Error During Recall SVT1PR108W PRIMARY ALLOC ERR

Products

• Vtape Virtual Tape System

Issue/Introduction

VTAPE is started and is ready to start recalling tapes.
We receive the message:
*STC00060 *08 SVT1PR108W 067528,02700000,00000000, PRIMARY ALLOC ERR , * REPLY R(ETRY) OR C(ANCEL)

The "programmer action" is to enable more non-sms managed units. The tape drives are not sms managed. VTAPE cache volumes are sms managed, and at this point, empty. What do I need to do to get around this error? 

Environment

Release: ESPVTP99000-12.6-CA-Vtape-Virtual Tape System-Extended Support Basic
Component:

Resolution

Such problem can come from different sources but the link is that the physical tape to perform the recall is not found.
Here are the different ways creating this situation:
- Physical tape drive not available
- Catalog entry not existing
- Robot not containing the physical tape
- MVS parameter for catalog management
- others
 
You need to try to isolate the problem which is not coming from CA Vtape but from MVS.
The first thing is to run a LISTCAT against one of the VVE.Vxxxxxx.PRIMARY and see what is returned.
The second is to run an IDCAMS PRINT for this VVE and with a COUNT(10) to limit the output. If no tape is mounted, you will get for sure MVS messages guiding you to the resolution.
 
In summary, this SVTnPR108W message always inform you that CA Vtape can't find the information related to the Backstore tape and you need to determine the reason.