Q: TZ88 tape drive - dump params question and CompacTapes question

From: Karen Thomas <kthomas_at_csunet.ctstateu.edu>
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 1997 16:06:21 -0500 (EST)

Manangers,

        I know that when you dump to a tape and it gives the estimated
tape blocks on n volumes, that it won't effect the tape dump if it is
wrong. I saw the past article on resolving the negative feet problem, but
the man page on dump only had values for dat tapes. I didn't see any info
for TZ88 tapes. And, I can't for the life of me find information on TZ
tapes, such as a CompactTapeIV or CompactTapeIII's size in feet. Therefore
I cannot put known values into my dump command.
        
        Is there any reason why I would really need to correct this by
changing my dump command to include the correct bpi, density and size in
feet of the tape? I did set the -b to 64 and the -d to 81630 (I got this
value from doing a file on the device:

/dev/rmt0h: character special (9/3074) SCSI #0 TZ88 tape #2 (SCSI ID
#3) (SCSI LUN #0) 81630_bpi

        Just changing my dump with these parameters, my dump estimate
still says it will take 3 volumes - which if I really ran a dump it would
state that it was negative feet:

/usr/sbin/dump -E -0f /dev/rmt0h -b 64 -d 81630 -c /extracts/e01
2519673 blocks, 3 volumes

        So, should I put as much information into the dump as I can get my
hands on (the bpi from the file command) or should I just leave it and
take all the defaults?

        Also, the manual for the TZ88 says that it does not support
CompacTapeIII tapes, but DEC's sales pitch web page says it does provide
read/write just at a 10/20GB instead of 20/40GB? Who's right? Can I use
our CompacTapeIII tapes that we have plenty of around...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karen Thomas

Connecticut State University System Office
Information System
THOMASK_at_CTSTATEU.EDU
PHONE: (860) 493-0118
Received on Sun Mar 23 1997 - 22:27:38 NZST

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Wed Nov 08 2023 - 11:53:36 NZDT