Computer Drive User Manual

Some PVL drive configuration attributes can be updated dynamically using the PVL Drive Information
window (Section 7.2.2: PVL Drive Information Window on page 214). The settable fields in this window
are updated dynamically (i.e. saved to metadata and used by the PVL upon successful Update).
It is also possible to make temporary updates to some Mover device attributes parameters by changing
the settable fields in the Mover Device Information window (Section 7.2.1: Mover Device Information
Window on page 209) instead of the configuration window. These changes stay in effect until the Mover
is recycled.
To help the administrator update device/drive configuration data that is not settable dynamically (e.g. the
Mover field), a useful workaround is to delete and then add the device/drive back. (Please review the
procedure/rules for deleting and adding devices/drives before attempting this procedure.) For example:
• Open the Disk/Tape Device Configuration window for the device/drive you want to change. [Do
this by selecting the device/drive that you want to update in the Devices and Drives window and
then press the Configure button.]
• Press the Clone (full) button on the Disk/Tape Device Configuration window that you just opened
[leave this window open]
• Verify the drive can be deleted. Refer to Section 7.1.4: Deleting a Drive's Configuration on page
208.
• Use the Devices and Drives window to select the same device/drive and press the Lock button
• Use the Devices and Drives window to select the same device/drive and press the Delete button
• Go back to the 'cloned' window and modify the fields requiring changes (e.g. Mover field)
• Press the Add button
7.1.4. Deleting a Drive's Configuration
Devices and drives are deleted dynamically. This means that they must be deleted while the system is
UP. Specifically the PVL must be UP; additionally it is expected that the associated Mover and
associated PVR (for tape) are also UP since the PVL needs to notify these servers about the deletion. If
the PVL is unable to successfully notify the associated Mover and/or PVR about the deleted device/drive,
it will retry several times; each failure will be logged as an ALARM. After the last failed attempt to
notify the associated Mover and/or PVR, the PVL will abandon retrying; the administrator is advised to
bounce the abandoned associated Mover (if it was UP during the failed retries) and/or to reinitialize the
abandoned associated PVR (if it was UP during the failed retries) to ensure that the device/drive is
completely deleted and thus can no longer be used.
Likewise, a previously added device/drive cannot be deleted until the PVL has successfully notified the
associated Mover and PVR (for tape) about the previous add. If the administrator attempts to delete a
device/drive with a previously added Drive ID that is still pending add notification, the administrator will
get a BUSY failure and the pending notification will be aborted. An ALARM will be logged informing
the administrator that the delete failed since the Mover/PVR add/create notification is pending. Another
ALARM will be logged informing the administrator that the previous drive create notification will be
aborted and to try later; wait a minute or so before retrying in order to give the PVL time to abort the
notification. The Drive Flag field in the Devices and Drives window and PVL Drive Information
window will report whether or not a particular drive is pending Mover/PVR notification; of course, this
is only viewable while the drive exists.
HPSS Management Guide November 2009
Release 7.3 (Revision 1.0) 208