Previous Topic: Verifying the Virtual Devices Are OperationalNext Topic: Operational Considerations

Product Verification › Verifying CA Vtape is Operational

Verifying CA Vtape is Operational

Multiple CA Vtape console commands will be referenced in this section to display various installation related items. These commands are documented in mixed case where the uppercase characters are those characters that must be entered for the subsystem to identify the command.

Note: For complete descriptions of the commands and sample output, see the chapter “Console Commands” in the Administration Guide. If you detect problems during the verification steps, see the chapter “Troubleshooting” in the Administration Guide.

  1. Issue the SVT1 Display Status console command to display the status of the subsystem or started task. Check the following items:
  2. Issue the SVT1 Display Parmlib console command. Check the following items:
  3. Issue the SVT1 Display Active console command to display the Virtual Devices and the DASD buffer totals.

    The first line of the display contains the total DASD buffer size.

  4. Submit a job using a data set name or data class that matches your test filter and use a UNIT parameter value that contains the Virtual Devices.

    The mount request should be intercepted and written to a Virtual Volume.

  5. Issue the SVT1 Display Groups console command to display the Externalization Subgroup Queues. The DASD buffer totals should change by the amount of space consumed by the Virtual Volume that was just written.

    A line for the group and subgroup used will also be displayed and should match the amount of space used. The group number should match the group number of the filter that caused CA Vtape to intercept the mount request.

  6. Issue the SVT1 SET BACKstore=Release,Group=nn,SubGroup=x console command where nn is the group number and x is the subgroup that contains the Virtual Volume. The command will override the Backstore Automation setting and release the Subgroup Queue for Externalization.
  7. The CA Vtape Subsystem periodically checks the Externalization Subgroup Queues for Virtual Volumes that are queued for Externalization to Backstore Tapes. Issuing the SVT1 CHECK BACKstore console command will cause an immediate check for queued Virtual Volumes. If work is queued, the subsystem will then issue the F SVT1PT,START GROUP=nn,SUBGROUP=x console command to notify the Backstore Engine to start an Externalization Subtask.

    The same command is available to you except that it is issued as a console command and not a modify command. You would use SVT1 START Group=nn,SubGroup=x.

  8. Issue the SVT1 Display Backstore console command to display the Backstore Engine status. A subtask should be active and a tape mount request in progress for the appropriate group and subgroup.
  9. When Backstore has completed processing the Virtual Volume, the Backstore Tape and drive will be released and the Externalization Subtask will be stopped. Issue the SVT1 START RECALL=vvvvvv console command where vvvvvv is the Virtual Volume VOLSER that was just copied to Backstore Tape. This command will cause the Backstore copy of the Virtual Volume to be copied back into and overlay the Cache copy.
  10. CA Vtape finds the Backstore Tape containing the Virtual Volume with a catalog lookup of the name generated by the Backstore process. Using ISPF 3.4, enter the DSN Prefix value from the SVTS Display Status console command followed by VVE.V*. An entry for the Virtual Volume externalized by the Backstore process should be displayed. If you are using Dynamic Cache Management, an entry should also be displayed for the dynamic cache linear data set (LDS). Make sure that these entries are in the user catalog defined for CA Vtape use and not in the master catalog or some other user catalog.
  11. Submit a job to read the recalled Virtual Volume and verify its content.
  12. Display the Virtual Volume in the CA Vtape ISPF Interface.

    Edit HLQ.CCUUEXEC(SVTSMON) and complete the customization comments. Execute the customized SVTSMON member to start the CA Vtape ISPF Interface.

    Select option 3 to view the virtual VOLSER ranges. Select the range containing the Virtual Volume written. Select the actual Virtual Volume and review the data set name, DCB statistics, and other information. Compare this information with the information contained in the Tape Management System.

    In the top center of the display is a field named Flags. This is a four byte field displayed in hexadecimal. The bits that make up this field document the status of the Virtual Volume. Things like whether it can be freed from cache, does it need to be Externalized, how many Externalization Copies were made, and so on. How to interpret this field and much more about the ISPF Interface is documented in the chapter “ISPF Interface” in the Administration Guide.

Product verification is complete. You were able to intercept a tape mount and write to a Virtual Volume. CA Vtape successfully mounted a Backstore Tape and created a copy of that Virtual Volume and successfully cataloged the Virtual Volume Copy. CA Vtape successfully remounted the Backstore Tape and copied the Virtual Volume back to the cache. You were able to successfully read the Virtual Volume after the Recall.

You were introduced to the ISPF Interface and various console commands that you may need to use in the future. Reading about these and the other console commands is highly recommended.

We also recommend that you print the Quick Reference Guide and review its contents. It contains all the console and SVTSUTIL batch commands and groups them by product feature.

There is one last console command that you should issue, SVT1 HELP. This console command lists the syntax of all CA Vtape console commands. Until you are familiar with the console commands or when you cannot find a copy of the Quick Reference Guide or the Administration Guide, you can use this command to find the console command you are looking for and its syntax.

If you are doing a trial installation then at this point you have installed and configured CA Vtape successfully to perform the trial. The following chapters of this manual document jobs you should run for a production implementation and present additional topics concerning changes to the basic, recommended configuration that might be more appropriate for your environment.