Copying Files To and From Tape

The most important part of your computer system is the files that you and other users create. Normally, original files remain safely stored on your computer's disk. Because they represent months of work, you should also keep a full set of duplicates.

Typically, when you need to store files, the following things happen:

You instruct the computer to store some or all of your files by entering the STORE command, and some other information, at a terminal.
The STORE command automatically sends a tape request to the console.
If the tape drive is available, you load and prepare a tape for file copying.
When all of the files have been copied, you remove the tape and store it in a metal cabinet.

The STORE command and, optionally, the FILE command are used to store a file or set of files. A FILE command assigns a file name to a backup device. A STORE command names the files to store and the options to use.

With STORE command options for naming files, you can name a single file, several files, or all of the files on the system. The group of files to store is called a file set. In addition to naming many kinds of file sets, you can name file subsets to be excluded from the store process.

To copy files to tape

The user procedures established by system management for copying files to and from tape may vary from facility to facility. The user procedures described in this section assume that you are responsible for entering the equation to define the device and the command to copy your files. You will also load and unload tapes from the tape drive.

In this section, you will practice copying files to and from tape. To practice copying files to tape, use the file that you created earlier in this section (MYJOB1NM).

To copy a file to tape:

Load the tape drive. If you want to protect the data on a cassette from being altered or overwritten, you can write-protect the cassette. To write-protect your cassette, slide the tab on the right rear edge of the cassette. The hole on the tape should be open.
Log on to your account, and, at the system prompt (:), enter:
:FILE T;DEV=TAPE Return
The FILE command assigns a file name to your backup device. The T is a file designator for the tape.
Enter the STORE command followed by the name of the file to be copied to the tape (MYJOB1NM). Backreference (*) the tape name.
:STORE MYJOB1NM.PUB;*T

The above command tells the system to store the file MYJOB1NM in the PUB group, using tape drive T.

To copy several files to tape

Use the wildcard character (@) to copy several files to tape. The (@) represents "all members of the set." This character tells the system to include everything in that particular group or account. For example:

   :FILE T;DEV=TAPE

   :STORE @.PUB.PRACTICE;*T

The above command tells the system to copy everything in the PRACTICE account.

To monitor STORE command progress

After you enter a STORE command, STORE issues a message similar to the following on the console:

   STORE/RESTORE VERSION A.31.01  (C) 1986 HEWLETT-PACKARD CO.

   TUE, JAN 6, 1993,  2:57 PM

STORE sends you messages when you need to insert a new tape on a backup device.

To request progress messages

Use the PROGRESS parameter in your STORE command to display progress messages at regular intervals. To request progress messages every 5 minutes, enter:

   :STORE filename.groupname.accountname;PROGRESS=5

The system displays progress messages every 5 minutes.

   STORE OPERATION IS 4% COMPLETE

You see similar messages at regular intervals, for example:

   STORE OPERATION IS 7% COMPLETE

   STORE OPERATION IS 11% COMPLETE

   STORE OPERATION IS 14% COMPLETE

If you use the PROGRESS parameter alone, without specifying an interval, STORE displays progress messages every minute.

To copy a file from tape

You copy a file from tape by transferring it from a store tape to a disk. You might need to copy a file from tape if you accidentally delete it.

To copy a file from tape:

Check for duplicate file names. Use the LISTFILE command for each file that you intend to restore. Enter:
:LISTFILE MYJOB1NM.PUB.PRACTICE
To check all file names within the account, use the wildcard character (@). For example, enter:
:LISTFILE @.PUB.PRACTICE

To restore MYJOB1NM file from tape to the system disk, enter:

   :FILE T;DEV=TAPE

   :RESTORE *T;MYJOB1NM.PUB.PRACTICE

Copying Files To and From Tape

Technical documentation

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To copy files to tape

To copy several files to tape

To monitor STORE command progress

To request progress messages

To copy a file from tape