DSM/Tape Catalog User's Guide

Introduction to DSM/TC

DSM/Tape Catalog User’s Guide — 520233-008

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The MEDIACOM Interface and Its Commands

MEDIACOM is an operator interface for labeled-tape operations. MEDIACOM is also

the operator interface to the DSM/TC system. This interactive program can be run from

any node in a DSM/TC system. MEDIACOM commands executed during a session

take effect immediately on the DSM/TC node specified. (Command syntax lets you

specify the node.)

Some tasks possible with the commands are:



Configuring DSM/TC (setting system defaults, system search lists, creating file and

volume catalogs, creating pools, and so on)



Manually cataloging existing tapes and tape files



Labeling new tapes and cataloging them in pools and volume catalogs



Handling tape mount situations when a tape is unavailable (switching to a volume

set copy or rejecting the tape mount)



Retrieving information from DSM/TC with various INFO commands



Managing the use of uncataloged tapes



Managing the status of tape drives on NonStop Kernel systems

A MEDIACOM session is started by executing a MEDIACOM run command at the

TACL prompt. For details on running the MEDIACOM interface and using its

commands, see the DSM/Tape Catalog Operator Interface (MEDIACOM) Manual.

TAPECOM Users

For those accustomed to using the TAPECOM utility on systems running D-series

RVUs, MEDIACOM provides a way to make the transition from TAPECOM to

MEDIACOM. For instructions and a table that lists TAPECOM-equivalent MEDIACOM

commands, see the DSM/Tape Catalog Operator Interface (MEDIACOM) Manual. The

MEDIACOM interface online help also provides help for all TAPECOM commands.

Volume Catalog

A volume catalog is a NonStop SQL/MP database that contains the information to

manage magnetic tapes. This information is referred to as volume catalog entries.

When a volume catalog is created with the CREATE VOLCAT command, it is given a

logical name in addition to the subvolume name that identifies its physical location. A

volume catalog is always referred to in the DSM/TC system by its logical name.

How Entries Enter and Leave the Volume Catalog

Entries are created in the volume catalog when an ADD or LABEL TAPEVOLUME

command is used to catalog labeled tapes. These tapes are usually scratch tapes

containing no data.