BULABELS: check tape file labels

Description

Displays or prints tape label data created by the Wang BACKUP utility. Verifies the internal integrity of tape files. Works only with reel-to-reel tape drives at 800 or 1600 b.p.i density.

Categories

System Operation

Related files

BULABELS: Object file for the utility.

DISPLAY: The Wang DISPLAY utility is used to show the backup report on the workstation.

User Instructions

BULABELS allows the user to review the labels on a backup tape and, optionally, verifies that the tape file can be read. It functions like the VERIFY option of the Wang BACKUP utility, but produces much more information on the specifics of the files and their history.

From the INPUT screen, enter the volume name of the tape to be examined or the name and location of the tape label disk file previously created. If the tape is not presently mounted, the utility will display a message and allow a mount to be initiated. Note that the mount name need not be the same as the name recognized by BACKUP.

The analysis to be performed on the tape is selected from the OPTIONS screen. Enter the number of files to be processed, whether the records are to be verified, and whether a file is to be created from the results.

After the analysis is complete, the results may be displayed or printed. The display option shows all tape label information, along with a hexadecimal representation of the label itself. pressing PF(12) will show the File Descriptor Record (FDR) of the original disk file in understandable form.

If selected, the listing shows the file, library, volume, sequence number number and length of records, owner, and modification history. This report can be sorted in file sequence order within library (the order of the tape) or alphabetically by file name.

Programmer Instructions

BULABELS could be used to verify the integrity of backup tapes or as an aid in dissecting the structure of tape labels. All screens except those related to the display options are GETPARMs, allowing program control of the process.

INPUT       Press (RETURN) to continue, PF(16) to exit.  (If
            the tape volume is not mounted, a correction
            GETPARM appears; press PF(04) to initiate a
            mount.)

  TAPEVOL   (blank)     Volume name of the tape to be
                        analyzed.  Leave blank to process an
                        existing label data set created
                        previously.

  FILE      (blank)     The name and location of the label
  LIBRARY   (blank)     data set created by prior use of
  VOLUME    (blank)     BULABELS.

MOUNT       Optional; appears if PF(04) pressed from the
            INPUT screen.  Press (RETURN) to continue, PF(01)
            to respecify input volume.

  DEVICE    (blank)     The device number of the tape drive.

  USAGE     SH          Tape volume usage; defaults to
                        shared.  Change to EX for exclusive
                        usage.

OPTIONS     Press (RETURN) to continue, PF(01) to respecify
            input volume.

  VERIFY    NO          Change to YES to verify all records.

  ERRDISP   YES         Change to NO to suppress error
                        messages on the screen.

  CREATE    YES         Change to NO to suppress listing of
                        file labels.

  NUMBER    99999       The number of files to be processed.
                        Set to any number, or '99999' for all.

  FILE      (blank)     The name and location of the data set
  LIBRARY   (blank)     file to be created.  Valid only if
  VOLUME    (blank)     CREATE = YES.

EOJ         Press (RETURN) to continue, PF(01) to rerun the
            program, PF(14) to display results, PF(15) to
            print a log, or PF(16) to exit the program.

  SORT      YES         Sort option.  If taken, will sort the
                        data by volume, library, and file
                        rather than in tape sequence.

Example of use

BULABELS has many practical and instructive uses. Here are a few ideas:
• As a learning aid, discovering the structure of tape labels.

• To create and maintain information on files on backup tapes.

• To verify the integrity of critical data on a tape, as when reorganizing a disk volume by performing a full backup and restore. (Be sure to check the DMS structure of the files with VERIFY as well, since BULABELS will not check this.)

Comments

A good utility that catches possible tape errors that BACKUP cannot see. Marred by inability to work with 6250 b.p.i tapes.