[Simh] How to Get image backup to Simh

[Tim Shoppa]

>  I want to get a
> image backup that is on tape from one of the real VAX'es to the simh
> box.  As far as I understand an image backup must be saved to either a
> tape, or an unused disk drive, but it cant be on a disk with other data.

Not really true.  MOU/OVER=ID MUA0: and then COPY MUA0:*.* []/LOG
will get you a disk file that is the image backup.  Then you can transfer
that file (over the net, say, but there are other means!) to the SIMH
system running VMS.  BACKUP cares about record size; easiest way to
make sure record sizes match up is to copy it over the net with DECNET,
but if you have to go through intermediate non-VMS machines with FTP
you will probably have to manuall tweak the record size on the destination
because FTP doesn't know about record sizes.

You never really had to put the saveset on tape to begin with, as
you can make savesets on disk with the SAVE_SET qualifier, for example

  BACKUP/IMAGE  DUA0:   IMAGEBACKUP.BCK/SAVE_SET

> Therefore I see two options. 1) Add the simh machine into the cluster
> of the other two, so that I should have access to the tape drives on the
> real machines.  Then I can do the backup (restore) right from the VAX
> tape to the simh drive.

This will work, but you'll have to be running a near-identical version of
VMS on the simh instance as on the "real" machine.

>  or 2) In simh and a virtual tape drive (is this
> possible) and then FTP the contents of the saveset from the tape to the
> simh virtual tape drive.  and finally restore from there.

This will work too, but you don't really need the virtual tape.  Don't
forget VMSTPCE as a way of making tape images under VMS (Bob
at one point included a tool that did the TPC to TAP conversion,
I'm sure we can dig it up if you need it.)

Tim.