Russell & Mike - Our MDL configuration has 2 nodes, but in this case, 841C & 8401 are both on the same node.
The part I'm having a hard time understanding is that the MDL appears to mount the correct tape every time for the pool requested - as in the example I gave previously - if TMS001 occurs and asks for PRIVAT, the MDL gives it a scratch tape from that pool. If TMS002 occurs and asks for DRVAULT, the MDL is giving it a "V" tape as defined. So why in these 2 cases are we seeing the incorrect TMS msg with the incorrect pool? As for Mike's point, the MDL doesn't appear to me to be assigning a volume from the wrong pool - it appears to me that it's actually mounting a tape from the sub-pool requested. Additionally, both sub-pools have plenty of scratch - enough so that we're only running a scratch cycle once a week. I don't think that's the issue, but I will request some automation be put in place to automatically do some displays when we get this error so I can say definitively that it's not - although maybe I can say that even without the displays as all we do to correct the job abend is re-submit it and it runs to good EOJ. I've also opened an issue with the MDL support to verify that it does support sub-pooling - although I'm pretty sure at this point that it does as I can display definitions in the MDL showing that there are 2 scratch pools defined - PRIVAT & DRVAULT. So the saga continues - ddk ////////////////////////////// Are both devices 841C and 8401 inside the same MDL and managed as part of the same Storage Group? The problem with CA-1 subpooling and most robotic/virtual libraries is that tapes are not mounted based on the TMS001/TMS002 mount messages, but instead based on their own rules. Now, a BTLS managed IBM robot does support a few sub-pools; their restriction is that the name of the subpool must begin with SCRTCH followed by a number 1-9 (as in SCRTCH1 or SCRTCH2). With a true manual environment (where the operator mounts the tapes), the TMS001/2 mount message is intercepted by the operator. With a robotic/virtual environment; this is not always the case. With a Oracle/STK robot, they have added support for the TMS002 mount message. But I do not believe that HDS MDL has support to mount the correct subpool tape based on a TMS002 mount message. Russell Witt CA 1 L2 Support Manager ///////////////////////////////// Our site used to get this too, assigning volumes from the wrong pool. Immediately after you get the error message, see how many scratch tapes you have and how many in the various sub pools. You might be running faster than the VTS is scratching tapes. -- Mike A Schwab, This e-mail message and all attachments transmitted with it may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information intended solely for the use of the addressee(s). If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any reading, dissemination, distribution, copying, forwarding or other use of this message or its attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this message and all copies and backups thereof. Thank you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html

