Tape Storage for Dummies

From: CLASSICCMP_at_timaxp.trailing-edge.com <(CLASSICCMP_at_timaxp.trailing-edge.com)>
Date: Sun Sep 13 19:10:55 1998

> On my now beautifully working uVAX II (thanks again Allison!) I
>have a Cipher 9trk and a TK50... I have the MIcro VMS User's Manuals
>VOL I & II. I understand the concept of mounting the devices and
>allocating them (sort of), and I have successfully loaded, mounted,
>allocated, and initialized a roll of tape on the Cipher. I have made
>a Test directory on the HD called [TEST] ;} on which I have created
>a couple of simple text files. I have tried to copy these files to
>the tape (MSA0:), and it does *something*, the tape advances and the
>HD led flickers, but when I try to copy these files back, all I get
>are sequentially numbered blank directory entries.

Some very important questions that need to be answered:

1. Which version of VMS?

2. What commands did you use? The *exact* commands, with all qualifiers.

You know, it is *very* hard for us to tell what you did wrong unless
you tell us exactly what you did! It sounds like you may have
very well mounted the tape /FOREIGN, in which case there is no
file name associated with each file. (See the ANSI labeled tape
spec for more details about what /FOREIGN isn't doing for you :-) )

> I mounted/foreign an RT-ll sig tape, and tried to copy it to the
>HD; same thing. Show/Dev/MSA0: shows the right Volume Label.. but
>the directories are empty when I copy them back...

Again, what commands? If you MOU/FOR the tape, by default there
is no "file name" associated with each file, and on a copy back you
will get files named "." (apparently what you are seeing).

When dealing with RT-11 (not ll!) tapes under VMS, please keep
in mind the very detailed advice in the RT-11 "Volume and File
Formats Manual", pages 1-37 through 1-39.

Finally, don't forget "/LOG" if you want to know what each
COPY command is really doing for you :-).

As a basic test of ANSI labeled tape functionality under VMS, try this:

INIT MSA0: TEST (if it complains, use /OVER=(ID,ACCESS) )
MOUNT MSA0: TEST
COPY LOGIN.COM MSA0:
DIR MSA0:
COPY MSA0:LOGIN.COM []LOGIN2.COM

-- 
 Tim Shoppa                        Email: shoppa_at_trailing-edge.com
 Trailing Edge Technology          Voice: 301-767-5917
 7328 Bradley Blvd                 Fax:   301-767-5927
 Bethesda, MD, USA 20817
Received on Sun Sep 13 1998 - 19:10:55 BST

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