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40 Using Special Features in Libraries
‘Firmware Upgrade’, and Tape Activity = ‘Idle’. TapeAlert flag 10h will be
set.
Upgrade Protect = 0 If the Upgrade Protect bit in the Set Drive Configuration command is set to 0,
the firmware upgrade process will start and the drive will thread the tape and
read the image. During this time, the drive will report Tape Activity = “Code
Update in Progress”. When the image has been read the drive will check
whether the image is valid. As in this case the image is not valid, the drive will
place the drive at the hold point with the Cartridge Present, Write Protect,
Ready Eject, Ready Load, Media Error, and TapeAlert bits set to 1, Cartridge
Type = ‘Firmware Upgrade’, and Tape Activity = ‘Idle’. TapeAlert flags 10h
and 22h will be set. The drive will not send out an ENQ byte and will not
reset.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Automation Control Interface (ACI) allows the activities of the drive to be
coordinated within a library. It provides several modes for operating
HP Ultrium drives within tape libraries. In addition, the Cartridge Memory
can, at the very minimum, provide an ‘electronic barcode’ facility to allow
media tracking. HP is working with all the major tape library vendors to
ensure that the full potential of these features are realized, and recognizes
that ISV software support is a key part of this process. In advance of the
release of the HP Ultrium Automation Cookbook, here are answers to some
frequently asked questions:
Is there separate firmware for drives that are intended to go into libraries?
No. The firmware in standard HP Ultrium drives will function equally well in
standalone drives, racks, autoloaders or libraries.
How does the automation LUN get to appear on the SCSI bus?
Firstly, there must be a device connected to the drive’s ACI port that asserts a
dedicated hardware line on the port. This helps the drive to know the
difference between an attached library controller and, say, a network
management interface. Secondly, the library controller must send a specific
command to the ACI that asks the drive to make the automation LUN appear
on the SCSI bus.