[Simh] Imaging SCSI HD's

[Jeremy Begg]

Hi Zane,

> One of the main systems that I want to Virtualize is a VAXstation 4000/60
> with a BA350 shelf.  The only HD connected to the system is a RZ28-VA SBB
> (2GB) as DKA200:, so yesterday I added a RZ29-VA SBB (4GB) as DKA100:.  I
> setup Standalone Backup on the RZ29 and booted into Standalone backup.

Does your VAXstation/60 boot from the RZ28?  Does it run VMS 7.3?
If so, you might like to try this instead:

1. If you don't have it installed on your VAXstation already, download and
   install LDdriver from https://www.digiater.nl/downloads/lddriver_v83.zip

   LDdriver implements a VMS disk driver mapped to a VMS flat file, a sort
   of "virtual disk" utility.

2. Start LDdriver ... $ @SYS$STARTUP:LD$STARTUP

3. If you haven't already done so, connect your 4GB drive to the VAXstation
   and initialise and mount it, e.g.
      $ INIT/SYS DKA200: BIGDISK
      $ MOUNT/SYS DKA200: BIGDISK

4. Create a virtual disk the same size as your DKA100 drive, or bigger:
      $ LD CREATE DKA200:[000000]DKA100_IMAGE.DSK /SIZE=4213968
   will create a 2GB container file.

5. Then prepare it:
      $ LD CONNECT DKA200:[000000]DKA100_IMAGE.DSK LDA1
      $ INIT/SYS LDA1: VAXDISK
      $ MOUNT/FOREIGN LDA1:
      $ BACKUP/IMAGE DKA100: LDA1:/INIT

6. Dismount and disconnect the LD disk
      $ DISMOUNT LDA1:
      $ LD DISCO LDA1:

7. Transfer the disk image file DKA200:[000000]DKA100_IMAGE.DSK
   to your SIMH host, e.g. via FTP in BINARY mode.

The disk image created by LD and transferred to your SIMH host is ready for
use by SIMH.

Regards,

	Jeremy Begg


> I tried to run the following:
> backup/image/verify dka200: dka100:[000000]20190420-system.sav/sav
>
> I ended up with a very strange "No valid storage bitmap found" error, and it
> failed to copy anything.
>
> Facility: BACKUP, Backup Utility
> Explanation: Software bad block data is not present on the volume. The
> volume has been initialized with no bad blocks.
> User Action: Execute the Bad Block Locator utility before using the volume.
> NOBITMAP, no valid storage bitmap found on 'device-name'
>
> I tried ANALYZE/MEDIA, but may not have been doing things right.  This is a
> Genuine RZ29-VA, but it was originally used as part of a disk array for a Sun
> Sparc system.