6.8.3 AWSTAPE virtual files

6.8.3.1 Function

AWSTAPE device statements are used to define AWSTAPE virtual files to the Hercules configuration.
AWSTAPEs contain a complete tape in one file. AWSTAPE files consist of variable length EBCDIC
blocks. Each block is preceded by a 6-byte header. Filemarks are represented by a 6-byte header with no
data. This is the same format as is used by the IBM P/390 systems. The argument specifies the location
of the AWSTAPE file.

6.8.3.2 Syntax

Descriptive

awsfile arguments]

where arguments can be

n

n

n

n ]

RW ]

Diagram

Êʬ¬¬ ¬¬¬ ¬¬¬§¬¬¬ awsfile ¬¬¬§¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬Ê

ʬ¬¬§¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬§¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ÊÍ

« arguments

where arguments can be

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬§¬¬¬§¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬«

n ¬¬¬§¬¬¬ K
¬¬¬«

¬¬¬ ¬¬¬«

n

¬¬¬§¬¬¬



n ¬¬¬

n ¬¬¬§¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬§¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬«

¬¬¬ K
¬¬¬«

¬¬¬ ¬¬¬«

¬¬¬ ¬¬¬«

T ¬¬¬

¬¬¬§¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬«

¬¬¬¬§¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬«

RW ¬¬¬¬¬«

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬«

¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬«

6.8.3.3 Parameter

devaddr

This is the device address.

devtype

This is the device type. Valid device types are 3410, 3420, 3422, 3430, 3480, 3490,
8809 and 9347.

awsfile

The filename (and path) of the AWSTAPE file or “*”. An asterisk defines an empty
tape station. The tape must be manually be loaded on request.

If the filename starts with the “@” character (at sign), the file then describes a list of
tape emulation files to be loaded in succession. The syntax of each line in this file is
identical to the information that can be coded directly after the device type in the
overall configuration file. Any emulation file name parameter specified in this file
may be substituted by the character “*”, in which case it specifies a set of options to
be applied to all additional emulation files specified in the list.

This function emulates an Automatic Cartridge Feeder (ACF. The ACF is a feature
on Cartridge type tape drives (3480, 3490, etc..) that automatically loads a new
tape when a tape is removed from the drive. There is no real control over this de-
vice by the host as it just keeps on feeding tapes one after the other. Although the