problem exchanging 8mm tapes using Exaby

[Bob Clarke 3rd x4502 <clarke@xxxxxxxx>]

I'm having a problem supplying data to one of our software vendors via   
8mm tape.  This vendor needs several libraries backed up to tape.  The   
only suitable common tape technology between us is 8mm.  I have an   
Exabyte 8505XL attached to a 2621 IOP on a model 310 running V3R2.  The   
Exabyte is configured (within the physical unit itself) as a 9348 (I'm   
not entirely clear on why this is ... I believe I recall the vendor   
mentioning that this was the optimal setting for maximum capacity).   
 Anyway, I've never had a problem exchanging 8mm tapes with any vendor in   
the past with this configuration.  Several other parties have read my   
tapes and vice versa, without regard to who was using what.

Upon finding out that our software vendor could not read the tape that we   
sent, I learned that they are using a 7208-002 tape drive.  They   
requested that I format the tape as *FMT2GB.  I tried to initialize the   
tape as such using the existing aforementioned configuration, but it   
would not allow me to do so, reverting instead to 6250, apparently due to   
the tape drive being configured as a 9348.  After a little digging   
through the Exabyte manual, I found that it is capable of being   
configured as a 7208.  Thus I proceeded to re-set the Exabyte, bringing   
it up in configuration mode, set it to 7208 emulation and followed up by   
resetting the IOP via WKCFGSTS on the device.  Following this process, I   
was unable to access the tape drive at all only to find that the tape   
controller and the 2621 were disabled.  I then went into WRKHDWRSC to   
remove the controller and inadvertently removed the 2621 IOP.  This is   
where I stand today and these are my questions:

 -  Having removed the 2621 (not so bright, I admit), is there any way to   
get it back other
    than to IPL (the system is set to auto-configure)?

 -  Is there any way that the vendor can or should be able to read the   
tape I'm creating on
    their 7208?  If so, how?

 -  Does anyone know what I did wrong in attempting to re-configure the   
exabyte as a
    7208 that caused the drive (controller) and IOP to become disabled?

I'd greatly appreciate any help I can get here.  Already a trip by   
several of our staff to the vendor's site had to be cancelled because of   
our inability to provide this data.  Needless to say I'd like to rectify   
this situation as quickly as possible.  Thanks!!

Regards,

Bob Clarke

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