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Formating DDS tape FOR HP-UX 10.20

 
Jim Lopez
Occasional Contributor

Formating DDS tape FOR HP-UX 10.20

Currently, I have created a cron job for my daily backup(FBACKUP/FRECOVER). What is is the most recommended method in formating a DDS2 tape in a HP-UX 10.20 operating system?
4 REPLIES 4
James R. Ferguson
Acclaimed Contributor

Re: Formating DDS tape FOR HP-UX 10.20

Hi Jim:

You should need to format the tape. 'fbackup' will write its own "label" to the tape. If you use the same tape repeatedly for 'fbackup' without using that tape with other copy utilities, then the label information will be preserved and 'fbackup' will graciously announce and track how many times the tape has been used.

Regards!

...JRF...
Marcin Wicinski
Trusted Contributor

Re: Formating DDS tape FOR HP-UX 10.20

Hi Jim,

What do you mean to format the tape. If you think about creating a data structure on the tape, you do not have to do that.
Marcin Wicinski
Rodney Hills
Honored Contributor

Re: Formating DDS tape FOR HP-UX 10.20

I've never come across a command to "format" a DDS tape.

I believe that a tape is a streaming media and as such blocks of data are placed one after the other. These blocks can be variable length.

The only thing fbackup does is check to see if the tape has been used by fbackup before (a header block). If it has, it keeps track of the number of times the tape has been used.

-- Rod H
There be dragons...
MANOJ SRIVASTAVA
Honored Contributor

Re: Formating DDS tape FOR HP-UX 10.20

Hi Jim

There is no format . Go ahead and insert the tape and use it whether in cpio , tar , fbackup ,dd etc. The formatting is done in case you are using a different type contorller or a custom s/w. In our case the DDS drive writes in the format it want to read in.

Manoj Srivastava