We have seen this exact same thing in our 3494 library. These tapes are
in limbo because when the library was brought back on line, it didn't see
the tape where it expected to (still in the drive) and has assigned them to
the "manually ejected tape" category of FFFA . In our setup we could see
this using the command "mtlib -l /dev/lmcp0 -qV -Vvolnumber".
  The only way we have found to get it all cleared up is to assign the tape
to catagory FFFB "the Purge catagory" , again using an 'mtlib' command. It
will then disappear from the library's inventory and we are then able to
check it back in.

  Here is the URL of the document and associated links that helped me
through this process.


http://as400bks.rochester.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr/BookMgr.cmd/BOOKS/EZ30MC00
/5.6.2


        Ben


        > -----Original Message-----
        > From: Robert Bunt [SMTP:rmbunt AT NYSEG DOT COM]
        > Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 1998 10:19 AM
        > To:   ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
        > Subject:      ADSM and tapes
        >
        > Bob Bunt@NYSEG
        > 10/21/98 11:19 AM
        >
        > We have ADSM/6000 2.1.5.15 with an attached 3494-L12 Tape
Subsystem.
        > We expect to upgrade the server to V3 versy soon.
        >
        > During one recent episode where a tape drive was experiencing
problems, a
        > tape
        > was stuck in the drive while the normal ADSM operation continued.
The
        > tape
        > in the
        > drive did have data from prior migration processes.
        >
        > Before the Tape was stuck in the drive the command "Query
Libvolume
        > Tapelib
        > TAPE01"
        > would show information about the tape being allocated Private.
"Query
        > Volume TAPE01"
        > reveals how much the tape is currently utilized.
        >
        > During the drive outage, the Library Manager and drive was varied
offline
        > from the SMIT-
        > DEVICES - ADSM DEVICES selection.  While the IBM CE repairs the
drive, the
        > tape is
        > pulled straight from the drive and placed directly into the open
slot in
        > the Library.  Upon the
        > restart of the 3494, an inventory is taken of all of the tapes in
the
        > library.
        >
        > After the drive outage, "Query Volume TAPE01" still shows the
current tape
        > utilization. It is
        > just marked as unavailable.   The "Query Libvolume Tapelib TAPE01"
returns
        > nothing.
        > The tape is no longer listed in the LIBVOLUME inventory.  I have
tried to
        > re-checkin the
        > tape into the library and have had no luck.  I usually end up
having to
        > discard the data
        > and start the label and checkin process all over.
        >
        > Has anyone else experienced the same problem of Tapes being stuck
in this
        > LIMBO
        > state?  Is there a means for getting the tape recognized as being
in use
        > and back into
        > the Library in a ready state?
        >
        >                                          Bob Bunt
        >                                          rmbunt AT nyseg DOT com