[Info-vax] Getting tape drive errors make no sense

[Ken Fairfield]

On Wednesday, October 30, 2013 6:52:12 PM UTC-7, glen herrmannsfeldt wrote:
> Ken Fairfield <ken.fairfield at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Friday, October 25, 2013 12:33:26 PM UTC-7, tadamsmar wrote:
> >> I tried to copy a large save-set (a full disk backup) from tape to a 
> >> large disk.  That is I am just trying to copy the file from tape to 
> >> disk, not trying to restore a volume.
> 
> > And what is the block size of the saveset you're trying to copy to disk?
> > If you wonder why I'm asking, this could very well be your problem.
> 
> I am not sure what you mean, but I have seen SCSI tape drives 
> reblock data. They can be set to always write with a fixed block
> size like 1K, or they can be set to write each block to the 
> appropriate size, sometimes called variable length.
> 
> If it is set different than you expect, the results can be
> surprising.

No, my (misguided) remark was in response to OP "trying to copy
the file [saveset] from tape to disk".  I was thinking of the
RMS record size limit of 32256 for files on disk, and the
problem which comes after using /BLOCKSIZE=65535 when the 
saveset was created...   

Well known problem, knowledge of which probably indicates a
more experienced perspective.  :-)

    -Ken