R/W errors, acute block 0, cartridge type, or volume label errors were detected (R/W errors)
11 Reference code taken from bytes 10 and 11 of format 70 sense
12 Media identifier taken from bytes 12 and 13 of format 70 sense
13 Format identifier taken from byte 22 of format 70 sense
14 Informational message for problem correction