Systems running under the OpenVMS operating system can connect to a media robot either directly, or through an SCSI or DSSI controller. If you connect through a controller with a DSSI interconnect, you need to be aware of some timing issues.
1 – Direct Connect SCSI Devices
Use the following procedure to create a tape robot unit:
1. For SCSI magazine loaders connected directly to an
SCSI bus, enter the SYSGEN or SYSMAN command in the
appropriate format:
VAX system:
$ MCR SYSGEN CONNECT GKannn:/DRIVER=GKDRIVER/NOADAPTER
Alpha system:
$ MCR SYSMAN IO CONNECT GKannn:/DRIVER=SYS$GKDRIVER/NOADAPTER
Where: GKannn: is the robot device name. The robot device
name for a loader is always the same as the tape drive name
incremented by one, and without any prefixes (allocation
class or NODE$ prefix) to the GK string. For example, a
tape drive name of $1$MKA200: could use a robot device
name of GKA201:.
2. Compaq recommends that you include the SYSGEN
commands in your system startup command procedure.
2 – DLT and DAT Media Loaders
This information applies to TLZnx and TZ8nn classes of DLT and DAT loaders. DLT and DAT tape loaders treat their robotic devices and tape devices as logical units of the device target ID. The are four parts to the naming convention with this type of robotic loader: · The name begins with a prefix of MK for the tape device and GK for the robotic device. · The prefix is followed by a letter indicating the physical SCSI bus to which the device is connected to the host system. For devices connected to the first bus detected at boot time, the letter is A, for the second bus detected, B, and so on. · The next part is a number corresponding to the SCSI target ID. · The last part is a two-digit number corresponding to the SCSI target ID logical unit number. Because tape drives in a DLT or DAT loader are always at logical unit 0, the last two digits are 00. The last two digits for the robotic device are 01. MKA400 is the name of a tape device connected to the first SCSI bus seen at boot time, at target ID 4. GKA401 is the name of the robotic device, and the name of the robotic unit corresponding to the tape device MKA400.
3 – TL8nn Automated Libraries
This information applies to the TL81n, TL82n, and TL89n classes of libraries. With TL8nn tape libraries, the drives and robot units are separate. There are three parts to the naming convention for a TL8nn tape library: · The name begins with a prefix of MK for the tape device and GK for the robotic device. · The prefix is followed by a letter indicating the physical SCSI bus to which the device is connected to the host system. For devices connected to the first bus detected at boot time, the letter is A, for the second bus detected, B, and so on. · The next part is a number corresponding to the SCSI target ID. For example, with a TL810 library system with the robotic unit connected to the second bus detected at boot time at target ID 5, the name would be GKB500. When installing a TL8nn Automated Tape Library system, you need to keep track of the device names for the drives serviced by the particular robotic transport device. MRU software cannot unload a cartridge from a drive in a TL8nn Automated Tape Library system without first dismounting the cartridge. MRU software has no way of associating the drives with the robotic transport device. You must supply the device file name before unloading a cartridge.
4 – HSxnn Controller
When connecting a media robot to an HSJnn or HSDnn controller, you must associate the loader name with an internal passthrough name. After installing the media robot hardware, and connecting the cables between host, controller, and media robot, you can make the association at the controller console terminal. 1. Add the loader to the controller by identifying the loader name and SCSI port, target ID, and LUN. CLI> ADD LOADER loader_name p t l 2. Add the passthrough name to the controller, relating it to the loader name. CLI> ADD PASSTHROUGH pass_name loader_name 3. Add the unit name, relating it to the passthrough name. CLI> ADD UNIT unit_name pass_name This example shows the commands for connecting a TL810 Automated Tape Library system loader. The SCSI Port is 5, Target ID is 4, and LUN is 0. CLI> ADD LOADER TL810A 5 4 0 CLI> ADD PASSTHROUGH P810A TL810A CLI> ADD UNIT D810 P810A After establishing this connection, the OpenVMS system will show the device DUA810 with its allocation class. The MRU ROBOT name will be the OpenVMS allocation class name $1$DUA810.
5 – HSZxx Controller
[ Text to be provided later by our technical writer. ] The connection of a media changer to an HSZxx family controller is similar to the procedure used for the HSJxx and HSDxx. The main difference is that "ADD PASSTHROUGH" is used in place of the "ADD LOADER" command, but the port, target and logical numbers must be provided. The other difference is that pass- through device are associated with unit names beginning with the letter P instead of D. Example: For a four drive TL810 family library. CLI> ADD PASSTHROUGH TAPE0 5 2 0 CLI> ADD PASSTHROUGH TAPE1 5 3 0 CLI> ADD PASSTHROUGH TAPE2 5 4 0 CLI> ADD PASSTHROUGH TAPE3 5 5 0 CLI> ADD PASSTHROUGH TL810 5 6 0 CLI> ADD UNIT P0 TAPE0 CLI> ADD UNIT P100 TAPE1 CLI> ADD UNIT P200 TAPE2 CLI> ADD UNIT P300 TAPE3 CLI> ADD UNIT P1 TL810 For a single drive DLT loader with the loader at logical unit 1. CLI> ADD PASSTHROUGH DLTtape 6 1 0 CLI> ADD PASSTHROUGH LOADER 6 1 1 CLI> ADD UNIT P0 DLTtape CLI> ADD UNIT P1 LOADER
6 – DSSI Devices
Command Completion Time
Commands issued to robotic devices connected with a DSSI
may take a minute or more to complete. The delays in
command completion occur to properly synchronize the DSSI
loader device.
Manual TF8x7 Operations Can Stop Automated Operations
The TF8x7 does not respond to Media Robot Utility system ROBOT LOAD
and ROBOT UNLOAD operations after an operator manually unloads a
cartridge. Other MRU status commands respond correctly.
After a manual unload is executed, the ROBOT LOAD or ROBOT UNLOAD
commands complete immediately and give no error messages. The
ROBOT SHOW DRIVE and ROBOT SHOW SLOT do properly reflect whether a
cartridge is loaded in the drive or residing in the loader.
The MRU software continues to provide proper status after manually
loading and unloading various slots even though the MRU LOAD AND
UNLOAD commands no longer execute properly.
Restoring the communication path between the TF loader and the
operating system requires a complete re-initialization of the DSSI
server embedded in the TF loader. There are two ways in which this
can be done.
Cycle power to the TF loader:
1. Turn power to the TF loader OFF
2. Wait 10 seconds
3. Turn power to the TF loader ON
Execute the following command sequence either maually through DCL,
or programatically:
$ SET HOST/DUP/SERVER=MSCP$DUP/TASK=PARAMS xxxx
(where xxxx is the DSSI NODE name of the TF loader)
PARAMS> SET INITWATERMARK 100
PARAMS> WRITE
Parameter changes require controller initialization, ok?[Y/(N)] y
Wait for the DSSI node to transition from HostUnavailable to Online
(60 - 90 seconds).
7 – MUSL Verification
Verifying a MUSL Configuration You can use MRU to verify a successful Multi-Unit, Single LUN (MUSL) configuration. Use the SHOW ROBOT command to get information about the configuration: $robot show robot Scsi2:B0T2L2 Robot Name : Scsi2:B0T2L2 Type: SCSI Media Robot Identifier: DEC TL820 (C) DEC2A5A Slots: 176 Drives: 6 Inports: 1 Outports: 1 Transports: 2 MUSL control is available on firmware 2A5A or higher. This information appears on the Media Robot Identifier line of the SHOW ROBOT output. When MUSL is activated, the combined hardware units respond to a single medium changer unit. MRU shows this with a Transport count greater than 1.