IBM Mainframe Forum

I got the below message in console , Please explain me what it is

S31A STC05405 *IECTMS3E 310E, ,IS NOT SCRTCH (08)
S11A JOB03160 *IECTMS3 3111,704779,IS NOT SCRTCH (32)


Regards,
karthick

They appear to be messages from the CA-1 Tape Management System that a tape volume mounted either by an operator or an automated tape library is not a scratch tape known to CA-1. The 310E and 3111 values in the messages are probably device addresses. Beyond that you should consult CA-1 documentation, especially for the IECTMS3E message.

Thanks Steve, also could you explain me what is Scratch tape.

Regards,
karthick

In terms of a tape management system, a "scratch tape" is a tape volume available for reuse.

Tape librarians run, usually at least once a day, jobs that analyze the tape catalog looking for tape volumes that have "expired," e.g. tape volumes containing datasets that are no longer required. The rules used by the tape management system are complex - far to complex to discuss here - to determine this status. JCL requests a "scratch tape" by not specifying a volume serial. The list of new scratch tapes is used by the tape librarians to place the scratch tapes in special racks for tapes that are manually mounted, and to automated tape library controllers so the tape library knows which tapes it can mount.

Hello,

Your operators should know what is a scratch tape. . . .

Scratch tapes are available as output, If a tape is not in scratch status (i.e. it still has needed data) and is opened as a new output tape, the tape management system will not allow the tape to be written on.

Thanks alot Dick & steve