Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!ucbvax!CITHEX.CALTECH.EDU!carl
From: carl@CITHEX.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: PDP to VAX transfers
Message-ID: <880211062125.96b@CitHex.Caltech.Edu>
Date: 11 Feb 88 14:31:56 GMT
References: <106@mcs1.UUCP>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 48


 > We have moved several files across systems using Kermit.  These files have
 > been comprises of word processing and normal ASCII files.  We are also in
 > desperate need of moving ISAM data files across systems.  Namely, getting
 > the Dibol created ISAM file from the PDP to the VAX using Kermit in binary
 > mode seems to work just fine.

It may seem to work just fine, but do a DIRECTORY/FULL or an ANALYZE/RMS/FDL
on the resulting file.  You'll find the file organization comes out to be
SEQUENTIAL, not INDEXED.

 > The problem is getting our dibol database manager on the VAX to read the
 > file.  It simply refuses to do so, ERROR: not an ISAM file.  You can well
 > imagen that we are not to pleased about this.  Especially since these files
 > are necessary to close out the month of January on our order processing 
 > system.  We just recently upgraded to the MVII from the PDP-11 and somehow
 > these very important files where not moved with the rest of the data.

Since under VMS, ISAM means INDEXED, your database manager is right.  Further,
diddling  with  the  file  header  (which  is  the  way  I  handle files whose
organization FTP screws up) won't work (or would be a LOT  of  work)  in  this
case.  What you want to do is:
    1)  Use your DIBOL database manager to create a file with  the  attributes
        you want your ISAM file to have.
    2)  Use the ANALYZE/RMS/FDL command to get  an  FDL  description  of  that
        file.  You can then delete the file created in step 1.
    3)  Convert the ISAM file on your PDP-11 to a  sequential  file  (I  don't
        know  anything  about DIBOL or RSTS, so you're on your own in figuring
        out how to do this.  Since you say KERMIT apparently copies the  files
        properly,  KERMIT  might  be automatically combining steps 3 and 4 for
        you).
    4)  Copy the sequential file to your uVAX.
    5)  Use the CONVERT/FDL command to convert the sequential file to an  ISAM
        file again.

 > The TK-70 tape drive uses a TK-52K cartridge.  This cartridge can also be 
 > written to on the older TK-50 drive.  You can even read this tape back on
 > the TK-70.  The problem comes in when you want to write information to the
 > tape again using the TK-70.  Well, it dosn't work!.  The TK-70 thinks you
 > are trying to scam it, using TK-50K low density media in a high density drive
 > is a no no.  The drive comes up software write protected, the little red
 > light on the front of the drive even glows, and all of the /OVERRIDE 
 > parameters in the world can't convince it otherwise.  The moral of this 
 > story is that we are now the proud owners of two TK-52K tape cartridges
 > that have been converted to TK-50 use only.

The recommended procedure for converting them back for TK-52K use is to
put them in a bulk eraser.