README: 800GB Half High LTO-4 Tape Drive Microcode

This package is being provided to allow the update of older 800GB Half High LTO-4 Tape Drive Microcode Tape Drives to the latest level of microcode that is currently shipping from IBM.

Users are responsible install the latest microcode level.
The microcode and instructions are available at the IBM external web site:
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/firmware/gjsn

Operating System levels supported:

All levels of AIX that this product was announced on.

Installation Time:

The typical time to install this microcode is .2 hrs.
The microcode becomes active when installed and does not require a system reboot to become active.

Can microcode be installed Concurrently?

Yes, but the tape drive must be available with no tape in the drive, and no other processing running to the tape drive.

Is system reboot needed to activate the microcode

A reboot is not needed as the microcode is active in the drive when the drive completes microcode download.

Microcode Download information:

In order to complete the microcode download to the tape drive you will need to use the AIX diagnostics.
The AIX diagnostic package will need the microcode and dsdata files in this package.
This tape drive package will get you to step where you will need to use the AIX Diagnostics.

Additional Cautions

Remove any tape cartridge from the drive prior to attempting the microcode download.
Do not power off the tape drive during microcode download as this may damage the tape drive microcode requiring the tape drive to be replaced.

Machines Affected:

All pSeries systems this product was announce on. In general if the tape drive configures and is available with the VPD showing the Machine Type and microcode level as described in this README the machine is one affected.

Microcode History

The microcode update will bring the IBM 800GB Half High LTO-4 tape drive up to the current level of microcode which is:
89B1

Table 1. Microcode History

Tape Drive P/N Tape Drive FRU P/N Microcode Level Load ID Date Released What does this microcode change

45E1126 45E1127 82F5 A1700D71 May 6, 2008

First Microcode level shipped.

45E1126 45E1127 85V2 A1700D71 July 18, 2008

Fix indication for an over temperature condition on the Single Character Display(SCD)
Improved Error Recovery on a read and write errors.
Auto unthread after 20 minutes of non-activity to drive when media loaded.
Change to indicate in the SCD a 'J' when an invalid cartridge is in the drive.
Fix for unload tape(Stuck Tape).
Improved cleaning to clean 2x automatically for some errors detected by the drive.
Accept initialized cartridges which has Cartridge Memory(CM) TA page.
Fix some causes for the drive to time out (SC_TAPE_ERR4).
Fix for "Stiction" caused by some media sticking to the drive head (fixes some causes of Stuck Tape).
Improvements to the tape drive internal trace capability for support.

45E1126 45E1127 89B1 A1700D71 September 20, 2008

Channel enhancements for write and read improvements
If a tape is write protected in the drive Self Test display a 'P' in the single character display(SCD).
Improved read performance.
Improved testing for when cleaning is required should be displayed.
Enhance cartridge trace for better Failure analysis
Improved Cartridge Memory(CM) cartridge status update at beginning and end of write operation.
Improved channel calibration calculations
Improved Channel enhancements for write and read
Enhancement to algorithm used when media resistance is detected in early regions of tape

Tape Drive P/N	Tape Drive FRU P/N	Microcode Level	Load ID	Date Released	What does this microcode change
45E1126	45E1127	82F5	A1700D71	May 6, 2008	First Microcode level shipped.
45E1126	45E1127	85V2	A1700D71	July 18, 2008	Fix indication for an over temperature condition on the Single Character Display(SCD) Improved Error Recovery on a read and write errors. Auto unthread after 20 minutes of non-activity to drive when media loaded. Change to indicate in the SCD a 'J' when an invalid cartridge is in the drive. Fix for unload tape(Stuck Tape). Improved cleaning to clean 2x automatically for some errors detected by the drive. Accept initialized cartridges which has Cartridge Memory(CM) TA page. Fix some causes for the drive to time out (SC_TAPE_ERR4). Fix for "Stiction" caused by some media sticking to the drive head (fixes some causes of Stuck Tape). Improvements to the tape drive internal trace capability for support.
45E1126	45E1127	89B1	A1700D71	September 20, 2008	Channel enhancements for write and read improvements If a tape is write protected in the drive Self Test display a 'P' in the single character display(SCD). Improved read performance. Improved testing for when cleaning is required should be displayed. Enhance cartridge trace for better Failure analysis Improved Cartridge Memory(CM) cartridge status update at beginning and end of write operation. Improved channel calibration calculations Improved Channel enhancements for write and read Enhancement to algorithm used when media resistance is detected in early regions of tape

Display Microcode Level

Note: In some cases you may already have the most current level of microcode already installed. The following instructions show you how to check the tape drive microcode level.

To display the level of microcode in the 800GB Half High LTO-4 tape drive do the following AIX command:

 lscfg -vl rmt0               <--- change the drive number to reflect
                                   the actual rmt address of the 800GB
                                   Half High LTO-4 tape drive.

The output of the lscfg command will look like the following with the:

"Device Specific.(Z1)" showing the "Microcode Level":

rmt0 U7214.1U2.7DVT059-P1-D1  SAS 1/2-inch Cartridge Tape Drive (800000 MB)
 
        Manufacturer................IBM
        Machine Type and Model......HH LTO Gen 4
        Device Specific.(Z1)........89B1
        Serial Number...............10000343
        Load ID.....................A1700D71
        Part Number.................45E1126
        FRU Number..................45E1127
        EC Level....................L30867
        Device Specific.(Z0)........0180030283001002
        Device Specific.(Z3)........N1
        Hardware Location Code......U7214.1U2.7DVT059-P1-D1

Putting the microcode on the system

There are 2 ways a user can get the microcode files. Each of these will put the microcode on the user's system but the user may have to move the files to appropriate directory for system use.

From the IBM WEB site via the user downloading the files.

When the user downloads the microcode files from the IBM web site the packaged microcode files will be put into the /tmp directory.

If the user downloads the HHLTO4.bin file the user will put the downloaded file into the /tmp directory and then use the instructions in the section of this README titled "AIX bin file".
If the user downloads the TapeHHLTO4-89B1-01.rpm file the user will put the downloaded file into the /tmp directory and then use the instructions in the section of this README titled "RPM file".

From a CD-ROM.

If the CD-ROM process is used to put the HHLTO4.bin file on the user system the microcode files will expanded into the /tmp/LTO4_web directory. The next step is to follow the instructions in this README titled "AIX bin file" and copy the files to the appropriate directory. The building and putting of the files into the /tmp/LTO4_web directory was done by the user when they used the CD-ROM build instructions.
If the CD-ROM process is used to put the TapeHHLTO4-89B1-01.rpm file on the user system the microcode files will be in the tmp/microcode/RPM directory. To put the microcode in the appropriate directory for the system the user executes the following AIX commands:
cd /tmp/microcode/RPM
rpm -ihv --ignoreos TapeHHLTO4-89B1-01.rpm
This puts the following files in the /etc/microcode directory for system use:

HH_LTO_Gen_4.A1700D71.dsdata
HH_LTO_Gen_4.A1700D71.89B1
The next step is to follow the instructions in this README titled "Verifying the Microcode".

Note: AIX commands and file names are case sensitive.
If the users AIX permission does not allow the copy to the above stated directory or file then the user will be prompted for a new location.

Packaged Microcode Files

AIX bin file

Download the HHLTO4.bin file to the eServer pSeries to the /tmp directory.
Do the following AIX commands to make the file executable:
cd /tmp
chmod +x HHLTO4.bin
To expand the HHLTO4.bin file use the following command:
./HHLTO4.bin
Note: The ./ before the command insures AIX paths thru the current directory to find the command.
This will put the following files in the /tmp/LTO4_web directory:

HH_LTO_Gen_4.A1700D71.dsdata
HH_LTO_Gen_4.A1700D71.89B1

RPM file

Download the TapeHHLTO4-89B1-01.rpm file to the eServer pSeries to the /tmp directory.
To expand the TapeHHLTO4-89B1-01.rpm file use the following commands:
cd /tmp
rpm -ihv --ignoreos TapeHHLTO4-89B1-01.rpm
This will put the following files in the /etc/microcode directory:

HH_LTO_Gen_4.A1700D71.dsdata
HH_LTO_Gen_4.A1700D71.89B1

Verifying the Microcode

To insure the file was downloaded without error do the following:

Change to the directory where you just put the microcode.
cd /tmp/LTO4_web
or
cd /etc/microcode
Use the AIX command sum to verify the checksum of the microcode file:
sum HH_LTO*
Compare the sum you got with the sum of the microcode files here, if they do not match recheck your steps in creating the file on the system:

18132 2942 HH_LTO_Gen_4.A1700D71.89B1 32862 2 HH_LTO_Gen_4.A1700D71.dsdata

Updating the microcode in the drive

You need to determine how you are going to download the microcode:

AIX diagnostics.

AIX diagnostics naming and supported directory for the microcode and dsdata file.

AIX diagnostics requires the microcode file and the dsdata file to be in the /etc/microcode directory.

Copy Dsdata and Microcode to appropriate directory

Copy the Dsdata and Microcode files to appropriate directory for use by AIX diagnostics.

Note: The copy command copies the file to the new directory with the same name when you use the period(.) after new directory name.

For AIX Diagnostics

If you downloaded the RPM file and executed it the microcode is in the correct directory with the correct name for AIX diagnostic use.
If you downloaded the .bin file and executed it then you need to do the following AIX commands:

cd /tmp/LTO4_web
 
cp HH_LTO_Gen_4.A1700D71.dsdata /etc/microcode/.
 
cp HH_LTO_Gen_4.A1700D71.89B1   /etc/microcode/.

To use AIX Diagnostics

There are 2 ways to do the microcode download using the AIX diagnostics.

Using the AIX Diagnostics menu
Using the AIX Diagnostics via command line input.

Using the AIX Diagnostics menu

To use the AIX Diagnostics menu for microcode download do the following:

Note: There are differences between AIX levels of AIX Diagnostics. In some cases the step after Task selection is Microcode Tools, or Download Microcode. The following steps are general instructions to download microcode.
diag (enter)
Task Selection (enter)
Download Microcode (enter)

Select the drive you wish to download microcode to and follow the system instructions.

Note: When the system asks where the microcode file is to be found select /etc/microcode

Using the AIX Diagnostics via command line input.

The command line to download microcode will use the highest level of microcode in the /etc/microcode directory for the device selected. To use the AIX Diagnostics command line input for microcode download do the following:

Note: If the previous level of microcode is not in the /etc/microcode directory you will need to use the -f option(force) as the diagnostics expect the previous level to be present in the /etc/microcode directory.

Note: If the microcode download fails install:

Insure the checksum is correct for the files that you have downloaded
If the download to the tape drive fails, use the eject button on the tape drive to reset the drive. Some microcode download failures leave the drive in way that the tape drive will not complete a download without the tape drive being reset.
To reset the tape drive press the eject button and hold the eject button pressed in for 15 seconds, this will cause a drive reset.

diag -c -d rmt0 -T "download" (enter)
or
diag -c -d rmt0 -T "download -f" (enter)

Drive SELF-TEST Procedure

Description

The following procedure is designed to allow you to quickly perform a complete set of diagnostic tests on your Half High LTO-4 tape drive, without impacting server operation. This 5 < minute test can also be used to verify good performance of individual LTO4 tape cartridges.

Enter Diagnostic Mode:

Verify that a tape cartridge is not loaded in drive.
To unload a cartridge, press the eject button on the front of the drive.
To Start Drive SELF-TEST:
Press and hold the eject button for more than 6 seconds, and less than 20 seconds(at 20 seconds the drive will do a manual reset and not run the full drive self test), release the button. The Ready LED will continue flashing, indicating that the drive is waiting for a cartridge to be inserted.The drive will wait up to 15 seconds for a cartridge to be inserted. If no cartridge is inserted the drive will exit self test.

Running the Self-Test:

Start the self-test by inserting IBM Test Tape P/N 45E1129 into the drive. If an IBM Test Tape is not available, you can substitute a scratch (blank) LTO4 data cartridge.
Note:
Important!
Use a blank cartridge that does not contain customer data. During this self-test, the cartridge will be rewritten with a test pattern and any customer data will be destroyed.
Overall test duration is about 5 < minutes.
Note:
- A cartridge must be loaded within 15 seconds -- otherwise, the drive will automatically revert back to normal operation. If necessary, return to step 1 to reenter diagnostic mode.
- Use a cartridge that is not write-protected. If a write-protected cartridge is inserted while the drive is in diagnostic mode, the cartridge will be ejected -- see step below.
- Self-testing can only be performed using a write-compatible cartridge type, and with a cartridge that is not damaged -- see step below.
- If a cleaning cartridge is inserted while the drive is in diagnostic mode, cleaning will occur and the drive will then return to normal operating mode. To reenter diagnostic mode, return to the "Enter Diagnostic Mode" step.
At any time, self-testing can be stopped by pressing the eject button. After a current test operation is completed, the cartridge will be ejected and drive will return to normal operation.
While self-testing is in progress, the Ready LED will continue to flash. The following 3 test steps are performed:
- The initialization sequence has an approximate duration of 20 seconds. The Activity LED indicates tape movement.
- The hardware test has an approximate duration of 2 minutes. During that time, a static test is performed on the drive's electrical components, and proper operation of the cartridge load/unload mechanism is verified.
- The write/read test has an approximate duration of 3 minutes. The Activity LED indicates tape movement.

Interpreting the Results:

Test Passed:

When self-testing has completed successfully and no problems were detected, the cartridge is unloaded from the drive and all LEDs and SCD are off. Proper function of both the drive and tape cartridge have been verified.

Note: When the Amber Clean LED remains on, it indicates that self-testing has completed successfully -- but cleaning is required. Clean the drive by inserting an IBM Cleaning Cartridge (P/N 35L2086).

The drive is no longer in diagnostic mode, and has been returned to normal operation.

Drive Failure:

When a drive problem is detected, the cartridge will remain loaded inside the drive and the Amber Fault LED ( ! ) will flash.

Following a self-test failure, the tape cartridge will remain loaded inside drive, and the drive will remain in diagnostic mode. Press the eject button to unload tape cartridge and return drive to normal operation.

Repeat self-test using another tape cartridge, If the test passes replace any defective media.

If the test again failed contact IBM Service for assistance.

Media Failure:

When a media problem is detected, the cartridge will remain loaded inside the drive, and the Amber Clean LED will flash.

Repeat self-test using another tape cartridge, and replace any defective media.

Incorrect cartridge:

When the drive has determined that an incorrect tape cartridge was inserted, the cartridge is unloaded and both the Activity and Clean LEDs will flash. Self-testing cannot be performed if the inserted cartridge is one of the following:

Write-protected
Damaged
Media type that is not write-compatible with the drive

Press the eject button, to end self-test and return the drive to normal operating mode. Then return to step 1 and run the self-test using a suitable cartridge.