IBM 3590 manual Appendix D. Host Reporting, Statistical Analysis and Reporting System

SIM and MIM functions are primary factors for improved product availability.

v A SIM alerts you when an abnormal operational condition in the 3590 requires service attention. Information in the SIM identifies the affected drive, the failing component and severity of its fault condition, and the expected operational impact of the pending service action. This information helps the user to initiate and expedite appropriate recovery and service procedures so normal operation is restored with maximum efficiency and minimal disruption.

A SIM contains the machine type, machine serial number, and Field Replaceable Unit (FRU) which allows the dispatch of the appropriate service personnel and the replacement parts required to correct the machine fault. This procedure helps improve service response time and helps reduce the time required for machine repair.

v A MIM identifies problems with the media (tape) and the volume number of the bad cartridge. This allows the customer to do maintenance within the tape library and to prevent unnecessary service calls when the fault is media.

Appendix D. Host Reporting

Statistical Analysis and Reporting System

The Statistical Analysis and Reporting System (SARS) assists in determining whether read and write errors are caused by the media (tape) or the hardware in the drive. The 3590 microcode contains a Volume SARS (VSARS) algorithm and a Hardware SARS (HSARS) algorithm to analyze errors. SARS algorithms report messages through SIMs and MIMs.

Algorithms are executed in the 3590 just before a tape is unloaded. To distinguish error patterns and trends, the SARS volume algorithms require the tape to be mounted on different drives while the SARS hardware algorithms require different volumes to be mounted on one drive. As degraded hardware passes through predefined error thresholds, cleaning and service repair messages or error codes are presented. Similarly, if tape volumes continue to perform poorly on different drives, re-write or discard-media messages are presented.

The SARS reporting of Service Information Message (SIM) and Media Information Message (MIM) functions can be disabled if host software does not support SIMs and MIMs.

Service and Media Information Messages (SIMs and MIMs)

© Copyright IBM Corp. 1995, 2001 111