(Critical update) 80/160GB VXA-2 internal tape drive firmware v2153 - IBM Servers

Download Description

New IBM xSeries firmware and device driver file naming convention

Severity: Suggested

Version 2152 to version 2153

• Ensure cartridge ejected during overtemp.
• Correct intermittent invalid media results during Internal Selftest.
• When tension time is updated, update the power-on time as well so that the values displayed in the log will have matching values if taken before the drive is unloaded.
• Added extended sense byte 44 for EXPCLN (last cleaning tape was expired is bit = 1) and sense byte 46 for DRVTEMP (current drive temperature as a hex value in centigrade).
• A change added in VXA-2 V2130 code which was also picked up in VXA-3 code to ignore certain packets under all conditons and normal packets under certain conditions to address a filemark retry problem that was introduced in VXA-2 code version V210D created a problem for some sequences of data and filemark blocks where the code would ignore so many packets that it would never be able to establish its position on tape and would eventually fail a Space operation.

Version 2142 to version 2152

• Internal Self Test will timeout during a load when X23 media is loaded from Physical End Of Tape.
• Corrects Internal Self Test abort issues caused by Unload button.
• Correct Tape unload issues for certain servo errors.
• Fixes some issues with aborting of commands.
• Add current temperature output in the VXA log summary.
• Distinguish between manual/SCSI load/unload operations in the hard FSC table:
  
  1B=SCSI load; FB= SCSI unload; FC= manual inject; FD= manual eject button.
  
  
• Fix issue where Worn tape at start of user data region not recognized when writing from Logical Beginning Of Partition.
• Internal Self Test results in LED’s being lost when attempting to run on a cleaning tape.
  

Version 2123 to version 2142

• New tape pack tension affecting ability to correctly position when coming out of Media Preservation Mode
• Reduces helical scratches at BOT and EOT turnaround points.
• Stuck rewrite handing clashing with flush request from write mark command.
• Improved system directory write retry scheme.
• Holding Eject button down while injecting cartridge causes interference.
• In some logs, the drive and tape ID in the sick tape table appears to be invalid.
• The quad tach count was being corrupted due to it being 24 bits, but is read by 2 16 bit accesses, and the counter can change between the two 16 bit accesses.
• Use barcode serial number for Drive/Tape identification.
• Incorrect Value for Partition Size in Mode Sense Data.
• When host issues constant Test Unit Readys, the log fills with them.
• SCSI hang on emergency re-boot.
• Write delay timeout clashing with write pause timeout handling.
• Providing a diagnostic hook to effectively turn off the check for media preservation time having elapsed.
• Fix tape stuck condition during eject.
• Fix cleaning timer.
• Enhance worn/spent tape process.
• After a load of a broken tape, the tape is correctly ejected but both the Green ready LED and Clean LED are incorrect.
• Add Load & Unload Retry Counts to the Retry Level Log Sense Page (page 3Ah).
• Improved handling of tape loop recovery especially near EOT.
• General logical load/unload reliability/tracking improvements.
• Further refinement of Fault Symptom Code's used for servo failures.
• Optimize starting position for dirty format recovery.
• Ensure tape ejected during load if logical format load attempt unable to be performed.
• Provide for Physical End of Tape media eject ability from media preservation mode.
• Fixes some Read hang conditions.
• Fix host abort detected during mark write handling.
• Add media preservation count to log summary.
• Providing the ability to perform an emergency eject via the drives eject button.
• Ensure read disabled during read search mark handling.
• Add high level write retry to combat marginal/permanent write errors.
• New tape pack tension affecting ability to correctly position when coming out of Media Preservation Mode.
• Permanent read error retry not positioning back far enough.
• Read hang encountered if exception timeout hits when host is intra-transfer.
• Tape won’t unload if servo broken when coming out of media preservation mode.