Re: Any ideas to deal with a VMBACKUP problem?

--- In [email protected], Ivan Warren <ivan@...> wrote:
>
> jsganino wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > So, it looks like VMBACKUP is asking about the tape drive, i.e., "Who are you?" or "What can you do?" or something like that.  The answer comes back:
> > 
> 
> Actually, a standalone 'SENSE' (X'04') like this is just to clear any 
> residual sense data and to clear any 'Status Pending' condition on the 
> subchannel. It may also help determine if a tape is loaded or not, if it 
> is at load point and/or if the mounted media is writable (although on a 
> real 3420 you could only determine this *after* having attempted a write).
> 
> If the program at this point was trying to determine the device type 
> ("Who are you") it would issue a X'E4' (Sense ID - Not available on the 
> 3420 and older tape drives[1]).. And as far as "What can you do?" it 
> would probably need to issue a RDC X'64' (Read Device Characteristics - 
> 3490 and above only).
> 
> --Ivan
> 
> [1] You can make Sense ID work on a 3420 in hercules by specifying the 
> 'LEGACYSENSEID ENABLE' statement in the configuration file - but the 
> results can only be understood by custom programs (not stock programs) 
> since no real 3420 ever supported it - and thus - wouldn't have anything 
> to refer to. In some operating systems (notably MTS) - the X'E4' CCW 
> command code is expected to return Unit Check + Command Reject on a 3420.

As I don't have source for this and the product is no longer supported I don't know what VMBACKUP is trying to do here. I do know that it isn't happy with AWSTAPE's response, as it prompts again for the tape to be mounted.  As my DLT7000 is dead I can't check what kind of response it was getting from that unit that it was happy with, thus my query here.

If AWSTAPE is responding properly to the request the mystery remains why VMBACKUP is unhappy about it.  If anyone else has VMBACKUP available and also has it working with physical tapes but rejecting AWSTAPEs and has the time to investigate I would appreciate your assistance.  I am running 5.0D here, but I would imagine this behavior to be similar with other releases.

Dave