Troubleshooting
Problem
This document describes how virtual I/O works on a 3584 (TS3500) attached to IBM System i products.
Resolving The Problem
On a 3584 (TS3500), it is possible to have the Advanced Library Management System (ALMS) feature enabled. When this feature is enabled, virtual I/O is available.
Without virtual I/O, when a cartridge is placed into the 3584's I/O station and the I/O station is closed, the cartridge will remain in the I/O station until an ADDTAPCTG or ADDMLMBRM command runs on the operating system. When this occurs, the volumes are moved to a slot in the 3584, and the status of the cartridge changes from INSERTED to AVAILABLE.
With virtual I/O enabled, when a cartridge is added to the I/O station, the cartridge will automatically be moved to a slot. When a WRKTAPCTG or WRKMLMBRM command is run, the cartridge will still be in INSERTED status, and the real I/O station will be empty. Every time a cartridge is added or ejected, a virtual I/O slot is taken. If an ADDTAPCTG or ADDMLMBRM command is not run, when BRMS movement or RMVTAPCTG is run users can see the following message even though there are actual slots empty in the I/O station:
CPA401E - Library device storage slots full.
The number of Virtual I/O stations is defined using the Web interface (also known as the RMU).
To check the number of available virtual I/O slots, on the Web interface select the option for Logical libraries, and determine the virtual I/O status. After an ADDTAPCTG or ADDMLMBRM command is run, the assigned count should be zero.
If, for example, there are 16 slots defined, no more than 16 volumes can be in an EJECTED or INSERTED status at any one time. If this does occur, a CPA401E message will occur when trying to eject volumes from the host.
Finding volumes in the Virtual I/O
To find tapes that are in the virtual I/O slots, from the Web Access expand Cartridges and select Data Cartridges. Under the Element Address column, if Virtual IO is enabled and the Export setting is set to Show, then the element address may have an adjacent export status in parentheses. Possible values are: Export Pending, Assignment Pending, Export in Progress, Export Complete, and Import. For details on those values, select Help in the upper right of the Web Access page.
Important Note: This information is for 3584s (TS3500) only and does not apply to TS3400, TS3310, TS3200, TS3100 or TS2900 tape libraries. The configuration and installation of the ALMS and virtual IO function is the responsibility of the Tape Hardware Support Area. How the functions are used by i OS and BRMS are part of the i OS (SR and BRMS) support team.
References
IBM TotalStorage UltraScalable Tape Library 3584 Advanced Library Management System Technology White Paper, which is attached:
IBM TotalStorage Tape Library 3584 Operator Guide and IBM TotalStorage 3584 Tape Library Introduction and Planning Guide, which are available at the following Web site:
http://www.ibm.com/support/search.wss?rs=1159&tc=STCMML8&dc=DA400+DB300+DA100+DA110+DA120+DB100+DA700+DA450+DA300&dtm
Without virtual I/O, when a cartridge is placed into the 3584's I/O station and the I/O station is closed, the cartridge will remain in the I/O station until an ADDTAPCTG or ADDMLMBRM command runs on the operating system. When this occurs, the volumes are moved to a slot in the 3584, and the status of the cartridge changes from INSERTED to AVAILABLE.
With virtual I/O enabled, when a cartridge is added to the I/O station, the cartridge will automatically be moved to a slot. When a WRKTAPCTG or WRKMLMBRM command is run, the cartridge will still be in INSERTED status, and the real I/O station will be empty. Every time a cartridge is added or ejected, a virtual I/O slot is taken. If an ADDTAPCTG or ADDMLMBRM command is not run, when BRMS movement or RMVTAPCTG is run users can see the following message even though there are actual slots empty in the I/O station:
CPA401E - Library device storage slots full.
The number of Virtual I/O stations is defined using the Web interface (also known as the RMU).
To check the number of available virtual I/O slots, on the Web interface select the option for Logical libraries, and determine the virtual I/O status. After an ADDTAPCTG or ADDMLMBRM command is run, the assigned count should be zero.
If, for example, there are 16 slots defined, no more than 16 volumes can be in an EJECTED or INSERTED status at any one time. If this does occur, a CPA401E message will occur when trying to eject volumes from the host.
Finding volumes in the Virtual I/O
To find tapes that are in the virtual I/O slots, from the Web Access expand Cartridges and select Data Cartridges. Under the Element Address column, if Virtual IO is enabled and the Export setting is set to Show, then the element address may have an adjacent export status in parentheses. Possible values are: Export Pending, Assignment Pending, Export in Progress, Export Complete, and Import. For details on those values, select Help in the upper right of the Web Access page.
Important Note: This information is for 3584s (TS3500) only and does not apply to TS3400, TS3310, TS3200, TS3100 or TS2900 tape libraries. The configuration and installation of the ALMS and virtual IO function is the responsibility of the Tape Hardware Support Area. How the functions are used by i OS and BRMS are part of the i OS (SR and BRMS) support team.
References
IBM TotalStorage UltraScalable Tape Library 3584 Advanced Library Management System Technology White Paper, which is attached:
IBM TotalStorage Tape Library 3584 Operator Guide and IBM TotalStorage 3584 Tape Library Introduction and Planning Guide, which are available at the following Web site:
http://www.ibm.com/support/search.wss?rs=1159&tc=STCMML8&dc=DA400+DB300+DA100+DA110+DA120+DB100+DA700+DA450+DA300&dtm
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Historical Number
410883391
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Document Information
Modified date:
18 December 2019
UID
nas8N1015023