Retrieve Cartridge Information (QTARCTGI) API

  Required Parameter Group:

1 Receiver variable Output Char(*)
2 Length of receiver variable Input Binary(4)
3 Format name Input Char(8)
4 Device description Input Char(10)
5 Requested cartridge ID Input Char(6)
6 Requested category Input Char(18)
7 Error code I/O Char(*)

  Default Public Authority: *USE

  Threadsafe: No

The Retrieve Cartridge Information (QTARCTGI) API retrieves a list of the cartridges in a tape library device and their attributes. This API provides a function similar to the Display Tape Cartridge (DSPTAPCTG) command.

Authorities and Locks

Device Description Authority
*USE

Required Parameter Group

Receiver variable
OUTPUT; CHAR(*)

The receiver variable that receives the information requested. You can specify the size of the area to be smaller than the format requested as long as you specify the length parameter correctly. As a result, the API returns only the data that the area can hold.

Note: With the exception of the first cartridge information entry, only complete cartridge information entries will be returned.

Length of receiver variable
INPUT; BINARY(4)

The length of the receiver variable provided. The length of receiver variable parameter may be specified up to the size of the receiver variable specified in the user program. If the length of receiver variable parameter specified is larger than the allocated size of the receiver variable specified in the user program, the results are not predictable. The minimum length is 8 bytes.

Format name
INPUT; CHAR(8)

The content and format of the information being returned.

The RCTG0100 format must be used for the cartridge information. See RCTG0100 Format to view the information returned for this format.

Device description
INPUT; CHAR(10)

The name of the tape library device containing the cartridge(s) for which the data is to be returned.

Requested cartridge ID
INPUT; CHAR(6)

The cartridge or cartridges for which the data is to be returned. This parameter is used in conjunction with the Requested category parameter to filter the data that is returned. This parameter can contain a specific cartridge identifier, or a generic name of a cartridge identifier. A generic name is a character string of one or more characters followed by an asterisk (*); for example, ABC*. A generic name specifies all cartridge identifiers with names that begin with the generic prefix. The following special value is also supported:

*ALL
Information will be returned for all cartridges in the specified tape library device that are in the requested category.

Requested category
INPUT; CHAR(18)

The category name and system for which the data is to be returned. This parameter is used in conjunction with the Requested cartridge parameter to filter the data that is returned. The requested category has two parts:

Category name
CHAR(10). A specific category name or one of the following special values:

*ALL
All categories that are owned by the specified category system are searched for the requested cartridge indentifiers.

*NOSHARE
The *NOSHARE category that is owned by the specified category system is searched for the requested cartridge identifiers.

*IPL
The *IPL category that is owned by the specified category system is searched for the requested cartridge identifiers.

*NL
The *NL category that is owned by the specified category system is searched for the requested cartridge identifiers.

*SYSGEN
The *SYSGEN category that is owned by the specified category system is searched for the requested cartridge identifiers.

*CNV
The *CNV category that is owned by the specified category system is searched for the requested cartridge identifiers.

*SHARE400
The *SHARE400 category is searched for the requested cartridge identifiers. The category system field is not used for this category and must be set to blanks.

*INSERT
The *INSERT category is searched for the requested cartridge identifiers. The category system field is not used for this category and must be set to blanks.

*EJECT
The *EJECT category is searched for the requested cartridge identifiers. The category system field is not used for this category and must be set to blanks.

Category system
CHAR(8). A specific system name or one of the following special values:

*CURRENT
All categories with the specified category name that are owned by the current system are searched for the requested cartridge indentifiers.

*ALL
All categories with the specifed category name that are owned by any system are searched for the requested cartridge identifiers.

Error code
I/O; CHAR(*)

The structure in which to return error information. For the format of the structure, see Error code parameter.


RCTG0100 Format

The following table shows the information that is returned for the RCTG0100 format. For more details about the fields in the following table, see Field Descriptions.

Offset Type Field
Dec Hex
0 0 BINARY(4) Bytes returned
4 4 BINARY(4) Bytes available
8 8 BINARY(4) Offset to cartridge information
12 C BINARY(4) Number of cartridge information entries
16 10 BINARY(4) Length of cartridge information entry
    CHAR(*) Cartridge information


Cartridge information

The current cartridge attributes. Each cartridge information entry has the following format. For more details about the fields in the following table, see Field Descriptions.

Offset Type Field
Dec Hex
0 0 CHAR(6) Cartridge ID
6 6 CHAR(6) Volume ID
12 C CHAR(10) Tape library name
22 16 CHAR(10) Category
32 20 CHAR(8) Category system
40 28 CHAR(10) Density
50 32 CHAR(7) Change date
57 39 CHAR(6) Change time
63 3F CHAR(7) Reference date
70 46 CHAR(6) Reference time
76 4C CHAR(10) Location
86 56 CHAR(1) Location indicator
87 57 CHAR(2) Volume status
89 59 CHAR(17) Owner ID
106 6A CHAR(1) Write protection
107 6B CHAR(1) Code
108 6C CHAR(1) Cartridge ID source
109 6D CHAR(1) Import/Export slot
110 6E CHAR(2) Media type


Field Descriptions

Bytes available. The number of bytes of data available to be returned. All available data is returned if enough space is provided.

Bytes returned. The number of bytes of data returned.

Cartridge ID. The cartridge identifier for the cartridge.

Cartridge ID source. The type of cartridge ID. The following values can be returned:

0 The volume identifier is used for the cartridge ID.
1 The cartridge ID is generated by the system.
2 The cartridge ID was read from the bar code label on the cartridge.

Category. The category assigned to the cartridge.

Category system. The name of the system that owns the category assigned to the cartridge.

Change date. The date the cartridge was last used for output operations. The date is returned with the following format - CYYMMDD. If no change date is available the field is set to blanks.

Change time. The time the cartridge was last used for output operations. The time is returned with the following format HHMMSS. If no change time is available the field is set to blanks.

Code. The encoding used for the data on tape. The following values can be returned:

blank The encoding is unknown.
0 ASCII encoding is used.
1 EBCDIC encoding is used.

Density. The last known cartridge density. If the density is unknown the field is set to blanks.

Import/Export slot. Whether or not the cartridge is in an Import/Export slot. The following values can be returned:

0 The cartridge is not in an import/export slot.
1 The cartridge is in an import/export slot.

Length of cartridge information entry. When cartridge information is available this field is set to the length, in bytes, of a single cartridge information entry. A value of zero is returned if the cartridge information is not available.

Location. The current location of the cartridge. The location will be set to either a slot number (if available) or a tape resource name. The following value may also be returned:

blanks Slot number is not available.


Location indicator. This field indicates what type of location information is returned. Possible values follow:

0 The cartridge is mounted in a tape resource in the tape library.
1 The cartridge is in a storage slot in the tape library.

Media type. The media type read from the bar code label on the cartridge. If there is no bar code reader the field is set to blank.

Number of cartridge information entries. The number cartridge information entries returned. A value of zero is returned if the cartridge information is not available.

Offset to cartridge information. The offset, in bytes, to the cartridge information. A value of zero is returned if the cartridge information is not available.

Owner ID. The owner of the cartridge. This information is read from the tape volume labels. The following other values can be returned:

*NL The cartridge is a non-labeled tape.
*BLANK The owner ID in the tape labels was blank.
blanks The owner ID is unknown

Reference date. The date the cartridge was last used. The date is returned with the following format - CYYMMDD. If no reference date is available the field is set to blanks.

Reference time. The time the cartridge was last used. The time is returned with the following format HHMMSS. If no reference time is available the field is set to blanks.

Tape Library name. The name of the tape library containing the cartridge.

Volume ID. The volume identifier for the cartridge read from the tape volume labels. The following other values can be returned:

*NL The volume is a non-labeled tape.
blanks The volume ID is unknown


Volume status. The status of the cartridge. Possible values follow:

01 The cartridge is available.
02 The cartridge is mounted.
03 The cartridge is not available.
04 The cartridge is ejected.
05 The cartridge is in error state.
06 The cartridge is inserted.
07 The cartridge has a duplicate cartridge ID.

Write Protection. Indicates whether or not the cartridge is write protected. The following values can be returned:

0 The cartridge is not write protected.
1 The cartridge is write protected.
blank The cartridge write protect status is unknown.


Error Messages

Message ID Error Message Text
CPF24B4 E Severe error while addressing parameter list.
CPF3C19 E Error occurred with receiver variable specified.
CPF3C21 E Format name &1 is not valid.
CPF3C24 E Length of the receiver variable is not valid.
CPF3C3C E Value for parameter &1 not valid.
CPF3C90 E Literal value cannot be changed.
CPF3CF1 E Error code parameter not valid.
CPF6708 E Command ended due to error.
CPF6718 E Cannot allocate device &1.
CPF673A E Device &1 not varied on.
CPF6745 E Device &1 not a media library device.
CPF67A1 E Cartridge &1 not found.
CPF67A6 E Category does not exist.
CPF67D2 E Cartridge does not exist in specified category.
CPF9802 E Not authorized to object &2 in &3.
CPF9814 E Device &1 not found.
CPF9872 E Program or service program &1 in library &2 ended. Reason code &3.


API introduced: V5R3
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