OA44486: EMPTY TAPES CAN'T BE SELECTED FROM AN IBM VTS IN AN HSM TAPEPOOLENVIRONMENT USING THE 3490 GENERIC.

APAR status

• Closed as documentation error.

Error description

• In an IBM VTS, HSM will not select empty tapes from the TVT
  during EOV processing if using an HSMTAPE pool and the 3490
  generic for UNITNAME.  Empty tapes will fail to be selected
  because their emulation information does not match the emulation
  type of the device.
  

Local fix

• Customers can consider using a scratch tape pool environment
  instead of an HSMTAPE pool environment to avoid the problem.
  
  If an HSMTAPE pool environment is needed, the customer can avoid
  the problem by using an ESOTERIC for the IBM VTS instead of the
  3490 GENERIC unit name.  Using an ESOTERIC requires the use of a
  USERUNITTABLE and will force HSM to correctly match the device
  emulation type with the HSMTAPE pool empty tapes.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: All users of DFSMShsm R1J0 and later who use *
  *                 VTS ML2 tape and/or Backup tape in an HSM    *
  *                 specific sratch pool environment.            *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Addvol'd empty 3490 ML2 and Backup tapes*
  *                      are not selected for output at EOV time *
  *                      from an IBM VTS emulating D/T3490 in an *
  *                      HSM specific scratch pool environment.  *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  Addvol'd empty 3490 ML2 tapes are not selected for output
  at EOV time from an IBM VTS emulating D/T3490 in an
  HSM specific scratch pool environment.
  

Problem conclusion

• Customers who use VTS (TS7700) with a DFSMShsm Specific
  Scratch Pool environment (SETSYS SELECTVOLUME(SPECIFIC)
  and TAPEDELETION(HSMTAPE)) should be aware that this is not
  a recommended environment.  The DFSMShsm Implementation and
  Customization Guide, Chapter 10, Implementing DFSMShsm Tape
  Environments, SMS-Managed Tape Libraries, Steps for
  defining an SMS-managed tape library recommends a
  Global Scratch Pool (SETSYS SELECTVOLUME(SCRATCH)
  and TAPEDELETION(SCRATCHTAPE)).
  
  Users who choose to use a Specific Scratch Pool environment
  with VTS must create an esoteric for the VTS and
  define that esoteric in the ARCCMDxx parmlib member for
  SETSYS commands involving tape targets. The esoteric provides
  a mechanism whereby DFSMShsm will be aware of the emulation
  status of the ADDVOL'd tape and resolves the encountered
  condition.
  
  z/OS DFSMShsm Implementation and Customization Guide,
  Chapter 10, Implementing DFSMShsm Tape Environments,
  Defining the tape management policies for your site,
  Obtaining empty tapes from scratch pools,
  Selecting output tape, Tape hardware emulation,
  currently has a discussion of the need for esoterics.
  
  
  The following documentation updates are provided to guide
  users who choose to use a DFSMShsm Specific Scratch Pool
  Environment.
  
  z/OS DFSMShsm Implementation and Customization Guide,
  SC23-6869-00 (R2.10) and SC35-0418-09 (R1.10),
  Chapter 10, Implementing DFSMShsm Tape Environments,
  Defining the tape management policies for your site,
  Obtaining empty tapes from scratch pools,
  Specific scratch pools:
  After "When tapes are entered into specific
  scratch pools of an SMS-managed tape library, ensure
  that they are assigned a PRIVATE status and
  that they are associated with the appropriate
  storage group.",
  add the following:
  "Users who choose to use Specific scratch pools with
  an SMS-managed VTS (TS7700) library with emulated D/T3490
  tape must define an esoteric for that library so that
  DFSMShsm can distinguish between stand alone drives
  and emulated drives at addvol time.  The esoteric
  should then be used to associate a given tape to
  the SMS-managed VTS (TS7700) library and DFSMShsm
  via the SETSYS USERUNITTABLE and ADDVOL commands."
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

Applicable component levels