ISTR that CA used to (since the 80s) distribute their installation tapes
with alpha plus numeric volsers. I recall that the volser reflected the
version/mod level of the product.
On 3/14/2014 1:22 PM, Elardus Engelbrecht wrote:
John McKown wrote:
1) Has anybody ever had a VOLSER which was not exactly 6 non-blank characters
for a regularly used volume? Especially any trailing blanks?
Not me. Is it possible to have those weird VOLSERs?
2) Has any commercial shop ever used non-numeric tape volume serials for normal
in-house tapes? If so, why?
Yes, *if* they have volsers labels in the first place in those years ago when
there were round tapes, no SMS, no HSM, no VTS, 3380 DASD, no RACF, only SNA,
etc.
TAPEMAP was a blessing because the [magnetic] volser does not always match
whatever [pen/pencil] volser was written on the stickers... ;-)
Reason: datacentres have in those years (pre 1990) swapped tapes for data
exchange and any names could do as a volser. Say: BCKUPA, BCKUPB, etc. or
NOVAAA (November tape AAA), etc.
It also depends on the whims of the owner of that tape(s). There were NO naming
standards at all. Duplicate names in a tape vault were a PITA of course.
I ask because, at least historically, CA-1's support of non-number tape serials was
"difficult" (needed some sort of mapping exit as I recall).
Yuck! I will cry if I have to maintain that stupid lame exit... ;-D
Groete / Greetings
Elardus Engelbrecht
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