Just when you thought you had figured this new Posix stuff out...
 
The Mission:  To perform a full system backup, and perform an install and
reload of same system utilizing new SCSI discs, scratching old HP-IB ones.
Pretty straightforward, eh?
 
(1) Initial attempt to :RESTORE forgetting ;DIRECTORY failed (stupid user
    error, I just included this for the sake of green manager readers).
 
(2) Next :RESTORE *T;;DIRECTORY;SHOW sort of worked, except that instead
    of the old "restore the MPE/iX system directory" and end-of-job, it
    instead told me "will restore 1 system directory" followed by "will
    restore 200 HFS directories" (yes, we have lots of jazz stuff and are
    actively using the HFS).  OK, so HFS directories are apparently now
    treated like the system directory (I don't remember reading about
    that) but at least they are stored at the front of the tape so no
    long waits for it to reach where you think they'd be (stored as your
    typical file).
 
(3) Step (2) failed -- several entries failed due to some cryptic error
    along the lines of "restore failed; CREATE=PATH not specified".  Now
    I'm speaking from home so can't look up the documentation, but suffice
    it to say I don't understand why many HFS directories were restored
    but a significant number (maybe 20%) were not.  So don't do (2).
 
(4) Next attempt - :RESTORE *T;;DIRECTORY;CREATE;SHOW succeeded.
 
(5) Next step, :RESTORE *T;@[log in to unmask]@;SHOW=OFFLINE;KEEP;OLDDATE;CREATE including
    the ;CREATE just in case because of step (3).  OK, it tells me it's
    restoring xxx HFS directories, xxxxx files, and xxx symbolic links.
    Now I'm wondering if I missed some documentation on symbolic links
    being special on store/restore...
 
(6) And here I sit waiting on (5) and hoping for the best.  But just for
    fun, let me keep going :-)
 
(7) The :RESTORE;DIRECTORY following the install resulted in all of the
    accounting data in :REPORT output (CPU/Connect) to be lost (unless
    it is suddenly going to re-appear afterward).  This may be an existing
    "feature" of MPE but I didn't expect it, and I would consider reproting
    this as a bug.  Is the accounting data not part of the ;DIRECTORY?
 
(8) If you've done a :RESTORE...;SHOW online you know it lists progress on
    the terminal (each file listed as restored).  Well, not wanting to tie
    up things doing this over my ancient 1200bps support modem, I streamed
    the restore (with a SHOW=OFFLINE to boot).  Examining the spool files
    of both $STDLIST and SYSLIST give me nothing except the original data
    displayed (files to restore; files on tape; etc) yet it's over half
    completed.  Why doesn't it write this data to one file or the other in
    real time?  I know browsing a spool file isn't real-time due to the
    file buffers, but 20K files later and still nothing?  Geez!  Another
    potential bug report in my book.
 
I've done my share of installs/reloads, but I've never been shaken so
badly as this experience.  I hope I'm not yet due for a late night
commute back to the office to fix some other bizarre "feature" of the
new system.  I remember reading about the obvious stuff (original pull
release not backing up HFS stuff for @[log in to unmask]@, etc) but certainly don't
remember anything about HFS directories and symbolic links being somehow
"special" to store/restore (other than obvious notes about ;TRANSPORT).
And WHAT necessitates the CREATE[=PATH] to restore "certain" HFS dirs?
That last one really scares me; I'm wondering about GID/UID conflicts
due to who-knows-what.  What does it all mean?
 
[\] Jeff Kell <[log in to unmask]>  "Lost in Space"