Re: Writing multiple CD volumes for the AS/400? -- MIDRANGE-L


Henrik Krebs wrote:
>
> 1. Multiple-CD
> There are lists of CD creating utilities for AS/400. Last I checked (a
> while ago) none of the people working seriously with this has managed
> multible CD's, so I guess that it is not easy to solve. Have another
> check - maybe it's becoming 'common knowledge'. Otherwise - if you are
> one of the more brilliant men - you might try to make dumps of
> multivolume-tapes.

I think we investigated that early on, and the CD doesn't have
that sort of structure. I'll check again.

Normally on the tape, the as400 sees a file mark, then a trailer
label that says 'coninued on next volume', basically . I used to
write tape programs for various systems.

Thanks.

>
> 2. Zip'ping:
> In addition to the IBM solution mentioned by Peter Dow, somebody has
> ported the GNU program GZIP to AS/400 and compiled the C program for
> you. This is of cause also GNU.

That might work if created a save file, zipped it, and wrote it
out - the problem is that it takes about twices as much disk
space, or more, and lots of job steps and processing.

> 3. Our 'National Archive' in Denmark has published a very serious
> scientificly based evaluation of different medias (in Danish).

My great great grandfather was a translator for King Christian
the four billionth (or some such number.) Alll I know is his
name was Jensen, and his son was Alfred (my son is the fifth
Alfred in a row, I'm the fourth - Alfred B Jensen)

I don't know any Danish, but do you have a URL for the document?
I'll post it to the archiving discussion group and stir things
up a little. (I already did when I told them it was criminal to
take electronicly coded information and print it to microfilm in
the name of 'preserving' it. It's like bruning Alexandria's
library a day at a time.

> The
> conclusion was: CD's are far more reliable than tape medias, CD drives
> are more likely to stay 'current technology' for a long time.

yeah, four hundred million devices in use has a lot more
technological inertia than 40 thousand.

>  So do use
> CD's but preferable CD's that can be put directly into AS/400. And of
> cause nothing will last forever and nothing is 100% reliable.

The way my product will work is a virtual tape library - up to 2
terabytes of near line storage on mirrored disk, with permanent
storage to CD or tape. We will weite compressed CDs for
archiving, then you can create 'striaght'CDs that can be read in
the AS/400 CD drive, but mostly your will restore through our
virtual tape server, which will be much faster than reading a CD
or most tapes.

Seconds.

I was under the apprently mistaken impression that a good number
of AS/400 shops bought third party tape drives and tape
libraries. I can't think of anyone but IBM that would fit the
promise of 'likely to be here for a long time', and even they
have had layoffs.

There is no certainty on this earth, but there is opportunity -
McArthur.

Brad Jensen

--
Brad Jensen brad@elstore.com
President
Electronic Storage Corporation Tulsa OK USA
918-664-7276

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