RE: Ultrium 4 Tape Initialization

["Paul Nelson" <nelsonp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Perhaps your CFO could impress upon the SA the true cost of downtime caused
by a faulty backup plan.

Visits from the guy who signs the checks tend to open eyes and ears. 

Paul Nelson
Office 512-392-2577
Cell 708-670-6978
nelsonp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of jmmckee
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 9:07 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: Ultrium 4 Tape Initialization

The SA calls the shots.  He spouts off about how important a backup is, but
then decides he knows enough.  He played with the idea of using BRMS.  Not
used here.  Probably won't be.  The concept of unique media identification
may have been too "involved".  

Aggressive antisocial personality >might< be appropriate >IF< accompanied by
wisdom..................

Lucky for us that the i is a very rugged system.

I still have a cringing sensation from an experience I had 23 years ago with
a Xenix system.  Disk controller got off frequency.  Arrived at work to find
a REALLY messed up computer.  But, I had a full backup from the previous
day.  




-----Original message-----
From: rob@xxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 08:36:32 -0500
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Ultrium 4 Tape Initialization

> They didn't even care when you showed them the PRTERRLOG?  Wow!
> Try ordering a tape library system where the tapes HAVE to be barcoded AND

> have different volume id's.  Push for BRMS or some similar product.
>
>
> Rob Berendt
> -- 
> Group Dekko Services, LLC
> Dept 01.073
> Dock 108
> 6928N 400E
> Kendallville, IN 46755
> http://www.dekko.com
>
>
>
>
>
> From:   jmmckee <jmmckee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To:     "Midrange Systems Technical Discussion" <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date:   05/15/2010 01:32 AM
> Subject:        Re: Ultrium 4 Tape Initialization
> Sent by:        midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
> Really annoys me that procedure where I work is to initialize the tape 
> every night.  Old habits die painfully hard.  I have suggested that the 
> expiration date be changed from *PERM to a value more in line with the 
> tape rotation.  That date could be generated from a CL program. 
>
> My biggest issue with continual tape initialization, beyond excessive wear

> and tear (which is a big issue), is that the wrong tape could be pulled 
> and the data destroyed. 
>
> I have also complained that tapes should have unique volume numbers, not 
> stupid things like DAILY.  But, nobody seems to care.  I even showed them 
> PRTERRLOG output.  And people wonder why things fail sometimes. 
>
> I worked in a bank thirty years ago that used 9 track tape.  Only time 
> tapes were initialized was when the BOT marker was replaced. 
>
> John McKee
>
>
> -----Original message-----
> From: Simon Coulter shc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 19:03:14 -0500
> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Ultrium 4 Tape Initialization
>
> > On 15/05/2010, at 5:35 AM, rob@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> >
> > >  But on a nightly
> > > basis you do not need to run CLEAR(*YES).  You will still have all the
> > > tape space available if you run CLEAR(*NO).  Basically it wiped out 
> > > the
> > > header and goes from there.  Trust me, it just works.  We've been 
> > > doing
> > > this for decades.
> >
> > But why, on a nightly basis, do so many of you run INZTAP anyway? Just 
> > start the save at sequence 1 and let the save overwrite the previous 
> > data. By constantly running INZTAP you:
> >                a) wear out the start of the tape :)
> > and
> >                b) mess up the read/write error statistics for the tape.
> >
> > Sure, initialise and clear a tape prior to disposing of it but 
> > otherwise a tape should be initialised once and just reused.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Simon Coulter.
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------
> >     FlyByNight Software         OS/400, i5/OS Technical Specialists
> >
> >     http://www.flybynight.com.au/
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