Re: SAVLIB?

We used to do this... back in the days when we had more disk space
than we knew what to do with!  (:

IIRC, the command for the transfer from disk to tape is  SAVSAVFDTA
(Save SaveFile Data).  This copies the contents of the save file to
tape.  The contents of the save file is reformatted and written to
tape.  You can restore from the tape (RSTOBJ or RSTLIB) as if you had
saved directly to the tape.

The only problem with this method of saving your data is that you
need extra disk space-- enough to hold the save files.  You should
make sure you have enough space to hold the save files before you
start!

In our past, we had a process set up to save to save files.  We saved
just the changes Monday thru Thursday to save files, then full
library saves directly to tape on Friday.  The decision to save
changes or save library was decided when you told the program what
day it was.  And the other info you provided was to select "Save to
Disk" or "Save to Tape."  Everything worked fine until we had a
problem late one Thursday night.  We restarted the job, we selected
FRIDAY / SAVE TO DISK.  And we filled up our disk.  Oops!

On a theoretical note-- have you ever noticed that you get "Save File
Wait" messages during save file operations?  Why?  This is a copy to
a disk file-- there shouldn't be any delay.  Well, maybe if the
compression option chosen takes more time...  My personal theory is
that IBM wrote the SAVF functions as if they were device drivers--
complete with the same Waits that a tape device would have!  This
theory is further supported when you can Save SaveFile Data from disk
to tape, and restore as if the original save had been to tape.  Just
my theory, mind you.  Anyone care to shoot it down?

--Paul E Musselman
PaulMmn@ix.netcom.nospam.com




>I would like to do several savlibs to *SAVFs and then copy several
>*SAVFs to a single tape so files could be restored from tape via rstlib
>or rstobj. (Kind of like MAPICS works.) I just do not understand the
>transfer from disk to tape. Could someone point an AS/400 hack wannabee
>in the right direction?
>
>TIA,
>Bob Randall
>Airxcel, Inc.