NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #26/NN_1992_26.iso/spool/comp/sys/hp/12851

Internet Message Format | 1992-11-12 | 9.4 KB

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From: [e-mail] (Bob Niland)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: multiple tape files on 9144
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 12 Nov 92 21:04:20 GMT
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Jeff Minnig ([e-mail]) wrote:

> I have an application that needs to write multiple tape files to cs80
> cartridge tapes on a 9144 tape drive.

Here's the discussion from the last time this question came up...

From fc.hp.com!hp-col!sdd.hp.com!wupost!uunet!gatech!ncar!ico!spatial!alek Thu Nov 12 13:59:45 1992
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Path: fc.hp.com!hp-col!sdd.hp.com!wupost!uunet!gatech!ncar!ico!spatial!alek
From: [e-mail] (Alek O. Komarnitsky)
Subject: Can "mt" commands be using on 1/4" Cartrdige tape on HP400's w/HP-UX8.0?
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Originator: alek@spatial
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Organization: Spatial Technology, Inc. (Boulder, Colorado)
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 01:17:14 GMT
Lines: 23

Subject line pretty much says it all. A user here wants to put several tar
files as seperate "savesets" on a single tape. One can do this on DAT or
Sun 1/4" tape drives by using multiple tar commands and being sure to specify
the no-rewind device. However, I have not been able to figure out what
to use for the HP 1/4" tape drive connected via HP-IB (HP400 w/HP-UX8.0)

The tape drive works fine for all others sort of commands. Here's some
output when I try to use the mt command:
   balu (ALEK) ls -l /dev/update.src
   crw-rw-rw-   1 root     root       4 0x070200 Sep 11 13:12 /dev/update.src
   balu (ALEK) mt -t /dev/update.src rew
   rewind 1 failed: Invalid argument

The Installing Peripherals Manual is pretty sketchy here, but it appears that
all the minor numbers are allready used for other stuff. In addition, there's
an on-line man page for "mkdev", but it does not seem to exist in /etc/mkdev
despite a full install from tape (?)

Help!

Alek Komarnitsky                                      303-449-0649
Software Tools Manager, Spatial Technology, Inc.      2425 55th Street, Bldg A
[e-mail]                                      Boulder, CO 80301-5704

From fc.hp.com!rjn Thu Nov 12 13:59:57 1992
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Path: fc.hp.com!rjn
From: [e-mail] (Bob Niland)
Subject: Re: Can "mt" commands be using on 1/4" Cartrdige tape on HP400's w/HP-UX8.0?
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Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 15:23:17 GMT
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[e-mail] (Alek O. Komarnitsky) writes:
: Subject line pretty much says it all. A user here wants to put several tar
: files as seperate "savesets" on a single tape. One can do this on DAT or
: Sun 1/4" tape drives by using multiple tar commands and being sure to specify
: the no-rewind device. However, I have not been able to figure out what
: to use for the HP 1/4" tape drive connected via HP-IB (HP400 w/HP-UX8.0)

The "mt" command does not work with the 9144A, 9145A, 35401A and similar
HP-IB CS/80 tape drives because they are not treated like classical
serial-access devices.  These drives are actually block-rewritable random-
access devices - very slow disks you might say.

Any "append" operation that would work on a /dev/rdsk will work on these
tape drives.   "mt" operation attempts often result in "not a typewriter",
one of the less helpful Un*x error messages.

Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland      Internet: [e-mail]               3404 East Harmony Road
                CompuServe:  71044,2124               Ft Collins CO 80525-9599

From fc.hp.com!hp-col!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!torn!watserv2.uwaterloo.ca!watserv1!madmax.uwaterloo.ca!gordon Thu Nov 12 14:00:05 1992
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From: [e-mail] (Gordon R. Strachan)
Subject: Re: Can "mt" commands be using on 1/4" Cartrdige tape on HP400's w/HP-UX8.0?
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Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 16:32:40 GMT
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In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>[e-mail] (Alek O. Komarnitsky) writes:
>
>The "mt" command does not work with the 9144A, 9145A, 35401A and similar
>HP-IB CS/80 tape drives because they are not treated like classical
>serial-access devices.  These drives are actually block-rewritable random-
>access devices - very slow disks you might say.
>

I always called them a tape drive with delusions of grandeur :-)

They are pretty slow (even for tape drives) but I will admit that they are
reliable and I sure wish the DAT drives had its random read/write capabilities.

Gordon
>
>Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
>Bob Niland      Internet: [e-mail]               3404 East Harmony Road
>                CompuServe:  71044,2124               Ft Collins CO 80525-9599



From fc.hp.com!rjn Thu Nov 12 14:00:13 1992
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Path: fc.hp.com!rjn
From: [e-mail] (Bob Niland)
Subject: Re: Can "mt" commands be using on 1/4" Cartrdige tape on HP400's w/HP-UX8.0?
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Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 21:49:10 GMT
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[e-mail] (Bob Niland) writes:
> Any "append" operation that would work on a /dev/rdsk will work on these
> tape drives.   "mt" operation attempts often result in "not a typewriter",
> one of the less helpful Un*x error messages.

I put it that way because I couldn't immediately think of any simple
ways to perform appended I/O on a raw direct-access device.  On further
reflection, if I had the need to put multiple archives on a 1/4-inch
(16-track HC format) tape, I would pick one of:

              ***NOTE: These Operations are Very Slow***

1. LIF filesystem

   ## Assuming a 600-foot tape....
   #
   # lifinit -v66977792 -nLIF_CT -d256 /dev/rct
   # cd <wherever>
   # find . -print -hidden | cpio -ocv | lifcp -b - /dev/rct:NAME1_CPIO
   # cd <wherever>
   # find . -print -hidden | cpio -ocv | lifcp -b - /dev/rct:NAME2_CPIO
   # <etc>
   # lifls -l /dev/rct

   This is apt to be much faster as lifinit only writes the "-d" space on
   the medium, and LIF files are contiguous, but, LIF files are NOT
   extensible after close.  If possible, create the cpio/tar file then lifcp
   it as a separate operation.

2. HFS file system  (***CAUTION: UNTESTED***)

   Edit /etc/disktab to include:
   9144A_600ft:\
           :no swap or boot:ns#1:nt#16:nc#4088:\
           :s0#65408:b0#8192:f0#1024:\
           :se#1024:rm#1:

   # /etc/newfs -L -n -v /dev/rct 9144A_600ft
   # mkdir /tape_mount
   # /etc/mount /dev/ct /tape_mount
   # cd <wherever>
   # find . -print -hidden | cpio -ocv > /tape_mount/name1.cpio
   # cd <wherever>
   # find . -print -hidden | cpio -ocv > /tape_mount/name2.cpio
   # ls -l /tape_mount
   # /etc/umount /dev/ct

Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland      Internet: [e-mail]               3404 East Harmony Road
                CompuServe:  71044,2124               Ft Collins CO 80525-9599

This article represents only the opinion[s] of its author, and is not an
official or unofficial position of, or statement by, the Hewlett-Packard
Company.  The text is provided for informational purposes only.  It is
supplied without warranty of any kind.

From fc.hp.com!rjn Thu Nov 12 14:00:20 1992
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Path: fc.hp.com!rjn
From: [e-mail] (Bob Niland)
Subject: Re: Can "mt" commands be using on 1/4" Cartrdige tape on HP400's w/HP-UX8.0?
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Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1992 01:29:50 GMT
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[e-mail] (Bob Niland) writes:

: 2. HFS file system  (***CAUTION: UNTESTED***)
:
:    Edit /etc/disktab to include:
:    9144A_600ft:\
:            :no swap or boot:ns#1:nt#16:nc#4088:\
:            :s0#65408:b0#8192:f0#1024:\
:            :se#1024:rm#1:

Now that I've done an informal (probably still suboptimal) test, the above
disktab entry is clearly inefficient.   This one looks much faster.

        9144A_600ft:\
                :no swap or boot:ns#8:nt#16:nc#511:\
                :s0#65408:b0#8192:f0#1024:\
                :se#1024:rm#1:

Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland      Internet: [e-mail]               3404 East Harmony Road
                CompuServe:  71044,2124               Ft Collins CO 80525-9599

This article represents only the opinion[s] of its author, and is not an
official or unofficial position of, or statement by, the Hewlett-Packard
Company.  The text is provided for informational purposes only.  It is
supplied without warranty of any kind.