Re: Ultrium 4 Tape Initialization

Robert Ostrowski wrote:

Using CLEAR *NO would leave data on the tape wouldn't it? We
want an empty tape each night to back up on.

Robert Ostrowski on Friday, May 14, 2010 9:20 AM wrote:

Anyone know how long it takes an Ultrium 4 tape to initialize?
On a new 8203 with the built in tape drive (type 5746). I've
been sitting here for almost 2 hours and it still initializing.
Maybe I'm just too impatient...

So just to be /clear/ ;-) it was still clearing, not "still initializing". :-)

One potentially nice thing about CL commands, is that the command parameters have help text. Even nicer, that in many cases, the help text is actually worthwhile. The CLEAR() parameter on INZTAP is one such command, where hopefully the help text for that command parameter would sufficiently clarify the usage for either of the special values *YES and *NO.

If that text alone were not sufficient, note that there is also a CLEAR parameter on SAVLIB [SAVOBJ, SAVxxx commands]. Although no special value *YES as an option for the CLEAR() parameter on those commands, there is choice of *NONE, *ALL, *AFTER, or *REPLACE that can be specified; the shipped default for the CLEAR() parameter on all of the save commands is *NONE. Review the choice for its impact on the media type being utilized, as described by the command parameter help text on a SAVxxx command.

Regards, Chuck