User Guide

6-2 Ampex 1308911-02

Model No.

Running Head

DD-2 Utilities Overview DD-2 Utilities Manual Pages

dd2_read_perf Measure overall read performance of device and host.

dd2_reset_drive Reset the tape drive.

dd2_rewind_tape Rewind tape to Beginning of Partition (BOP).

dd2_set_drive Change tape drive conﬁguration parameters.

dd2_setparam_drive Change tape drive data block size and tape device driver debug

level.

dd2_setpos_tape Set current position to the speciﬁed location.

dd2_space_tape Change current position by a speciﬁed number of blocks or ﬁles, or

set current position to end of data (EOD) in the current partition.

dd2_status_drive Get tape drive current operational status, results of last I/O

operation, and number of bytes in data buffer.

dd2_unload_tape Unload the tape cartridge from the tape drive.

dd2_weof_tape Write ﬁlemark(s) or ﬂush tape drive buffer to tape.

dd2_write_perf Measure overall write performance of device and host.

6.2.2 Input Conventions

The Tape Management utilities use the following input conventions:

• All required or optional arguments are speciﬁed using explicit, descriptive command-line

ﬂags. Where applicable, the utilities use the same command-line ﬂag names and content.

• Some arguments consist of multiple-element input speciﬁcations. Every element in an

input speciﬁcation must be enclosed by colons. (Separator characters are optional for a

single-element input speciﬁcation.)

For example, an argument such as

:DD2::1234:2:34:541: uses colons as separators.

Separator characters must be present to reserve a places for all elements, even if they are

empty (spaces are not permitted in the string).

• You can specify integer input values using a standard decimal number, a hexadecimal

value (ﬁrst two characters are 0x), or an octal value (the ﬁrst character is a zero and the

second character is not an x).

• Each dd2 utility operates on its object using the current tape device context, which

includes the current position. Because each utility opens and closes the speciﬁed device

special ﬁle, the device context is conditioned by that device special ﬁle.