Understanding OPCOM and Volumes

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HP OpenVMS System Manager's Manual, Volume 1:...

Using BACKUP

Using Disks and Tapes

Listing the Contents of a BACKUP Save Set

Understanding OPCOM and Volumes

If you have a standalone workstation or easy access to disk and tape drives at your facility, you probably can mount and initialize your own volumes. At some sites, however, an operator performs these tasks. Using the services of an operator might be necessary because the drive you want to use is located remotely or because you do not have the necessary privileges to manipulate a volume.

To communicate with the operator at your site, consult the operator about site-specific procedures. Depending on how your system is customized, using the operator communication manager (OPCOM) might be necessary. The OPCOM system process allows you to request assistance from the operator and allows the operator to respond to your requests. ( Using OPCOM to Communicate with System Users explains OPCOM.)

Requesting Operator Assistance

Please consult your operator about your site-specific procedures. Your site may not use OPCOM or may use it differently from the examples in this section.

If you want the operator to mount a tape for you, use OPCOM to ask the operator to mount the tape.

How to Perform This Task

Enter either the REQUEST/REPLY or the REQUEST/TO command:

The /REPLY qualifier assigns your request a unique number to which the operator can respond.

If your facility is very large, several operators might each have specific tasks. If this is the case, use the REQUEST/TO command, which allows you to send a message to a specific operator (identified by a keyword).

If you request operator assistance and an operator is not available, you receive the following message:

%MOUNT-I-NOOPR, no operator available to service request

This indicates that the operator has disabled the operator's terminal. To abort your request, press Ctrl/Z.

You can also use the /[NO]ASSIST qualifier with either the BACKUP or the MOUNT command:

If a mount request fails and you specified /ASSIST, mount failure messages appear on the operator terminal (if OPCOM is enabled). The /ASSIST qualifier is the default for both the BACKUP and MOUNT commands.

If you specified /NOASSIST, mount failure messages appear on your terminal instead of on the operator terminal.

If you are on a workstation but forget to specify /NOASSIST, OPCOM (if OPCOM is running) requests that the operator load the next volume.

If you have the OPER privilege, you can respond to the request by using another terminal window to enter the following commands:
```
$ REPLY/ENABLE=TAPES
$ REPLY/TO=identification-number "message text"
```

Examples

To request the operator to mount a tape, enter a command similar to the following one:
```
$ REQUEST/REPLY "Is anyone using drive MUA12?"
%OPCOM-S-OPRNOTIF, operator notified, waiting...12:21:12.46
%OPCOM-S-OPREPLY, PLEASE DIRECT YOUR REQUEST TO THE TAPE OPERATOR
2-APR-2000 12:26:13.12. request 2 completed by operator OPA0
$
```
The /REPLY qualifier assigns your request a unique number (in this case, 2) to which the operator can respond. Note that you cannot enter any additional commands until the operator responds.

The following example shows you how to direct your request to a specific operator using the /TO qualifier:

$ REQUEST/TO=TAPES "Is anyone using drive MUA12?"
%OPCOM-S-OPRNOTIF, operator notified, waiting...12:40:11.32
%OPCOM-S-OPREPLY, I'M DONE GO AHEAD
2-APR-2000 12:45:26.18. request 5 completed by operator OPA0
$

Using Disks and Tapes

Listing the Contents of a BACKUP Save Set