How tu re-use old DLT tape on a VAX ?

[Gilles Salvin]

Hello ,

New to vax admin...

I've a very old vax with a DLT TZxx
I've a lot of old DLT tapes previously used on unix systems.
I would like to reformat (init) for use on the vax but no way.
The vax only accept blank tapes or previoulsy vax formatted tapes.

When I load a old tape; the TZ seems to be looking for a specific header(blank or Vms) and never stop searching for it.

Any help appreciated
Thank.

[Joseph Huber_1]

Maybe the difference is in "very old" vs. "old":
Loading of the cartrige has nothing to do with the content i.e. wether it was software formatted by whatever.

If the drive is unable to load the tape, then the cartrige is incompatible with the drive. Check the particular drive model against the cartrige type: DLT-III, DLT-IV.,...

Once a tape is successfully loaded, VMS can initialize the tape as a VMS volume even if it was unformatted or "Unix" formatted.

[Joseph Huber_1]

From somwhere a wether came for whether :-)

[Jan van den Ende]

Gilles,

It may well be that Joseph gave the full answer.
However, I do recall way back in the time of TK50 and TK70 that those WERE incompatible, once INITed.
We used to rub them with a fairly strong bar magnet, after which they could be reused, also for the other format.

Never did that to DLTs, however. So, no guarantee, but maybe worth a try?

fwiw

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Gilles Salvin]

Thank you for your help :o)

VAX 4000/300
DLT TZ88
OS VMS 5.5-2

Tapes DLT IV (40/80Gb)
With new tape DLT IV it works fine.

When I try
allocate MKA100
INIT MKA100: label
answer is : not a blank tape

is there a init/force "like" option please ?

[Joseph Huber_1]

So in fact it is loading, and the error happens when VMS tries to write.
Now I don't know the particular drive models, but the VMS driver tells You the cartrige can't be written in that density, only READ.

But You have a version of VMS which maybe does not support the DLT drive at all, so it misinterprets the density. I remeber 5.5-2 in a time when only DEC TK70 where available, no later DLTs.

I think You should be able to MOUNT/FOREIGN/NOWRITE the tape, then
do a SHOW DEVICE/FULL of the drive to see what VMS thinks the tape/drive is.

[marsh_1]

hi,

try init/over=exp

hth

[marsh_1]

...or even init/over=(access,exp)

fwiw

[Gilles Salvin]

Joseph

Gedeon > MOUNT/FOREIGN/NOWRITE G$DLT
%MOUNT-F-FILACCERR, magnetic tape file access is nonblank

Gedeon > show dev/full g$DLT

Magtape GEDEON$MKA100:, device type (Generic SCSI tape), is online, record-
oriented device, file-oriented device, error logging is enabled, controller
supports compaction (compaction disabled).

Error count 2 Operations completed 18437240
Owner process "" Owner UIC [0,0]
Owner process ID 00000000 Dev Prot S:RWED,O:RWED,G:RWED,W:RWED
Reference count 0 Default buffer size 512
Density unknown Format Normal-11

Volume status: no-unload on dismount, beginning-of-tape, odd parity.

[Joseph Huber_1]

The system (device driver) can't determine the drive model, just sees a generic SCSI drive.
So as far I see You can only use new cartriges or cartriges written in the "default" density of the drive.
So You really should upgrade VMS version to make full use of much newer hardware.

[Richard Brodie_1]

"is there a init/force "like" option please ?"

OVERRIDE.

INIT/OVERRIDE=(ACCESS, EXPIRATION, OWNER)

That should stop it looking for a header when you try to initialize it.

[Joseph Huber_1]

Ah sorry I overlooked
"magnetic tape file access is nonblank", maybe Mark's hint to overwrite the expiration is the right direction.

[Volker Halle]

Gilles,

$ HELP/MESS FILACCERR - which is not available on V5.5-2, but on V6.x - says:

FILACCERR, magnetic tape file access is nonblank

Facility: SYSTEM, System Services

Explanation: The accessibility characteristic in the HDR1 label is not
blank and the file cannot be accessed without overriding the
field.

User Action: Mount the magnetic tape with the /OVERRIDE=ACCESSIBILITY
qualifier. (The VOLPRO privilege is required or you must be
the owner of the tape.) Otherwise, use another volume.


Volker.

[Volker Halle]

Gilles,

what you may also want to learn from this thread is:

- please provide detailled information and ESPECIALLY detailled error messages, including the commands used.

OpenVMS utilities typically provide very good and descriptive error messages.

With HELP/MESSAGE (in V6.x or higher), you'll immediately get help from VMS itself.

You can also use your favorite search engine in the WEB to search for the message identification text string yourself (FILACCERR in this case) or even look up the message in the 'OpenVMS System Messages and Recovery Procedures Reference Manual'

Volker.

[Jan van den Ende]

Gilles,

>>>
FILACCERR, magnetic tape file access is nonblank
<<<

That strenthens my previous suggestion.

A "strong enough" moving magnetic field WILL blank it out pretty thoroughly!

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Gilles Salvin]

Thank you everybody.

The OS is too old and I don't have any option for INIT except /QUEUE.

I'll use blank tapes as long as I could find some.

Thanks again

Brgds,

Gil.

[Volker Halle]

Gilles,

OpenVMS (even V5.5-2) supports INIT/OVER !!!

Please try $ HELP INIT device /OVER and see for yourself.

Volker.

[Volker Halle]

a little bit late to start learning Vms.


It's never too late to start to learn a real operating system ;-)

Volker.

[Gilles Salvin]

Thank you but same error occured : nonblank

Gedeon > INIT /OVERRIDE=(ACCESSIBILITY,EXPIRATION,OWNER_IDENTIFIER) G$DLT:
_Label: Test
%INIT-F-FILACCERR, magnetic tape file access is nonblank

[Volker Halle · Accepted solution]

Gilles,

one last try: do you have VOLPRO privilege ($ SHOW PROC/PRIV) ?

Or try SET PROC/PRIV=ALL

Volker.

[Gilles Salvin]

Volker ,

Yes ! it works now :o)

Many , many Thanks.

I was stupid to close the thread ; I can't assign you the 10 points that you fully deserve.


Have a nice week-end.

Brgds,

Gilles.

[Volker Halle]

Gilles,

you can re-open the thread to assign points, then close it again.

Have a nice weekend,

Volker.

[Gilles Salvin]

allocate Dev

set proc/priv=all (for VOLPRO)

INIT /OVERRIDE=(ACCESSIBILITY,EXPIRATION,OWNER_IDENTIFIER) Dev: Test
deallocate Dev