VMTLSU941E No scratch tapes found using selected search criteria.

Products

• Mainframe VM Product Manager
• VM:Manager Suite for Linux on Mainframe
• VM:Manager Suite for z/VM
• VM SUITE
• VM:Tape for z/VM

Issue/Introduction

VMTAPE LIST volser returns the response "xxxxxx is a scratch tape and cannot be listed". Yet when the VMTAPE LIST SCRATCH command is issued, the volser is not found in list.

Resolution

The DEFMEDIA (DEFault MEDIA) and the DEFDENS (DEFault DENsity) in the VMTAPE CONFIG file, are usually the cause/effect. DEFMEDIA/DEFDENS records control what VMTAPE uses for certain options when these options are not specified on the issued command.

For example, VMTAPE LIST SCRATCH does not contain any options. In this case VM:Tape will use the first media type listed on the DEFMEDIA record and list scratch tapes with that MEDIA type only. If a POOL is included on the LIST command, but NO MEDIA then the DEFMEDIA record again controls what volsers will be listed. Even if a POOL name is included, if the media you are looking for is NOT being listed, add the media to confirm whether or not any scratch tapes of that MEDIA type exist. Example VMTAPE LIST SCRATCH ENHA SAMPOOL.

The same is true for VMTAPE MOUNT SCRATCH. This says 'I want a scratch tape'. If you only use/have one type of media, then it is not a problem. But if your site has both 3490E and 3590 drives and MEDIA, VM:Tape will use the DEFMEDIA information from the VMTAPE CONFIG file to determine what MEDIA type to use for the MOUNT SCRATCH request. In an example of DEFMEDIA HPT, to get a 3490E scratch tape, the 'media' would need to be included on the MOUNT.

 VMTAPE MOUNT SCRATCH ( ENHA

If you include MEDIA and Pool (when VMTAPE POOLS are defined) information and the MOUNT continues to fail, try issuing the VMTAPE REFRESH command, then try again. A REFRESH should be performed after making changes such as, POOL file changes, adding a new tape SERIES, or running TAPEINIT.