topic Re: Question about reading TK50 tape in Operating System - OpenVMS

Question about reading TK50 tape

ukyo888 — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 12:07:53 GMT

I have a TK50 tape(compactape) and I want to read the files in it. But I do not have VAX machine. What I can get is a TK78 drive(DLT2000).

Is it possible to connect DLT2000 drive to windows PC using SCSI PCI adapter and read the TK50 tape in windows OS?

And any suggestion if not?

Many thanks,

Re: Question about reading TK50 tape

Bob Blunt — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 15:42:13 GMT

In a few words: it probably won't work.

The long version: The drive, itself, SHOULD work when attached to a PC using a PC O/S to write and read data using PC drivers and PC archive software. Your results reading a real TK50 cartridge with a DLT2000 are not predictable, though. If you had a VMS system with a compatable SCSI adapter capable of connecting to the DLT2000 MIGHT be able to read a TK50 cartridge but you couldn't be sure without testing in the right environment. Moving the whole process to a PC and expecting it to work in that environment is unlikely. This, somewhat, does depend on the type data on the TK50. IF the data is simple ASCII data you might not need special software to read it. BUT IF the data is stored on the tape in BACKUP savesets I don't know of any solutions to read those on a PC.

Your best bet to read any tape written using a VMS-based system and software is to recover it using the same environment. Only SOME DLT tape drives are capable of reading TK50s and the only way to find out is to try using the same environment in which it was written before trying with a PC solution.

bob

Re: Question about reading TK50 tape

Volker Halle — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 16:05:00 GMT

Yu,

according to this DLT FAQ, reading a TK50 does not seem to be supported on a DLT2000/TK87:

http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~rdv/comp-arch-storage/dlt-faq.html

Try to find someone in your area, who has an OpenVMS system with a tape drive being able to read TK50 cartridges. There is a software around, which allows reading of OpenVMS backup tapes from Windows, if you can connect a compatible tape drive to your Windows System. That software is called OpenVMS TapeReader for Windows.

Volker.

Re: Question about reading TK50 tape

B Claremont — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 15:13:04 GMT

Last time I checked we still had a working TK50 drive. If you care to send me the tape, I'll see if it is readable.

Re: Question about reading TK50 tape

Richard Brodie_1 — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 20:37:47 GMT

As I recall, a genuine TK87 had an extra read head for backward compatibility. This was absent on the TK87N, and proabably anything sold as a DLT2000.

Re: Question about reading TK50 tape

abrsvc — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:35:14 GMT

A TK87 can read a TK50 but can not write one. I also have TK50, TK70 and TK87 drives available should the initial poster need to have a tape read. VAX and Alpha machines also available with various OpenVMS versions too.

Dan

Re: Question about reading TK50 tape

VGV — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 16:16:02 GMT

Hi Dan.

I have software on TK-50 Tape for my Dec Station but do not have TK-50 Tape Drive. I have found your note in this forum saying that you can help with reading this tape. Can you help me with reading/copying this tape on CD? If so, how much it will cost?

Thank you,

Valery

Re: Question about reading TK50 tape

abrsvc — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 18:02:05 GMT

Whether or not I can read the tape will depend upon how it was written. The DEC station was/is running what OS? IRRC, these machiens only rn Ultrix. If that is true, than I can't help. I have VAX, Alpha and Itanium machines from which I can reach a TK50 drive all runing various versions of VMS. Ultrix, I don't have.

Dan

Re: Question about reading TK50 tape

VGV — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 21:41:58 GMT

It was written for OSF/1 (more specifically for DigitalUnix 4).

V.V.

Re: Question about reading TK50 tape

abadolato — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 15:54:49 GMT

Dear sir,

I have to recover a PhD thesis simulator software recorded in a TK50 tape.

Would yo be able to read the tape?

I will really appreciate. I have a little amount of money to charge to my research project.

Best Regards,

Alejandro Badolato.

Re: Question about reading TK50 tape

B Claremont — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 14:40:50 GMT

- How was the TK50 created?

- Under what O/S (VMS, Unix, Ultrix)?

I am located in Colorado, USA and have a working TK50 and TK70 drive on a MicroVAX.

Re: Question about reading TK50 tape

abrsvc — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 23:40:10 GMT

I'm in MA and have TK50 or TK70 available as well should I be closer.

Dan