User's Guide

RELDRIVE

Release or close a tape drive

Function:

Release or close a tape drive. The specified tape drive is rewound to BOT, rewound and taken offline, or left at the current position. If the tape was opened for update or write access a specified number of tape marks can be written to tape before it is rewound.

Parameters:

DRIVE

Tape drive. The tape drive name that the operator mounted the tape on.

REWOPT(REWOFFL)

Rewind option. Option to rewind the tape, rewind the tape an take it offline, or leave the tape at the current position.

  = REWIND:   Rewind the tape
  = NOREW:    Don't rewind the
              tape
  = REWOFFL:  Rewind the tape
              and take it offline

NTMARKS(0)

Number of tape marks. The number of tape marks to be written to the tape before it is closed or rewound. This parameter is ignored if the tape drive was not opened for update or write access.

Examples:

1. LAS> reldrive drive=drive ntmarks=3

   The tape mounted on DRIVE will be rewound and taken offline after three tape marks are written to it.

2. LAS> reldrive drive=drive rewopt=norew

   The tape mounted on DRIVE will be left at the current position. The DRIVE is not released and remains allocated to the user. This allows an application to reopen the tape drive for processing at the current position.

3. LAS> reldrive drive=drive rewopt=rewind ntmarks=1

   The tape mounted on DRIVE will be rewound after one tape mark is written to it. The DRIVE is not released and remains allocated to the user.

Description/Algorithm:

The tape on the specified DRIVE is rewound to BOT, rewound and taken offline, or left at the current position. If the tape was opened for WRITE access the specified number of marks are written to it before the tape is rewound.

Nonfatal Error Messages:

None.

Fatal Error Messages:

1. [reldrive-fatal] Fatal error encountered

   A fatal error was encountered during processing. Processing is terminated. The error message that is displayed immediately preceding this message is the specific error that was encountered.

2. [reldrive-reop] Error reopening tape device

   An error was encountered while attempting to reopen the specified tape drive. Contact the system administrator.

3. [reldrive-eof] Error writing eof to tape

   An error was encountered while writing the specified number of tape marks. The tape should be checked and the appropriate number of tape marks should be placed on the tape.

4. [reldrive-dismount] Error dismounting the tape

   An error was encountered while attempting to rewind and dismount the tape. If the tape was not dismounted properly check the parameters and rerun.

5. [reldrive-rparm] Error returning parameter to TAE

   An error was encountered while trying to return a parameter to TAE. Contact the system administrator.

User Notes:

1. RELDRIVE is usually run from a procedure PDF for processing multiple files to or from a tape.

2. RELDRIVE should be run before exiting TAE to release the tape drive for other users.

3. A related program is GETDRIVE.