Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mit-eddie!apollo!weber_w
From: weber_w@apollo.COM (Walt Weber)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: Re: Help requested for file conversions
Message-ID: <43b0afc6.10b48@apollo.COM>
Date: 7 Jun 89 15:43:00 GMT
References: <422@tron.UUCP> <1508@igloo.Scum.COM>
Reply-To: weber_w@apollo.COM (Walt Weber)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Apollo Computer, Chelmsford, MA
Lines: 56

In article <1508@igloo.Scum.COM> bhv@igloo.UUCP (Bronis Vidugiris) writes:
>The new version of  wbak (starting at 9.7, I believe) can archive
>. . . .into a file.  [The old version of rbak/wbak would back up only onto
>a tape].  This file can then be sent wherever desired in the network, and
>restored using rbak.

A minor clarification.  The versions of wbak and rbak which do this are NOT
included with sr9.7, but were made available through the patch tape mechanism.
These features are included as part of the standard Domain/OS releases of these
commands.

*** Please note that this patch violated a widely-accepted rule - "no new
    functionality in patches".  There were compelling reasons to do this, but
    in the general case you will not see this behavior.

For easy reference, here is the section from the patch tape release notes
covering the patch.  (Personal note: this is NOT MEANT to reopen the issues
about patch distribution and posting of release notes.)

...walt...

Patch 116 Enchancements to WBAK, RBAK, and RWMT 
Patch  116  adds  new functionality to WBAK, RBAK, and RWMT for 9.7.  RBAK and
WBAK  now  support  disk   files   as   backup   sources   and   destinations.
Specifically,  WBAK  supports  the  following  types  of  files  as   possible
destinations of backup output: 

     o  Disk files 

     o  Typed objects

     o  'Standard out'

RBAK supports the following types of files   as  possible  sources  of  backup
input:

     o  Disk files

     o  Typed objects 

     o  'Standard in' 


For  more information, see the -to, -type, -r, and -stdout options in the WBAK
help file and the -from and -stdin options in the RBAK help file. 

In addition, an option has been added  to  RWMT  to  disable   byte  swapping.
This  option  is  needed when transferring backup output previously written to
disk (using the new WBAK feature) to  magnetic  tape,  so  that  the  tape  is
written  in  the  format required by a subsequent RBAK.  For more information,
see the -nobs option in the RWMT help file. 

-- 
Walt Weber                    Apollo Computer
(508) 256-6600 x8315          People's Republic of Massachusetts
-The views expressed herein are personal, and not binding on ANYONE-