There is such a critter except it will perform the dump to disk
instead of tape.  It's called AutoRestart/iX.  Here is the description
in the LaserRom:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What Is AutoRestart/iX?

AutoRestart/iX is a software product that automatically restarts your
system in the event of a system software failure.  It minimizes system
recovery time and automatically saves system state information to disk
using data compression, for later analysis.

If the system fails, AutoRestart/iX resets the system, dumps failure
state information to disk, then restarts the system.

This fully automatic process requires no operator intervention.  In
addition, dump-to-disk takes substantially less time than the traditional
dump-to-tape method.

Once the system transfers error information to disk, you can begin
problem analysis.  This saves you from transferring error information
from tape to disk.  You can perform problem analysis locally or remotely.

________________________________________________________________________

NOTE  AutoRestart/iX is supported on MPE/iX release A.40.00 or later.

________________________________________________________________________

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Regards,
Michael L Gueterman
Easy Does It Technologies
email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.editcorp.com
voice: (888) 858-EDIT -or- (509) 943-5108
fax:   (509) 946-1170
--

----------
From:  WirtAtmar[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:  Tuesday, December 23, 1997 8:06 PM
To:  [log in to unmask]
Subject:  Re: [HP3000-L] unattended automatic memory dump and reboot?

Mark Bixby asks:

>  Is there any way to configure a 3000 so that in the event of a crash, it
>  will automatically perform a memory dump (a DAT tape is always mounted and
>  online on the machine in question) and then do a START RECOVERY?

Mark,

My answer to the first part of your question is: "I doubt it." A crash is a
crash -- and is therefore an undefined, unexpected, quite serious situation.
The computer has essentially declared, "I've got an unreconcilable problem. I
don't know what to do -- but I don't trust the data I've got. If I were to go
forward at the point, corruption could potentially result. The best thing that
I can do now is to shut down and let somebody analyze the problem."

I think most people would argue that under these conditions, you shouldn't
have automatic restart capability following a system abort. The situation
could only be made much worse by repeatedly trying to autorestart a machine
that has declared itself to be defective in some (generally) unknown manner.

<snip>