Advanced Topics › How You Change the Status of Managed Devices (VARY) › Force a Device Offline while Allocated to Another System

Force a Device Offline while Allocated to Another System

When a device is externally allocated, CA MIA plugs the device on the local system. The plug makes the device appear allocated locally so it cannot be allocated by a local system. While a device appears allocated, any attempt to VARY the device offline (VARY OFFLINE, VARY NOTAVL, VARY OVG, and so on) puts the device in a pending offline status. In other words, the device does not immediately go offline. To force a device offline that is in use on another system, use the VARY NOTAVAILABLE FORCE command. If the device is allocated externally, then it is taken offline locally and given a status of not available. If the device is online but not allocated, then it is varied offline and is also given a status of not available.

To force device to be unavailable on the local system

Issue the following command:

VARY devicename NOTAVAILABLE FORCE

devicename

Specifies the name of the device you want to make unavailable

You can use the VARY AVAILABLE command to bring this device back online.

Example:

Suppose you have an HCD ACTIVATE scenario in which the devices allocated on systems external to the activating system are to be modified or deleted on the local system by the ACTIVATE command. When you issue the ACTIVATE command, the system ensures that the devices to be deleted or modified are offline and deallocated. If the devices are allocated on an external system, then ACTIVATE will fail, because the devices will be plugged by CA MIA on the local system. Use of the VARY NOTAVAILABLE FORCE command allows devices to be taken offline even if they are allocated externally, thus allowing ACTIVATE to complete.

Note: This command should only be used in situations where externally allocated devices must be taken offline immediately. Typically, VARY NOTAVL without the FORCE should be used.