Is there an exit in VM:Tape for a tape that is scratched?

[Anon Anon]

We use VM:Backup/VM:Tape on our zPDT which emulates tapes. We have an exit (VMTEXIT9) that prepares a tape when it is allocated but we'd like to be able to remove the file representing the emulated tape when a VM:Backup tape expires and the tape reverts to "scratch" status. At the moment we use a batch process which compares what emulated tapes we have and what VM:Tape thinks the status of that tape is, and if it's a scratch tape we delete it and clear up the space. What would be nice was when a tape expires an action could be take to delete the tape as it happens.

 

Neale

[Anon Anon]

Neale, currently there is no EXIT point available in VM:Tape at the time a volume is scratched. At this time there is only a DSE (Data Security Erase) EXIT. However that EXIT is not called until a scratch tape is being mounted for reuse, not at the time the tape is scratched.

 

That being said, there are a couple of possibilities that you may be able to use in the meantime (until such an EXIT may be provided) to accomplish what you would like to do.

 

The VMTAPE SCRATCH command produces a report of the volumes that have been scratch as result of issuing the command. By default, the SCRATCH REPORT is sent to the PRT queue of the command issuer:

 

<<< snip >>>

* * * Top of File * * *

SCRATCH REPORT for 2014/296      CA VM:Tape (R)  Copyright (c) 2011 CA.

                      Page  1

          VOLSER    OWNER    LABEL  TRK/DEN    ARM

          CA3038   VMBACKUP  SL      36/EXF    N/A

          CA9167   VMB036    SL      36/EXF    N/A

* * * End of File * * *

<<< snip >>>

Alternatively, the DISK option can be included on the VMTAPE SCRATCH command. When the DISK option is included, additionally copies of the TMC records of volumes that have been scratched are written to the file SCRATCH LIST on the A-DISK of the user who issued the command.

 

You could use either of these outputs produced by the VMTAPE SCRATCH command to capture the volumes that have been scratched.

 

A simple way to get rid of the data (all but the VOL1 record) from you disk storage would be to reinitialize each volume in the SCRATCH REPORT/SCRATCH LIST using the VMTAPE TAPEINIT utility:

 

            VMTAPE TAPEINIT SCRATCH volser ( NEW

 

Alternatively, you could write your own program to process the volumes found in the SCRATCH REPORT/SCRATCH LIST to issue volume maintenance commands to the zPDT.

 

JR Imler

[Anon Anon]

What I've done for the moment is to create an EXEC that I run manually (for the moment), that I will get VM:Schedule to run weekly. What it does is:

1. Issue VMTAPE SCRATCH

2. Get a list of emulated tapes on the zPDT

3. Run the tape volsers against VMTAPE LIST and look for "is a scratch tape"

4. For those that match, erase the file representing the emulated tape on the zPDT

 

Here's a sample of the run:

 

There were 0 volumes scratched.

Examining 531 tapes            

Attempting to reclaim 48 tapes 

... 5 tapes reclaimed          

... 10 tapes reclaimed         

... 15 tapes reclaimed         

... 20 tapes reclaimed         

... 25 tapes reclaimed         

... 30 tapes reclaimed         

... 35 tapes reclaimed         

... 40 tapes reclaimed         

... 45 tapes reclaimed         

48 tapes reclaimed             

[Anon Anon]

Neale, so perhaps you could change your procedure to use one of the outputs from the VMTAPE SCRATCH command to process only the volumes that were scratched by the issue of the command on a daily basis so you don't have to check every tape in the TMC each day.

 

Then, perhaps monthly, run your current procedure that checks every tape in the TMC to catch any stray volumes that can be reclaimed (theoretically there won't be any).

 

JR Imler

[Anon Anon]

Given the relatively low number of volumes and the low rate of growth, running the command once a week will probably be okay.

[Anon Anon]

Just to complete this thread, VM:Schedule ran the reclaim in the wee hours as intended:

 

There were 49 volumes scratched.                                               

49 were due to normal expiration.                                             

Examining 483 tapes                                                            

Attempting to reclaim 49 tapes                                                 

... 5 tapes reclaimed                                                          

... 10 tapes reclaimed                                                         

... 15 tapes reclaimed                                                         

... 20 tapes reclaimed                                                         

... 25 tapes reclaimed                                                         

... 30 tapes reclaimed                                                         

... 35 tapes reclaimed                                                         

... 40 tapes reclaimed                                                         

... 45 tapes reclaimed                                                         

49 tapes reclaimed                                                             

VMDJEM0231I Request 'RECLAIM' for user 'VMANAGER' ended at 01:03:38 10/24/14 wit

h return code 0.                                                               

CONNECT= 00:03:38 VIRTCPU= 000:00.66 TOTCPU= 000:01.58                         

LOGOFF AT 01:03:38 EDT FRIDAY 10/24/14