Msg: 5963 *Conference*

08-16-95 14:09:00

From: RON WIESEN

To : COMET _

Subj: REPLY TO MSG #5953 (UNDELETE -- COLD START RECOVERY)

Use 256K RAMPACs here. They may be available in larger capacity, I don't know,
but considering backup to disk the 256K RAMPAC mates with the 202K capacity of
the TDD2.  Program NPL.BA in Downloads is good for direct RAMPAC-to-PDD2
transfers (not memory buffered) but note my warnings about its use for ASCII
(.DO) files and not to mix NPL backup diskettes with other diskettes.  Use an
ExtRAM and RAMPAC together without conflict: ExtRAM in Option ROM socket;
RAMPAC on Bus connector of M102.  Don't know about an XR4, perhaps there is a
conflict with RAMPAC/Bus connector but I would doubt it.
 
If you end up with a RAMPAC, you may want to "borrow some code" for an OS
extension that gives one-key invocation from the main Menu for: 1.  Disk file
transfer 2.  RAMPAC file transfer 3.  In memory file compaction/grouping.
 
Since we discussed cold-start recovery, I have located the OS extension code in
that area which appears to survive cold-starts.  Got a cold-start yesterday
while out of town on business (hate it when that happens).  With my
ROM2/Cleuseau, I found the start@ of 1st ASCII file and the end@ of the last
ASCII file then used BASIC direct statement to save it as one file.  I didn't
care about recovering the BASIC and M/L files.  Also I knew the ASCII files
consumed less than half the available memory at time of cold-start so I knew
the following would work. 
OPEN"ALL"FOROUTPUTAS#1:FORA=strTOend:D$=PEEK(A):IFASC(D$)=26THENNEXT:ELSEPR
INT#1,D;:NEXT
 
My client was present at the cold-start (thought his data was gone forever) and
was much relieved to see it recovered in a few seconds.  Funny you and I were
discussing cold-start recovery recently and one occurred yesterday!