Source Code 1992 March/Source_Code_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_March_1992.iso/usenet/altsrcs/1/1607/README

Text File | 1990-12-28 | 936 b | 28 lines

This is a program designed to speed up writing tapes on remote tape
drives.  It runs on SunOS so long as you have shared memory and locks.

The program splits itself into two processes.  The first process reads
(and reblocks) from stdin into a shared memory buffer.  The second
writes from the shared memory buffer to stdout.  Doing it this way
means that the writing side effectly sits in a tight write loop.

I run an archive and need to write large chunks out to tape regularly
with an ethernet in the way.  Using 'buffer' in a command like:

    tar cvf - stuff | rsh somebox "buffer > /dev/rst8"

is a factor of 5 faster than the best alternative, gnu tar with its
remote tape option:

    tar cvf somebox:/dev/rst8 stuff

It also speeds up remote dumps!

Lee McLoughlin,
Imperial College, 1990

Janet: [e-mail]    Uucp:  [e-mail] (or ..!ukc!icdoc!lmjm)
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