Supported SCSI commands

An introduction to the SCSI commands that are recognized by the TS4500 tape library.

Table 1 lists all of the commands that are defined by the referenced SCSI-3 standard for medium changer devices and that are supported or not supported by the TS4500. For each command, the operation code, applicable SCSI-3 standard, and applicable conditions are shown.

For the SCSI commands supported by the IBM® LTO Ultrium tape drives, see the IBM LTO Ultrium Tape Drive SCSI Reference.

For the SCSI commands supported by the IBM 3592 tape drives, see the IBM 3592 Tape Drive SCSI Reference.

Table 1. Supported SCSI commands
Command name Operation code SCSI document Applicable conditions
RVC1 UAT2 NRD3
Exchange Medium X'A6' SMC4 Y5 Y Y
Initialize Element Status X'07' SMC Y Y Y
Initialize Element Status with Range X'E7' VU6 Y Y Y
Inquiry X'12' SPC7 N8 N N
Log Select (not supported) X'4C' SPC Y Y Y
Log Sense X'4D' SPC Y N N
Mode Select (6) X'15' SPC Y Y N
Mode Select (10) X'55' SPC Y Y N
Mode Sense (6) X'1A' SPC N Y Y9
Mode Sense (10) X'5A' SPC N Y Y9
Move Medium X'A5' SMC Y Y Y
Position to Element X'2B' SMC Y Y Y
Prevent Allow Medium Removal X'1E' SPC Y10 Y Y
Read Buffer X'3C' SPC Y N N
Read Element Status X'B8' SMC N Y Y11
Receive Diagnostic Results (not supported) X'1C' SPC Y Y N
Release Element (6) X'17' SMC N Y N
Request Sense X'03' SPC N N N
Request Volume Element Address X'B5' SMC Y Y N
Reserve Element (6) X'16' SMC Y Y N
Rezero Unit (not supported) X'01' SPC Y Y N
Send Diagnostic X'1D' SPC Y Y Y
Send Volume Tag X'B6' SMC Y Y Y
Test Unit Ready X'00' SPC Y Y Y
Write Buffer X'3B' SPC Y Y N
Notes:
  1. RVC = Reservation Conflict status. When multiple logical libraries or control paths are configured, the library has multiple Medium Changer device ports (through LUN 1 of the drives). Medium changer device reservations prevent access for those initiators only by using the same device port as the initiator that sent the Reserve command. Initiators that use another device port (for example, for a different logical library or different control path) are not affected.
  2. UAT = CHECK CONDITION status for Unit Attention.
  3. NRD = CHECK CONDITION status for Not Ready.
  4. SMC = SCSI-3 Medium Changer specification.
  5. Y = Yes (command is checked for applicable conditions).
  6. VU = The command is unique to the vendor.
  7. SPC = SCSI Primary Commands-2 (SPC-2) specification.
  8. N = No (command is not checked for applicable conditions).
  9. The reporting of Not Ready conditions for Mode Sense (6) and Mode Sense (10) is limited to reset conditions with associated sense data of 2/0401.
  10. RVC status is only reported if the Prevent field = B'01'. The command is allowed if the Prevent field = B'00'.
  11. The reporting of Not Ready conditions for Read Element Status with DVCID=B'1' is limited to reset conditions with associated sense data of 2/0401.