copy saveset to PC

[tim lloyd_1]

Hi, I am supporting a legacy system using Pascal on an Itanium running VMS V8.2-1. There are times when I want to copy data files from their production computer onto my local Itanium.

So, I create a saveset:

backup *.dat abc.bck/sav/log/ver

then copy to the PC (issuing these commands on the PC):

FTP 192.168.xx.xx
bin
get abc.bck
bye

I then copy this file to a PC connected to my local network and do the reverse

FTP 10.2.xx.xx
bin
put abc.bck
bye

The save set set is not readable. When I try backup/lis abc.bck/sav I see the save set header and then error messages:

%BACKUP-E-INVRECSIZ, invalid record size in save set
%BACKUP-E-READERRS, excessive error rate reading EXE_BASELINE:[EXE]ABC.BCK;1
-BACKUP-E-HDRCRC, software header CRC error
%BACKUP-I-OPERSPEC

My experience is that this is consistent with specifying the wrong file type in FTP.

Any tips for copying savesets between computers?

[Hoff · Accepted solution]

BACKUP is incompatible with ftp, and the saveset will requires de-corruption.

Easiest fix: forget backup. Use zip "-V". Works better.

If you really want BACKUP, then Google for the sequence or fetch the saveset reset tool via the following path:

http://decuslib.com/decus/freewarev80/000TOOLS/

Related:

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/684

This is listed in the OpenVMS FAQ, as well:

http://labs.hoffmanlabs.com/node/1

[tim lloyd_1]

Thanks Hoff. Problem solved. I'll close this shortly

[tim lloyd_1]

Solution provided by Hoff. Use zip instead of backup when copying files via FTP.

[Robert Gezelter]

Tim,

Actually, with all due respect to the ZIP/UNZIP team, I generally use the ZIP/UNZIP combination to process the BACKUP save set. Then, I then use BACKUP to do the actual restore.

ZIP/UNZIP with file attributes does work, but I trust BACKUP more when with arbitrary files. In effect, I am using ZIP/UNZIP to containerize the file for FTP.

- Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com

[John Gillings]

I also used zipped savesets for transferring files around and guaranteeing preservation of file attributes. Do some experiments with "-V" to see if it works for you.

As of OpenVMS V8.3, BACKUP can repair some broken savesets

$ BACKUP/REPAIR ABC.BCK/SAVE

(still not documented).

For earlier versions of OpenVMS there are plenty of DCL procedures to do the equivalent repair.

The one I use exploits Hein's clever hack:

$IF p1.EQS."" THEN INQUIRE p1 "Save set file name ?"
$IF f$search(p1).EQS."" THEN EXIT
$IF p2.EQS."" THEN WRITE SYS$OUTPUT -
" RFM = ", F$FILE(p1,"RFM"), ",",-
" MRS = ", F$FILE(p1,"MRS"), ",",-
" LRL = ", F$FILE(p1,"LRL"), "."
$SET FILE /ATTR=(RFM=FIX, MRS=44, LRL=44) 'p1 ! Easier for DCL
$OPEN/READ file 'p1
$READ file record
$CLOSE file
$mrs = F$CVSI(40*8,32,record)
$IF p2.EQS."" THEN WRITE SYS$OUTPUT "Setting blocksize to: ",MRS
$SET FILE /ATTR=(RFM=FIX, MRS='mrs', LRL='mrs') 'p1

[Steven Schweda]

> Any tips for copying savesets between
> computers?

A Web search for related error messages might
have led you to (among other places):

http://antinode.info/dec/sw/fixrec.html

which leads to a command procedure intended
to repair the damage to a BACKUP save set
caused by (binary) FTP.

> Easiest fix: forget backup. Use zip "-V".
> Works better.

With Zip 2.32 or newer, on VMS V8.2-1 (with
"Parse Style: Extended"), you can even leave
out the quotation marks.

If you're interested in any exotic file
attributes (ACLs, seriously weird ODS5
extended file names, ...), then you might
wish to run some tests to verify that
Zip+UnZip won't lose anything, but, for most
purposes, They should be pretty safe. (The
known ACL problems should be fixed in the
current Zip 3.1 development code. Complain
if you notice a problem.)

> [...] I generally use the ZIP/UNZIP
> combination to process the BACKUP save set.
> [...]

Extra (often pointless) time and disk space
required, but probably safer. For normal
stuff, I wouldn't bother.

[tsgdavid]

> The one I use exploits Hein's clever hack:
>
> $IF p1.EQS."" THEN INQUIRE p1 "Save set file name ?"
> $IF f$search(p1).EQS."" THEN EXIT
> $IF p2.EQS."" THEN WRITE SYS$OUTPUT -
> " RFM = ", F$FILE(p1,"RFM"), ",",-
> " MRS = ", F$FILE(p1,"MRS"), ",",-
> " LRL = ", F$FILE(p1,"LRL"), "."
> $SET FILE /ATTR=(RFM=FIX, MRS=44, LRL=44) 'p1 ! Easier for DCL

The fix is simply to reset the record size to the original size used by the BACKUP command. I would NOT call this corruption since all of the data is intact. (Just my two cents.)

Dave

[John Gillings]

Dave,

>I would NOT call this corruption since all
>of the data is intact.

So if the file is just a little bit corrupt, but sufficient that it can't actually be used, you don't call it corruption?

Doesn't seem like a very useful definition to me. Looks like a duck, quacks like a duck...