JPH04149866A - Magnetic tape subsystem tester - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain a long period test without requiring operator's operation by checking read data obtained at the time of succeeding in retrial by recovery processing at the time of succeeding in reverse direction reading/retrial, and when the read data are normal, executing normal end and starting the succeeding processing. CONSTITUTION:When reverse direction reading/retrial success is generated, a magnetic head position is moved to a position to be set up when a normal reading command is processed. Then, read data obtained at the time of succeeding in retrial are checked. When a processing command is BACK READ, data are checked by regarding the data as the ones read out by a FORWARD READ. When a processing command is a FORWARD READ, data are checked by regarding the data as the ones read out by a BACK READ. When the read data are normal, the reading processing is ended without executing retrial and the succeeding command is started. When the data are abnormal, a monitor 1 is informed of a data comparison error and the processing is ended.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a magnetic tape subsystem tester for performing operational tests on magnetic tape control devices and magnetic tape devices. Regarding read processing.

[Conventional technology]

The prior art will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a magnetic tape subsystem tester.

In FIG. 2, a monitor 1 has a display for display and a keyboard for inputting commands, and is used to start various test unit programs and report test results.

The monitor 1 is connected to a magnetic tape control device 2 by a communication cable 4, and the magnetic tape control device 2 includes tester firmware for operating as a magnetic tape subsystem tester and various test units for executing tests. The program is contained within storage control.

Up to eight magnetic tape devices 3 are connected to the magnetic tape control device 2 .

FIG. 3 is a processing flowchart of the magnetic tape subsystem tester from the start to the end of the test.

In FIG. 3, when the data of the test to be executed is input to the monitor 1, the monitor 1 edits the input data to create test parameters, and sends the data to the magnetic tape controller 2 via the communication cable 4 along with an instruction to start the test. Send - (
Step 31).

The magnetic tape control device 2 starts the test unit program instructed by this (step 3).
4).

A test unit program is a program consisting of a series of command sequences in which various commands such as read and write commands are combined.

The magnetic tape subsystem tester detects an error while executing the test unit program (step 35.Ye).
s), the error contents are edited to create an error status, and the error status is reported to the monitor 1 via the communication cable 4. In step 37), the execution of the test unit program is ended.

When the monitor 1 receives the error report, it displays the error details on the display and ends the operation (step 33).

On the other hand, if the execution of the test unit program ends normally (step 35, No), the normal end of the test is reported to the monitor 1 (step 36).

After the monitor 1 displays normal completion (step 32), the operation ends.

If a data error occurs during a read test on a magnetic tape subsystem tester that performs such processing, read and retry the erroneous data block in the forward direction (same direction as the command currently being processed) six times. If the recovery does not occur after these tries, a retry process is performed in which reverse read retry and forward read retry are alternately repeated 10 times.

In this conventional recovery process, if the retry is successful in the backward read retry, a report is sent to monitor 1 stating that reading is not possible in the forward direction but readable in the reverse direction. .

Next, the read command processing from the time when the backward read/retry is successful until the error status is reported will be explained with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of error status reporting processing when a backward read retry is successful, which is a conventional processing method.

In FIG. 4, when a backward read retry succeeds, it is determined whether the command currently being processed is a forward read command or a back read command (step 41).

Then, in order to match the position of the magnetic head with the position when a normal read command is processed, if it is a forward read command, after forward space by one block (step 44), The block ID indicating the block currently being processed is updated (step 45).

If it is a back read command, after backspaceing one block (step 42), the block ID is updated (step 43).

Next, after creating an error status indicating that the reverse direction read retry was successful (step 46), the error status is reported to monitor 1 and the read command processing is terminated (step 47), and the operator's instructions are wait.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the firmware of the conventional magnetic tape subsystem tester described above, when the backward read retry is successful, an error status indicating that the backward read retry is successful is reported to the monitor and the read process is ended. In this case, in order to perform processing subsequent to the read command in which the error was detected, operator intervention is required to confirm the reverse read retry data. However, there is a high probability that this backward read retry will succeed.

This is because magnetic tape devices have forward read and back read processing, but back read processing is less reliable than forward read processing and is more likely to cause uncorrectable read data errors. This is because when a read data error occurs during back read processing, there is a high possibility that a retry will be successful in forward read processing, which is a backward read.

Therefore, when testing a magnetic tape control device or magnetic tape device that includes read processing for a long period of time, there is a drawback that the long-term test is likely to be hindered by the occurrence of a successful reverse read retry. .

[Means to solve the problem]

Perform test start operations to run various tests,
The operation of the magnetic tape control device and magnetic tape device, which consists of a monitor for displaying the test results and a magnetic tape control device that operates under the control of the tester firmware loaded into the control memory of the magnetic tape control device. In a magnetic tape subsystem tester for testing,
In the recovery process when a reverse direction read/retry is successful in a magnetic tape device, by checking the read data at the time of a successful retry, if an error occurs, a data conveyor error is reported to the monitor, and if normal, processing continues. We have the means to treat it.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of recovery processing when a backward read retry is successful according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, when a reverse read retry is successful, the magnetic head position is moved to the position when a normal read command is processed (steps 11 to 15), as in conventional processing, and then when the retry is successful, Check lead data.

If the processing command is a back read, the data is checked as forward read data (step 16), and if the processing command is a forward read, the data is checked as back read data (step 17).

If the read data is normal (step 18, Yes
) performs the same read processing as in the case of reading without retrying and ends the read (step 20), and proceeds to the next command processing.

If an abnormality in the data is confirmed by checking the read data (step 18: No), the data conveyor error is reported to the monitor 1 and the process is terminated (step 19), and an instruction from the operator is awaited.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, when the reverse read retry is successful, the read data at the time of the successful retry is checked in the recovery process, and if it is normal, the read process is normally terminated and the process proceeds to the next process. This has the effect of allowing long-term tests to be carried out without operator intervention since the test can be continued.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of recovery processing when a backward read retry is successful according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a magnetic tape subsystem tester, and FIG. 3 is a diagram of a magnetic tape subsystem tester. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process from the start to the end of a test. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an error status reporting process when a backward read retry is successful, which is a conventional process method. 1...Monitor, 2...Magnetic tape control ring device, 3.
...Magnetic tape device, 4...Communication cable.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Performing a test start operation for executing various tests,
The operation of the magnetic tape control device and magnetic tape device, which consists of a monitor for displaying the test results and a magnetic tape control device that operates under the control of the tester firmware loaded into the control memory of the magnetic tape control device. In a magnetic tape subsystem tester used for testing, in the recovery process when a backward read retry is successful in a magnetic tape device, by checking the read data at the time of a successful retry, if an error occurs, the data is sent to the monitor. A magnetic tape subsystem tester comprising a means for reporting a conveyor error and continuing processing if the conveyor error is normal.