April 17, 2003 FDRPAS Announcements

FDRPAS V5.4 LEVEL 24 IS AVAILABLE ON APRIL 30

FDRPAS V5.4/24 will be available for shipping on April 30, 2003. If you want to upgrade to this release, contact Innovation.

FDRPAS V5.4/24 is required for support of the new EMC Symmetrix DMX disk subsystem (DMX systems run the 5x69 microcode).

FDRPAS PROBLEM WHEN VTOC VOLUME SIZE DOES NOT MATCH PHYSICAL VOLUME SIZE

A problem was recently discovered with FDRPAS. It is an unusual condition, but when it occurs it can result in abends in DADSM, errors in the Indexed VTOC (VTOCIX) and disabled VTOCIXs.
The problem occurs when you swap a volume whose physical volume size does not match the volume size in the VTOC. For example, the physical volume might be a 3390-9 (10017 cylinders) but the VTOC shows only the size of a 3390-3 (3339 cylinders). When you swap such a volume to another 3390-9, FDRPAS improperly updates the VTOC and VTOCIX, resulting in errors on the new volume.

This is an unusual condition. When you initialize a volume, ICKDSF automatically sets the VTOC size equal to the physical volume size. Most products which move volumes, such as FDR and FDRPAS, will recognize that the output volume is larger than the input and make the necessary adjustments.

However, certain techniques for moving volumes to new devices may not recognize a volume size change, so that after the move the VTOC will still have the size of the original device. We know that hardware migration techniques, such as PPRC, will not make any adjustment, so if a 3390-3 is moved to a 3390-9 with PPRC or a similar technique, and you later move that volume to another 3390-9 with FDRPAS, the problem could occur.

Zap P-54.2069 is available for FDRPAS V5.4 levels 20 through 23 to detect this condition and fail the swap with the message

FDR124 REASON=4 VOL SIZE < DEVICE SIZE

The zap is included below and we recommend that all FDRPAS customers apply it. FDRPAS V5.4 level 24 and above has this fix included. This will prevent any harm which can occur from swapping such a volume.

Before you can swap a volume in this condition, you must correct the VTOC and VTOCIX to show the correct volume size. To do so,
1) run a ICKDSF "REFORMAT REFVTOC" operation to correct the volume size.
2) run a FDRPAS "SWAPBUILDIX" function to refresh the VTOCIX on every attached system.
Now the swap can be run successfully.

***** ZAP-ID# : P-54.2069
        * DATE : 03.080
        * PREREQ : V 5.4/20-23
        * STATUS : NOT APPLIED
        * SYMPTOMS : FDRPAS:FDRPASDC:MSG IEC605I, ABEND S0C4 OR DISABLED
        * INDEXED VTOC AFTER A SWAP OF A VOLUME WITH AN
        * ACTIVE INDEXED VTOC.
        * PROBLEM : SWAP OF A 3390-9 TO ANOTHER 3390-9 HOWEVER THE
        * VTOC FORMAT 4 HAS A DEV SIZE OF A 3390-3.
        * FDRPAS UPDATED THE FORMAT 4 DEVICE SIZE TO THE
        * REAL SIZE, HOWEVER THE INDEXED VTOC VPSM BLOCK
        * WAS INCORRECTLY UPDATED.
        * SOLUTION : FAIL THE SWAP WITH MESSAGE
        * FDR124 REASON=4 VOL SIZE < DEVICE SIZE.
        * NOTE : TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM RUN ICKDSF WITH
        * REFORMAT REFVTOC ON THE VOLUME BEFORE THE SWAP,
        * THEN RUN A FDRPAS SWAPBUILDIX TO KEEP THE OTHER
        * SYSTEMS FROM DISABLING THE INDEX.
        * MODULE(S) : FDRPASDC
        *-
        * THE FOLLOWING ZAP IS FOR LEVEL 20-23
        *-
        NAME FDRPASDC FDRPASDC
        IDRDATA P542069
        VER 00A0 D0A0,D0A2
        VER 0814 D83A
        REP 00A0 F440,6040,E5D6,D340,E2C9,E9C5,404C,40C4
        REP 00B0 C5E5,C9C3,C540,E2C9,E9C5,4040,4040,03E8
        REP 00C0 4900,D0BE,47D0,D83A,D21D,A02B,D0A0,D239
        REP 00D0 CF54,A00F,4510,CD38,47F0,C340
        REP 0814 D0C0
        CHECKSUM CDB96