1. Windows Tape Backup Functions
I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with the Windows tape backup
functions. I've been given an older but still very good IBM Magstar tape library
(this thing was ~$15K brand new) for FREE! I got the library installed and it
shows up in hardware manager for Windows XP Home but the backup utility that
comes with XP doesn't display the drive in the "target" options. The drive
responds fine using NTUtil.
I'm considering writing my own backup program using the Windows backup
functions. They don't seem to be too complicated so I imagine it will be more
trial-and-error to figure out how to make them work. Specifically, I can't
understand the WriteTapeMarker function.
If this is going to take months to write a simple backup program then I'll just
forget the whole thing but as this library can back up ~400GB without handling a
tape I thought it would be worth a try! :)
Jonas Temple
http://www.yhti.net/~jktemple
2. Re: Windows Tape Backup Functions
Jonas Temple wrote:
>
> I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with the Windows tape backup
> functions. I've been given an older but still very good IBM Magstar tape
> library
> (this thing was ~$15K brand new) for FREE! I got the library installed
> and it shows up in hardware manager for Windows XP Home but the backup utility
> that comes with XP doesn't display the drive in the "target" options. The
> drive
> responds fine using NTUtil.
>
> I'm considering writing my own backup program using the Windows backup
> functions.
> They don't seem to be too complicated so I imagine it will be more
> trial-and-error
> to figure out how to make them work. Specifically, I can't understand the
> WriteTapeMarker
> function.
>
> If this is going to take months to write a simple backup program then I'll
> just
> forget the whole thing but as this library can back up ~400GB without handling
> a tape I thought it would be worth a try! :)
>
Jonas:
WriteTapemark writes a specified number of filemarks, setmarks,
short filemarks, or long filemarks to a tape device.
These marks tell the tape where to stop, and start writing
data and is similar to marking the sectors on a hard drive.
Here is some information that might help.
http://nukz.net/reference/fileio/hh/winbase/tapeback_0rlc.htm
Bernie
My files in archive:
WMOTOR, XMOTOR, W32ENGIN, MIXEDLIB, EU_ENGIN, WIN32ERU, WIN32API
Can be downloaded here:
http://www.rapideuphoria.com/cgi-bin/asearch.exu?dos=on&win=on&lnx=on&gen=on&keywords=bernie+ryan
3. Re: Windows Tape Backup Functions
Bernie Ryan wrote:
> Here is some information that might help.
>
>
> <a
> href="http://nukz.net/reference/fileio/hh/winbase/tapeback_0rlc.htm">http://nukz.net/reference/fileio/hh/winbase/tapeback_0rlc.htm</a>
>
Thanks, Bernie. I have the MSDN backup functions bookmarked and that's where I
stared. I came here to hopefully find someone who's used them!
What I don't get is how do you determine how many tape marks s/b written to the
tape? Logically I thought:
1. Write a tape mark
2. Write out the file attribute data
3. Write out the file data
4. Go back to step 1 and repeat as necessary
But I'm not sure if that's right. Why would you ever want to write more than 1
file mark?
I also scanned the internet and could not find any working example programs of
this function.
Jonas Temple
http://www.yhti.net/~jktemple
4. Re: Windows Tape Backup Functions
Jonas Temple wrote:
>
> Thanks, Bernie. I have the MSDN backup functions bookmarked and that's where
> I stared. I came here to hopefully find someone who's used them!
>
> What I don't get is how do you determine how many tape marks s/b written to
> the tape? Logically I thought:
>
> 1. Write a tape mark
> 2. Write out the file attribute data
> 3. Write out the file data
> 4. Go back to step 1 and repeat as necessary
>
> But I'm not sure if that's right. Why would you ever want to write more than
> 1 file mark?
>
> I also scanned the internet and could not find any working example programs
> of this function.
>
Jonas:
Most information on the web are going to be found on the WEB
are going to be found by searching for MAGTAPE.
Here is some information about 3590 marks and blocking
http://www.discinterchange.com/mainframe_tape_details_.html
Here is some information about different formats.
http://vista.intersystems.com/csp/docbook/DocBook.UI.Page.cls?KEY=GIOD_magtapeio
I think that you are going to find that writing a tape backup
program is going to be a bigger job than you think.
Don't forget that the tapes that your software writes will have to be
read by other compatible systems if for some reason your system fails
and you need to recover your data.
Maybe you might consider the TAR format which may have open source code
that you could use as a guide.
Bernie
My files in archive:
WMOTOR, XMOTOR, W32ENGIN, MIXEDLIB, EU_ENGIN, WIN32ERU, WIN32API
Can be downloaded here:
http://www.rapideuphoria.com/cgi-bin/asearch.exu?dos=on&win=on&lnx=on&gen=on&keywords=bernie+ryan
5. Re: Windows Tape Backup Functions
Bernie Ryan wrote:
> Jonas:
>
> I think that you are going to find that writing a tape backup
> program is going to be a bigger job than you think.
I'm beginning to think you're right. Actually, I'm weighing the time it's going
to take me to get this working versus the benefit of being able to use the tape
drive.
> Maybe you might consider the TAR format which may have open source code
> that you could use as a guide.
>
Good call! I downloaded the latest TAR for windows and will try that to see if
it recognizes the tape.
Thanks!
Jonas
6. Re: Windows Tape Backup Functions
Jonas Temple wrote:
>
> Bernie Ryan wrote:
> > Jonas:
> >
> > I think that you are going to find that writing a tape backup
> > program is going to be a bigger job than you think.
>
> I'm beginning to think you're right. Actually, I'm weighing the time it's
> going
> to take me to get this working versus the benefit of being able to use the
> tape
> drive.
>
> > Maybe you might consider the TAR format which may have open source code
> > that you could use as a guide.
> >
>
> Good call! I downloaded the latest TAR for windows and will try that to see
> if it recognizes the tape.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jonas
Hello Jonas,
I have found that tape back up is no good because what happens is the tapes get
damaged and won't read. I have a Zip drive I never use because the tapes are too
expensive $90 ea.
Don Cole
A Bug is an un-documentedfeature.
A Feature is a documented Bug.
Don Cole
