HPlogo Performing System Management Tasks: HP 3000 MPE/iX Computer Systems > Chapter 3 Defining Input/Output Devices

Using the IOCONFIG Utility

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With the release of version C.55.00 of MPE/iX, system managers can now use a new utility, IOCONFIG, to change the I/O configuration and implement the changes immediately without rebooting the system.

The IOCONFIG utility automatically updates SYSGEN's base configuration. IOCONFIG can completely replace the use of SYSGEN for device configuration, especially when you need to make configuration changes immediately; that is, without rebooting the system. However, you should continue to use SYSGEN to configure devices to have the changes take effect at the next reboot.

There is one occasion when you cannot use IOCONFIG in place of SYSGEN's I/O Configurator: when the current base configuration group is BOOTUP. IOCONFIG cannot modify configuration files in the BOOTUP group, since these files are designed to maintain a backup copy of the configuration files used in the last successful START NORECOVERY which includes INSTALL and UPDATE. Therefore, when BOOTUP is the current base configuration group, you must use SYSGEN to make the configuration changes on the next START NORECOVERY.

NOTE: There is another new option for online device configuration introduced with Version C.55.00 of MPE/iX. The system manager can use the I/O Configurator in SYSGEN, and then issue the DOIONOW command to immediately begin making the changes online. This command is described earlier in this chapter.

You may use IOCONFIG in one of two ways: interactively or non-interactively which is sometimes called "command mode".

To use IOCONFIG interactively, you issue the IOCONFIG command, without command parameters, at the CI prompt. This starts the IOCONFIG utility, at which point you may enter any of the commands shown in the following table at the special prompt. When you are through using IOCONFIG, you must explicitly exit the utility.

Table 3-1 IOCONFIG Commands

CommandAbbreviationsDescription
ADDDEVICEadev, adAdds a device from the physical configuration to the active configuration.
LISTDEVICEldev, ldLists the active device configuration.
DELETEDEVICEddev, ddDeletes a device from the active configuration.
ADDCLASSaclass, acAdds a device class to the active configuration.
MODIFYCLASSmclass, mcModifies a device class in the active configuration.
LISTCLASSlclass, lcLists the active device class configuration.
DELETECLASSdclass, dcDeletes a device class from the active configuration.
ADDPATHapath, apAdds an intermediate path to the active configuration.
LISTPATHlpath, lpLists I/O paths for the active configuration.
DELETEPATHdpath, dpDeletes an I/O path from the active configuration.
REDOredoRe-executes the command previously executed.
HELPhe, hDisplays information about all commands or about the specific command entered following the HELP.
EXITex, eExits IOCONFIG.

 

To use IOCONFIG in command mode, you enter IOCONFIG followed by a single command passed as an INFO string at the CI prompt. For example, you might want to list the devices or device classes in the current configuration without executing any other command. To do so, you would enter:

   :IOCONFIG "lc"

Device and device class configuration with the IOCONFIG utility is just like SYSGEN's. You can list device and device class information, or add and delete a device or a device class. You can also modify an existing device class to add or delete devices in the class, or to rename the class. All commands take effect immediately. As a side-effect, those commands that update the configuration also update the current SYSGEN boot configuration.

Adding a device with IOCONFIG

To configure a tape drive, disk or a system printer into the system, the system manager or operator uses the ADDDEVICE or ADEV command. The syntax of the command is identical to that of SYSGEN's ADEV command in IO level, except that the ID parameter is optional. The command syntax is as follows:

ADDDEVICE {[LDEV =] #/#,#,...} {[PATH =] devicepath} [ [ID =] productid] [ [RSIZE =] recordsize] [ [OUTDEV =] outputdevice] [[MODE =] { JOB DATA INTERACTIVE DUPLICATIVE INPUT OUTPUT AUTOREPLY NLIO NONE }] [[CLASS =] classname] [[CMODE =] { IN OUT CIO NCIO RANDOM DEFAULT }] [ [PMGR =] physicalmanagername] [ [LMGR =] logicalmanagername] [ [PMGRPRI =] physicalmanager priority] [ [MPETYPE =] compmodetype] [ [MPESUBTYPE =] compmodesubtype] [ [DEVNAME =] devicename]

To configure a SCSI device, it must be physically connected to the specified path, it must be operational, and there must be a device-defaults-data entry for the product ID (which is obtained from the device during configuration). If you omit the ID parameter, the IOCONFIG utility interrogates the hardware to identify the device. It then validates the ID that it retrieves by checking it against the list of supported devices.

When adding a printer to the configuration that has the class SPOOL, the spooler process for that device will automatically be started and a message indicating this will appear on the console.

Listing one or more devices with IOCONFIG

The system manager or operator can list all devices in the system or one or more specified devices along with their configuration information using the LISTDEVICE or LDEV command. When you enter either command without parameters, information about all devices currently configured in the system is listed. By providing one or more parameters as the selection criteria, you can see information about particular devices.

The command syntax is as follows:

LISTDEVICE [ [LDEV] = #/#,#, ... ] [ [ID] = product number] [ [TYPE] = device type] [ [CLASS] = classname,...] [ [DEST] = OFFLINE]

Deleting a device with IOCONFIG

The system manager or operator may delete a device from the configuration using the DELETEDEVICE or DDEV command. A device is considered to be completely deconfigured when all its system-related resources are recovered. DDEV, at this time, can only deconfigure two kinds of devices completely: network printers and disks that are attached to single-ended SCSI adapters.

The syntax of the DDEV command is identical to that of SYSGEN's DDEV command in IO level. The command syntax is as follows:

DELETEDEVICE { [LDEV =] #/#,#,... } [ [ID =] deviceid] [ [TYPE =] devicetype] [ [CLASS =] classname]

Adding a device class with IOCONFIG

To create a new device class in the system, the system manager or operator uses the ADDCLASS or ACLASS command. The syntax of the ACLASS command is identical to that of ACLASS in SYSGEN. All devices that you designate as members of the class (using the LDEV parameter) must be configured before issuing this command.

NOTE: With the release of version C.55.00 of MPE/iX, the maximum number of devices that you can configure has substantially increased. When there is a large number of configured devices, you may notice a slight delay in system response as you add more. For example, when the number of devices configured exceeds approximately 2,000, the delay will be evident. It is not, however, indicative of a system problem.

The syntax of the ADDCLASS command is as follows:

ADDCLASS {[CLASS =] classname} {[LDEV =] #/#,#,... } [[MODE =] { IN OUT CIO NCIO RANDOM DEFAULT }]

Modifying a device class with IOCONFIG

The system manager or operator can modify a device class by adding or deleting one or more devices in it or by renaming it using the MODIFYCLASS or MCLASS command. The syntax of this command is identical to that of MCLASS in SYSGEN. The command syntax is as follows:

MODIFYCLASS { [CLASS] = classname} [ [NEWCLASS] = classname] [ [ALDEV] = logical device #,... ] [ [DLDEV] = logical device #,... ] [[MODE =] { IN OUT CIO NCIO RANDOM DEFAULT }]

Currently, the system allows any device in the system to belong to only one associated class at any time. For example, if a device X belongs to a class Y and Y is associated to some user, then the MODIFYCLASS command prevents you from adding X to another class Z which is also associated to any user at the time.

Listing one or more device classes with IOCONFIG

The system manager or operator can list all device classes in the system, or one or more specified device classes, with their configuration information using the LISTCLASS or LCLASS command. When no parameter is used with this command, all device classes currently configured in the system are listed. By providing the names of those device classes with the CLASS keyword, you can view information about particular device classes.

The command syntax is as follows:

LISTCLASS [ [CLASS] = classname,... ] [ [DEST] = OFFLINE]

Deleting a device class with IOCONFIG

The system manager or operator can use the DELETECLASS or DCLASS command to delete a device class that is not currently associated to a user. To disassociate the device class from the user, the user must execute the DISASSOCIATE command at the Command Interpreter prompt.

The command syntax is as follows:

DELETECLASS {[CLASS =] classname,... }

Configuring a device adapter with IOCONFIG

It is often necessary to configure intermediate paths before a device can be configured into the system. For example, you must configure a SCSI device adapter before the first device on that SCSI bus can be configured. Intermediate path configuration is done just like in SYSGEN. At this time, the command to delete a path is only supported for the single-ended SCSI adapter. All other cases will fail with an error.

The command syntax is as follows:

ADDPATH {[PATH =] devicepath} {[ID =] productid} [ [PMGR =] physicalmgrname] [ [PMGRPRI =] physicalmgrpri] [ [LMGR =] logicalmgrname ] [ [MAXIOS =] maxconcurrentchannelIOs]

Listing an I/O path with IOCONFIG

An I/O path is the system address assigned to the device interface hardware and the physical path used to reach an I/O device. The system manager or operator can use the LISTPATH command to display information about adapters and I/O devices on a specified path in the active configuration. The command lists the configured I/O paths according to their paths or to their associated I/O manager. The syntax of the LISTPATH command appears below:

LISTPATH [ PATH= [path] LEVEL= [#] MANAGER= [manager name,...] DEST= [OFFLINE] ]

The LEVEL parameter lists I/O paths at the level you specify:

  • Enter 1 to display channel adapter information

  • Enter 2 to display device adapter information

  • Enter 3 to display device information

The MANAGER parameter lists the I/O paths associated with the given manager or managers, if the manager(s) exist. If not, IOCONFIG displays a warning message.

Use the DEST parameter to send LISTPATH output to the file IOCLIST. This file remains open until you exit IOCONFIG, at which point the file is closed and printed.

Deleting an I/O path with IOCONFIG

The system manager or operator can delete an I/O path and all paths below it from the configuration with the DELETEPATH command. IOCONFIG will only delete a path if it is not currently in use or if it does not have an associated device. If either is true when you issue the DELETEPATH command, a warning message appears.

The syntax of the command is:

DELETEPATH [PATH =] device path

Currently, the only paths that can be completely deleted are those using a single-ended SCSI adapter.

Updating the device class association table with IOCONFIG

Many of the configuration commands implicitly update one or more system reserved device classes. For example, the ADEV command when used to configure a tape device, implicitly adds the new device in TAPE device class. Also, these commands explicitly update one or more device classes specified with the command.

The device class association information used by the ASSOCIATE and DISASSOCIATE commands is stored in ASOCIATE.PUB.SYS. This file is built when the system manager runs the program ASOCTBL.PUB.SYS. Therefore, after you have issued IOCONFIG commands, it is a good idea to update the file ASOCIATE.PUB.SYS by running ASOCTBL.

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