000-221 · Question #234
A failed integrated tape drive was physically replaced in a small P0WER7+ server. The administrator attempts to use the device and receives this error message: AN ERROR OCCURRED WHILE WRITING TO THE…
The correct answer is D. The drive was replaced but the new device information was not configured. After physically replacing a tape drive, AIX does not automatically detect and configure the new hardware - the device must be explicitly configured in ODM before it can be used.
Question
A failed integrated tape drive was physically replaced in a small P0WER7+ server. The administrator attempts to use the device and receives this error message:
AN ERROR OCCURRED WHILE WRITING TO THE STORAGE MEDIA THE DEVICE IS NOT READY FOR OPERATION Which of the following is the most likely cause?
Options
- AThe tape device microcode needs to be updated.
- BThe media inside the failed tape drive was not removed.
- CThe tape drive needs to be powered on before being used.
- DThe drive was replaced but the new device information was not configured
How the community answered
(37 responses)- A8% (3)
- B5% (2)
- C14% (5)
- D73% (27)
Why each option
After physically replacing a tape drive, AIX does not automatically detect and configure the new hardware - the device must be explicitly configured in ODM before it can be used.
Microcode updates are a separate maintenance activity and would not cause an immediate 'device not ready' error on a freshly installed replacement drive that has never been configured.
The media from the failed drive is irrelevant to whether AIX can recognize and communicate with the newly installed hardware; a device-not-ready error relates to the device itself, not the tape cartridge.
Integrated tape drives in POWER servers receive power through the system bus and backplane and do not require a separate power-on step by the administrator before use.
When a tape drive is physically replaced in AIX, the new device must be discovered and configured using 'cfgmgr' to update the ODM (Object Data Manager) with the new device attributes and paths. Until cfgmgr runs and the new device object is created, AIX has no knowledge of the replacement hardware, causing the 'device not ready' error even though the physical drive is operational.
Concept tested: AIX device configuration after hardware replacement
Source: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aix/7.2?topic=management-configuring-devices
Topics
Community Discussion
6
Wesley A.Jun 26, 2026D is your answer. The drive got swapped out physically but the system still has no idea what that new device is, so when you try to write to it the OS comes back with "not ready" because the configuration never got updated to recognize the replacement hardware.
Bao N.May 30, 2026B trips you up but D is right, config after swap is mandatory.
Orla P.Jun 1, 2026D is solid, but worth flagging that "mandatory" depends on your exam version, since some older question pools phrase it as optional post-swap verification, and that distinction has burned people on flag review.
Orla P.Jun 8, 2026D is right, the replacement drive needs its device configuration completed before it will respond.
Sunita A.Jun 20, 2026D is correct, but what does "configured" mean here, just cfgmgr?
Wesley A.Jun 20, 2026"Configured" on the exam covers the full state being correct, not just the tool that got you there, so yes cfgmgr applies but they also accept manual file edits or any method that leaves the device in the intended state.