When I was first promoted to Systems Programming from Application
Programming, I played with lots of stuff from the Waterloo Mods
tapes. One of the utilities was a 'TAPE' replacement that
increased the speed and functionality. I was allowed to write a
file level backup program (restores were manual) IF I could only
use the 800BPI tape drives and small tapes. It was still running
nightly when I left, having been promoted to using 1600 then 6250
BPI tape drives.
It was a lot of work and equal fun. And I realized that there is
an important difference between System Backups and File-level
Backups. Lots of Data Center Managers have forgotten that
individual files are important to the people who use them. Even if
your users are not Program Developers, they do create multiple
versions of documents and spreadsheets, files that are important
to them.
I would hope that people using VM/CE would appreciate a usable
file-level backup utility.
/Tom Kern
On 10/23/2022 9:54 AM, Bertram Moshier
wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
+Hi,
In 1982 and 1983, I worked for Owens Corning Fiberglas at
their Research Center in Newark, Ohio.? I was the lead systems
programmer for the VM system.
My first assignment was to create a backup system that the
operators could run (manual restore was OK).? The issue was
they were using DDR to back up their system.? They would take
the system offline each night for hours to backup it up.?
People were complaining about how much downtime the system
required to operate properly.
I wrote a backup program in a couple of weeks.? It was good
enough that several people asked me to do a Share
presentation.
The program uses EXEC2 and a small (20 lines) modification
to VMFPLC2.
IBM approached Owens Corning Fiberglas about buying it (for
US$7M over 4 years).? My boss was proud and wanted to take IBM
up on the offer.? Unfortunately, there was this Senior VP
whose attitude was "we make fiberglass?not software."? He went
on to say there had been others who wrote software IBM wanted
to buy and always said NO, PERIOD!? This is part of the reason
I left Owens Corning Fiberglas.
He felt OCF would need to create a new division to handle
the influx of money, etc., and OCF would lose money.? I talked
to the Comptroller and he disagreed about needing a new
division.? He felt the IT division could handle it all and he
liked the idea, but it was out of his hands.
OK enough for background.? Obviously, I can't reuse the
code I wrote for OCF, but why not do it again?
I'm wondering if a VM Backup program would be useful for
people using VM/CE.? I can see both reasons being yes and no.?
Thus my question about a VM Backup program for VM/CE?
Thanks.
Thomas Kern