reading tapes in bad conditions

From: Enrico Badella <enrico.badella_at_softstar.it>
Date: Thu Dec 9 17:03:45 1999

CLASSICCMP_at_trailing-edge.com wrote:
>
> It depends on the SCSI tape drive's firmware, but with many you'll be able
> to skip over bad parts with a combination of SET MAGTAPE/SKIP=FILES

using skip=file:1 the first read returns EOT

> and SET MAGTAPE/SKIP=RECORDS.

depending on the number of records skiped vmstpce returns parity error
or EOT. There seems to be no correlation between number of records and error
type.

I was thinking of strange suggestions like those to get stuck RD53 working
again.

> If the SCSI tape drive won't let you do this, it's probably because its firmware
> thinks that a tape error means end-of-tape and won't let you go past. I
> can't make any other recommendation other than to get a different drive
> (preferably, something with a "less intelligent" interface. It's rarely

Eric, I guess you'll have to wait untill I have set up again the 3420 tapes;
these probably are old enough to not be too smart.

e.

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Received on Thu Dec 09 1999 - 17:03:45 GMT