When IDCAMS is run in VSE with a real 3490 tape drive and it reaches EOT, it asks for another tape. Run the same job again and when either the Library Mdisk assigned to the virtual tape volume runs out of space or the SIZE limit assigned to the virtual tape volume is reached, I'd expect IDCAMS to ask for another tape volume. Instead the IDCAMS job aborts with Intervention required. Same program and different results at EOT. I wish the VTAPE support people would talk to us a little more. They are a black hole at this point. We could really use VTAPE in our environment too. _____________________ Jim Hughes x5586 "It is fun to do the impossible." Quote from Walt Disney
________________________________ From: The IBM z/VM Operating System on behalf of Schuh, Richard Sent: Wed 6/17/2009 4:08 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Trace I/O for a 3490 tape drive You will probably find that you must write exit routines to run in your guest. I do not know the capabilities of VSE along those lines, but the MVS line, at least at one time, supported all sorts of different DCB exit routines. At a former job, we had exit routines that wee used in applications where it was critical that they be allowed to continue using another tape. These routines checked to see if the tape was real or VTAPE, and either issued a VTMOUNT (VTAPE) or a VMTAPE MOUNT. I think that you will find that the VSSI product is true to the device being simulated. It is probable that the s/w that interfaces with the device is unaware of VTAPE and tries to get a real tape mounted at EOT. It is not that the device is presenting something different to the O/S (not to IDCAMS), it is that the O/S is unaware that VTAPE is involved. The usual EOT indication is, if my memories are current with today's tape hardware, to present a Unit Exception in the status. What happens beyond that is purely the business of the operating system and access method. Regards, Richard Schuh > -----Original Message----- > From: The IBM z/VM Operating System > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Hughes, Jim > Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 12:29 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Trace I/O for a 3490 tape drive > > Here is the problem. > > We are evaluating VTAPE from VSSI. Our VSE machines get > Intervention Required when EOT is sensed when running an > IDCAMS backup. > > I am want to organize a trace to a real 3490 tape drive so I > can see the behavior when a real 3490 presents EOT to IDCAMS. > > Then I want to do the same thing using a Virtual tape drive > and compare the tape commands and interrupts. > > If we cannot get beyond this problem with VTAPE, we won't be > able to buy the product. The vendor isn't offering much in > the way of support so I'm trying to get ahead of the game and > give the vendor as much information about the nature of the > problem as possible. > > If you are telling me that I won't see any interrupts or > commands using TRSOUCE except for a few xSCH commands, then I > am on a fool's errand. > > Since you know what I am trying to do, perhaps you can > recommend a better method. > > Suggestions welcomed. > > ____________________ > Jim Hughes > 603-271-5586 > "It is fun to do the impossible." > > ==>-----Original Message----- > ==>From: The IBM z/VM Operating System > [mailto:[email protected]] On ==>Behalf Of Alan Altmark > ==>Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 2:25 PM > ==>To: [email protected] > ==>Subject: Re: Trace I/O for a 3490 tape drive ==> ==>On > Wednesday, 06/17/2009 at 12:58 EDT, "Hughes, Jim" > ==><[email protected]> wrote: > ==>> I?d like to trace all i/o, interrupts, etc for a 3490 tape drive. > ==>... > ==>> My trace command is: > ==>> CP TRACE IO 181 CCW INS INT BOTH RUN ==>> ==>> I?ve > used various other combinations of TRACE SIO and TRACE SSSCH > and ==>etc? > ==>> with no happiness. > ==>> > ==>> I can get the TSCH and SSCH commands to appear and nothing else. > ==>> > ==>> What can I do to get ALL the tape i/o for address 181 to show up? > ==> > ==>What other I/O were you expecting? If the guest is in a > TSCH loop, it ==>typically won't get I/O interrupts. They > will be drained by the TSCH. > ==> > ==>Alan Altmark > ==>z/VM Development > ==>IBM Endicott >
