8 Dec
2025
8 Dec
'25
6:26 a.m.
Den sön 7 dec. 2025 kl 23:20 skrev Peter Ekstrom via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>gt;:
Yeah, both ideas are good ideas. I am considering
replacing the rz25, or
adding a ZuluSCSI, that way I could assign one of the devices for backups.
For now, I am just trying to preserve what's on the disk now. I want to do
a fresh install once the CDROM arrives. It is an interesting exercise to
me.
Right now that RZ25 is running nicely without much noise so no rush I don't
think, but still.
Not sure if anyone mentioned it, but a BlueSCSI (or I guess ZuluSCSI)
device has a mode called "initiator mode". Connect it to the drive you want
to dump and it mirrors that drive to the SD card. No hassle with USB-SCSI
dongles or anything.Works very well.
/Mattis
- Peter
On Sun, Dec 7, 2025 at 5:00 PM Hans-Ulrich Hölscher via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
... and the resulting backup will be much more
reliable than the one
written by an old tape drive (which model, by the way?) on a possibly old
tape, if that ever succeeds.
I made especially frustration experiences using the once famous TK50
drives, and even (a little) more recent DAT drives tend to fail very
often
nowadays.
One disadvantage, however, is the necessary struggle with licensing,
although that can be managed with a little help.
Another option is a backup over network WITHOUT using an operating system
running on the system to be saved. Unfortunately it has up to now been
tested on MicroVAX I and MicroVAX II systems using a DEQNA or DELQA
network
adapter only. It uses a simh VAX to send a
special machine language
program
to the backup target computer, on that the
program in turn uses MSCP
commands to send a bit-wise disk copy back to the simh VAX. It is new, it
is unconventional, but it has been successfully tested on several
MicroVAX
I and MicroVAX II computers. I think it is time
to get out one of my
VAXstation 3100s (won't make any difference) and test it there. But you
will need to be patient – other projects have priority for the time
being.
To be honest - I expect the program will need
adaptation to the newer
hardware, especially the network adapter - MSCP hasn't changed I think.
Am So., 7. Dez. 2025 um 22:27 Uhr schrieb Antonio Carlini via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>gt;:
> On 07/12/2025 20:27, Peter Ekstrom via cctalk wrote:
> > I managed to reset the system password so now I can login as well. It
> runs
> > pretty well.
> > I tried to make a tape backup of what's on the disk but it seems all
my
>
tapes dirty-up
> the head of the tape drive. Anyone know of a way to clean an actual
tape?
Pull all
the
tape out and wipe it with a dry cloth?
One option would be to create a SIMH VMS host, configure it to be in a
cluster, configure your real HW uV3100 to be a satellite node (booting
off a root on the SIMH host system disk), boot the uV3100 into the
cluster, mount the uV3100 disk and back it up with BACKUP.
That might be easier and quicker than cleaning a tape.
Antonio
--
Antonio Carlini
antonio(a)acarlini.com