1 03/15/85 auth
 2 
 3 Syntax as a command:  x auth device authentication_characters
 4 
 5 
 6 Function:  authenticates a tape or disk volume, i.e., verifies that the
 7 correct volume has been mounted.  The system asks you to authenticate
 8 the volume whenever the volume name in the volume label does not match
 9 the volume name that was requested.
10 
11 
12 Arguments:
13 device
14    is the name of the device on which the volume is mounted.
15 authentication_characters
16    is an encoded form of the volume name, consisting of three
17    alphabetic characters for tape drives, or the characters described
18    in "Notes" below for disks.
19 
20 
21 Notes:  Use of the volume authentication feature requires that labels
22 displaying the volume name and corresponding authentication characters
23 be pasted on each tape volume in use at the site.  See the
24 make_volume_labels command.  The effect of typing the correct
25 authentication characters is to indicate to the system that you have
26 mounted a volume whose name matches the requested name, and that it is
27 safe to ignore the volume name on the label.
28 
29 The authentication characters for disk volumes correspond to the label
30 type specified in the authentication request message.  The allowable
31 characters are:  "ss", "io", "urd", and "urg" corresponding to label
32 types of Storage System, IO, UnReaDable, or UnReGistered respectively.
33 If you wish to deny authentication you may use the authentication
34 characters "no".
35 
36 
37 If authentication is requested for a tape volume that does not have
38 authentication characters displayed on it, an authentication character
39 string consisting of three asterisks (***) may be given, to force
40 authentication to be bypassed for that volume.  Routine use of this
41 feature should be discouraged because it lessens the security of the
42 system.  If none of the tape volumes at the site have authentication
43 characters displayed on them, the authentication feature can be
44 disabled by the system administrator until the tape volumes have been
45 properly labeled.