Tivoli Storage Manager for Windows: Administrator's Guide


Volume Mount Request

When the server requires a volume mount, the server starts the external media management program, issues a request to initialize, then issues a request to mount a volume. The external program is responsible for verifying that this request is coming from TSM and not from an unauthorized system.

The volume mounted by the external media management program must be a tape with a standard IBM label that matches the external volume label. When the external program completes the mount request, the program must send a response. If the mount was successful, the external program must remain active. If the mount failed, the external program must end immediately by using the stdlib exit routine.

Format of the request:

MOUNT libraryname volname accessmode devicetypes timelimit userid
volumenumber 'location'

where:

libraryname
Specifies the name of the EXTERNAL library as defined to TSM.

volname
Specifies the actual volume name if the request is for an existing volume. If a scratch mount is requested, the volname is set to SCRTCH.

accessmode
Specifies the access mode required for the volume. Possible values are READONLY and READWRITE.

devicetypes
Specifies a list of device types that can be used to satisfy the request for the volume and the FORMAT specified in the device class. The most preferred device type is first in the list. Items are separated by commas, with no intervening spaces. Possible values are:

timelimit
Specifies the maximum number of minutes that the server waits for the volume to be mounted. If the mount request is not completed within this time, the external manager responds with the result code TIMED_OUT.

userid
Specifies the user ID of the process that needs access to the drive.

volumenumber
For non-optical media, the volumenumber is 1. For optical media, the volumenumber is 1 for side A, 2 for side B.

'location'
Specifies the value of the location field from the TSM inventory (for example, 'Room 617 Floor 2'). One blank character is inserted between the volume number and the left single quotation mark in the location information. If no location information is associated with a volume, nothing is passed to the exit. If no volume information exists, the single quotation marks are not passed. Also, if volume information is passed, then probably the volume has been ejected from the library and needs to be returned to the library before the mount operation can proceed. The location information should be posted by the agent so that the operator can obtain the volume and return it to the library.

Format of the external program response:

MOUNT libraryname volname COMPLETE ON specialfile, RESULT=resultcode

where:

libraryname
Specifies the name of the EXTERNAL library as defined to TSM.

volname
Specifies the name of the volume mounted for the request.

specialfile
The fully qualified path name of the device special file for the drive in which the volume was mounted. If the mount request fails, the value should be set to /dev/null.

The external program must ensure that the special file is closed before the response is returned to the server.

resultcode
One of the following:


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