Nekonomicon - distcp

uunix
Donor
From Stourbridge / England / UK
Who joined March 27, 2011, 12:48 p.m.

Wrote the following at April 19, 2016, 1:26 p.m...

I'm curious about distscp and wanted to created a tape install of IRIX 5.3. The version doesn't matter really, I could have gone for 6.1, both support boot from tape.

I have Disk 5.3 in the DVD drive on my Fuel

I have a tape drive in an Octane.

From the Octane

Code: Select all


   distcp -n 192.168.1.50:/CDROM /dev/tape

So the first part is the FROM, I'm copying distribution from a remote machine [n] 192.168.1.50
The second part is TO.. to my default tape drive.

I'm receiving:

Code: Select all


   distcp: unable to get product descriptor(s)

maybe a faulty disk?
I will try 6.1

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey Ho! Pip & Dandy!
MyDungeon() << :Fuel:

MyLoft() << :540:

MyWork() << :Indy:

foetz
Moderator
Who joined April 14, 2003, 4:34 a.m.

Wrote the following at April 19, 2016, 3:35 p.m...

to eliminate unnecessary problem sources i wouldn't use a remote drive

r-a-c.de

uunix
Donor
From Stourbridge / England / UK
Who joined March 27, 2011, 12:48 p.m.

Wrote the following at April 19, 2016, 3:39 p.m...

foetz wrote: to eliminate unnecessary problem sources i wouldn't use a remote drive

Same result.
Doing this on my Fuel, from CD to LTO (same machine) produced the same result.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey Ho! Pip & Dandy!
MyDungeon() << :Fuel:

MyLoft() << :540:

MyWork() << :Indy:

foetz
Moderator
Who joined April 14, 2003, 4:34 a.m.

Wrote the following at April 19, 2016, 7:41 p.m...

with 5.3 and 6.1?

r-a-c.de

jan-jaap
Donor
From Wijchen, The Netherlands
Who joined June 17, 2004, 11:35 a.m.

Wrote the following at April 20, 2016, 12:36 a.m...

uunix wrote: I'm curious about distscp and wanted to created a tape install of IRIX 5.3. The version doesn't matter really, I could have gone for 6.1, both support boot from tape.

I have Disk 5.3 in the DVD drive on my Fuel

I have a tape drive in an Octane.

From the Octane

Code: Select all
distcp -n 192.168.1.50:/CDROM /dev/tape

So the first part is the FROM, I'm copying distribution from a remote machine [n] 192.168.1.50
The second part is TO.. to my default tape drive.

I'm receiving:

Code: Select all
distcp: unable to get product descriptor(s)

maybe a faulty disk?
I will try 6.1

Couple of things come to mind, but's it's been a few years so I might be talking nonsense

1. Source: the files are not in /CDROM, but in /CDROM/dist. Tapes don't support directories.
2. Target: you're supposed to use the non-rewinding tape device, dev/nrtape.
3. IRIX 6.1? Really? You must be hiding a Power Onyx R8000 somewhere, because I think that's about the only hardware that will run it. :mrgreen:

To accentuate the special identity of the IRIS 4D/70, Silicon Graphics' designers selected a new color palette. The machine's coating blends dark grey, raspberry and beige colors into a pleasing harmony. ( IRIS 4D/70 Superworkstation Technical Report )

ivelegacy
From Italy
Who joined Jan. 4, 2015, 5:12 a.m.

Wrote the following at April 20, 2016, 1:46 a.m...

jan-jaap wrote: Tapes don't support directories

this is a problem for me, I need my folders
but, I can put a tar (Tape ARchive) on tapes

hey oh? Swimming pool & Racing bicycle.

SAQ
From Renton, WA
Who joined July 19, 2006, 8:37 a.m.

Wrote the following at April 22, 2016, 6:42 p.m...

ivelegacy wrote:

jan-jaap wrote: Tapes don't support directories

this is a problem for me, I need my folders
but, I can put a tar (Tape ARchive) on tapes

Not sure completely what you're trying to do then - distcp will create a install tape set. If you're trying to create a bootable backup set your backup tape will generally be different from the tape you have as a bootable install. If you have the CD-ROM and a drive then you can boot off of that and then restore off of any tape (...that is supported by the IRIX miniroot...) you want.
It's been a while, but I think SGI's "official" archive program was cpio. Dump and restore (or xfsdump/xfsrestore) are good to look into as well.

I think there was one model of DEC tape drive that "looked" like a block device, the rest never had directories- at least ones that IRIX will be able to communicate with.

Found this - seems to be pretty straightforward: http://www.backupcentral.com/wiki/index ... l_Recovery

Of course techpubs also has a good and official doc, but it ain't up anymore.

"Brakes??? What Brakes???"

:Indigo:

(single-CM)

IRIX and Software

distcp