schon@cpsvax.cps.msu.edu (Stephen Schon) (06/03/89)
I have some Northstar-related PC questions I was hoping some carrier-of-knowledge-over-time might be able to help me with. I have a friend who is trying to move their custom programs and corresponding data from a Northstar Horizon Application Support Program (ASP) Environment to a Northstar Dimension (IBM-compatible) ASP environment. The programs have been converted over to the Dimension and have been tested with new data and simple data sent over from the Horizon. The transfer of very huge data files for the custom programs is the center of a major problem I'm hoping that someone can offer my friend some advice on. When a person wants to move data from the Northstar Horizon ASP environment to the Northstar Dimension ASP environment, they would normally do this by using a set of "Transfer Programs" put out by Northstar. These programs allow a person who has done custom work to supply information about the data files that will allow the Hard Disk files on the Horizon to be sent down to a Floppy Disk equivalent (or vice-versa, if there is a need). The Horizon hard disk file format (for random/data files, at least) is different than that of the Horizon floppy disk file format, and it is the floppy format that is needed on the dimension. Thus, the Transfer Programs do the converting, normal communication programs can be used to send the data files through the wire form the Horizon to the Dimension, and the data files can be used on the Dimension with the converted programs. The problem occurs when the data files of the custom applications are really huge. If there is a datafile that is so huge that it will not fit on one floppy drive, then the transfer facilities don't allow you to handle this situation nicely. Furthermore, if you have a whole bunch of files (all from one application) and they do not fit on one floppy disk and you do not have a multiple-floppy drive system then the transfer programs again fall short. The files on the Horizon could be directly sent to the Dimension, but they are not useful there because they are not in the "floppy format" (using the old Horizon terminology eventhough the Dimension supports hard disks) required by the application programs on the Dimension. So, at the risk of bending an ear a little longer, can anyone help my friend with this problem? It is my guess that other people who have had custom work, huge data files, and who have upgraded to a Northstar Dimension or other IBM-compatible would have had to resolve this same problem. Is there a new version of the Transfer Programs somewhere? Has someone created a send/receive group of utilities for sending files form the Horizon hard disk, receiving them at the Dimension (or IBM-compatible environment), and somewhere-in-the-process converting them to the "floppy format" needed? Are there any Northstar dealers, distributors, and/or software vendors still out there? (I know that a lot of the Northstar software was written by Basic Software Group somewhere in Canada and I have heard that they don't exist any more). Are there any Northstar publications, newletters, bulletinboards that we could access to get in touch with the rest of the small-but-living Northstar world? I greatly appreciate any work done in resolving this problem. Please send any responses directly to me. Thanks. Steve Schon Michigan State University Computer Science Department schon@cpsvax.cps.msu.edu ARPANET ...uunet!frith!schon uucp