michael@mcs1.UUCP (Michael Duebner) (01/31/88)
In article <4508@ecsvax.UUCP> dgh@ecsvax.UUCP (Douglas Heatherly) writes: > > Our laboratory is currently running microVMS 4.6 on a MVII and >TSX+ on several PDP 11's. We have several extra multiplexor ports on >the systems and would like to connect them together for file transfer. >We cannot really afford DECNET or Ethernet connections. Are there any >cheap solutions to our problem? Note:(the computers are located in >the same room). Should we use kermit or some other communications >package on both ends? Is a direct connection possible? We are currently in the process of creating the very same setup you mention. Only our machines are running VMS 4.6 and RSTS/E 8.0. Getting the machines to talk to each other was not problem. Plugged in a null modem with cable across the two machines and used SET HOST/DTE [portname] and are now capable of chatting with the RSTS system. We have moved several files across systems using Kermit. These files have been comprises of word processing and normal ASCII files. We are also in desperate need of moving ISAM data files across systems. Namely, getting the Dibol created ISAM file from the PDP to the VAX using Kermit in binary mode seems to work just fine. The problem is getting our dibol database manager on the VAX to read the file. It simply refuses to do so, ERROR: not an ISAM file. You can well imagen that we are not to pleased about this. Especially since these files are necessary to close out the month of January on our order processing system. We just recently upgraded to the MVII from the PDP-11 and somehow these very important files where not moved with the rest of the data. At the time we moved all of the data we used a TK-50 tape drive and a RSTS 9.3 boot disk (RC-25). Simply copied the data to the tape and read it in on the MVII. Worked very well and all of the data was readily accepted by the DBMS. We have since then lost access to the TK-50 drive and are now stuck with RX-50s on the PDP and a TK-70 on the MVII as the only physical means of data transfer. B.T.W. Here is a very important note on TK-70 drives! The TK-70 tape drive uses a TK-52K cartridge. This cartridge can also be written to on the older TK-50 drive. You can even read this tape back on the TK-70. The problem comes in when you want to write information to the tape again using the TK-70. Well, it dosn't work!. The TK-70 thinks you are trying to scam it, using TK-50K low density media in a high density drive is a no no. The drive comes up software write protected, the little red light on the front of the drive even glows, and all of the /OVERRIDE parameters in the world can't convince it otherwise. The moral of this story is that we are now the proud owners of two TK-52K tape cartridges that have been converted to TK-50 use only. If there are any VAX gurus out there that would like to comment on one or the other problem, we welcome your advise.
carl@CITHEX.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick) (02/11/88)
> We have moved several files across systems using Kermit. These files have > been comprises of word processing and normal ASCII files. We are also in > desperate need of moving ISAM data files across systems. Namely, getting > the Dibol created ISAM file from the PDP to the VAX using Kermit in binary > mode seems to work just fine. It may seem to work just fine, but do a DIRECTORY/FULL or an ANALYZE/RMS/FDL on the resulting file. You'll find the file organization comes out to be SEQUENTIAL, not INDEXED. > The problem is getting our dibol database manager on the VAX to read the > file. It simply refuses to do so, ERROR: not an ISAM file. You can well > imagen that we are not to pleased about this. Especially since these files > are necessary to close out the month of January on our order processing > system. We just recently upgraded to the MVII from the PDP-11 and somehow > these very important files where not moved with the rest of the data. Since under VMS, ISAM means INDEXED, your database manager is right. Further, diddling with the file header (which is the way I handle files whose organization FTP screws up) won't work (or would be a LOT of work) in this case. What you want to do is: 1) Use your DIBOL database manager to create a file with the attributes you want your ISAM file to have. 2) Use the ANALYZE/RMS/FDL command to get an FDL description of that file. You can then delete the file created in step 1. 3) Convert the ISAM file on your PDP-11 to a sequential file (I don't know anything about DIBOL or RSTS, so you're on your own in figuring out how to do this. Since you say KERMIT apparently copies the files properly, KERMIT might be automatically combining steps 3 and 4 for you). 4) Copy the sequential file to your uVAX. 5) Use the CONVERT/FDL command to convert the sequential file to an ISAM file again. > The TK-70 tape drive uses a TK-52K cartridge. This cartridge can also be > written to on the older TK-50 drive. You can even read this tape back on > the TK-70. The problem comes in when you want to write information to the > tape again using the TK-70. Well, it dosn't work!. The TK-70 thinks you > are trying to scam it, using TK-50K low density media in a high density drive > is a no no. The drive comes up software write protected, the little red > light on the front of the drive even glows, and all of the /OVERRIDE > parameters in the world can't convince it otherwise. The moral of this > story is that we are now the proud owners of two TK-52K tape cartridges > that have been converted to TK-50 use only. The recommended procedure for converting them back for TK-52K use is to put them in a bulk eraser.
michael@ddsw1.UUCP (Michael Duebner) (02/19/88)
In article <880211062125.96b@CitHex.Caltech.Edu> carl@CITHEX.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick) writes: > > > The TK-70 tape drive uses a TK-52K cartridge. This cartridge can also be > > written to on the older TK-50 drive. You can even read this tape back on > > the TK-70. The problem comes in when you want to write information to the > > tape again using the TK-70. Well, it dosn't work!. The TK-70 thinks you > > are trying to scam it, using TK-50K low density media in a high density drive > > is a no no. The drive comes up software write protected, the little red > > light on the front of the drive even glows, and all of the /OVERRIDE > > parameters in the world can't convince it otherwise. The moral of this > > story is that we are now the proud owners of two TK-52K tape cartridges > > that have been converted to TK-50 use only. > >The recommended procedure for converting them back for TK-52K use is to >put them in a bulk eraser. Well, that sounded like a real good idea, so I tried it. My results are very poor: "Fatal Error" from tape drive when the following command is given: init/override=(access,owner, .....) mua0: backup So, at this point I have two bulk erased TK-52K cartridges that will probably serve as book ends or paper weights. Life is good as long as it is according to the rules of DEC! :-) -- Michael Duebner UUCP : ddsw1!michael Technical Services, Buffalo Grove, IL 312/541-6550 [Help is only a phone call away for members of AERA]