> -----Original Message-----
> From: Linux on 390 Port [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On 
> Behalf Of Coffin Michael C
> Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 2:34 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: Change Linux DASD Label
> 
<snip>
> 
> PS:  Anyone have any idea why z/OS is even mentioned in this 
> message?  Is
> this yet another use of "z/OS" where "z/Series" should be? 
> There is more
> than one z/Series OS out there ...... :)
> 
> Michael Coffin, VM Systems Programmer
> Internal Revenue Service - Room 6527
> 1111 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
> Washington, D.C.  20224

Originally, Linux used what is called LDL - Linux Disk Label. This
"label" was not in a z/OS standard format (the same disk label is used
by z/OS, z/VM and z/VSE, all the way back to DOS/360 - DOS/360 was the
"first" S/360 OS generally available, I think). Anyway, this meant that
when z/OS was IPL'ed it would "whine" to the operator (something like
"UNLABELED DASD ON XXXX PUT OFFLINE", IIRC). So, when IBM learned that
the z/OS storage admins were fixing to kill the Linux people, they (or
somebody) came up with CDL (Compatable Disk Label?) format. In this
format, there is a compatable VOL1 record and pointer to a valid OS VTOC
(Volume Table Of Contents). The VTOC in this case acts like the
"partition table" on an PC's hard disk.

This also allows IBM's DFDSS (and Innovation's FDR) product to backup
the Linux volumes (with the usual caveat that they not be mounted R/W to
some Linux image) the same way that z/VM and z/VSE volumes could be
backed up.

HTH

--
John McKown
Senior Systems Programmer
UICI Insurance Center
Information Technology

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