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RECOVR Disk Disaster Recovery
Unlike Ufix systems, which seem to throw some kind of error every week
requiring a manual run of fsck, the RSX Files-11 "ODS-1" file system is
simple and robust. Thanks to good design, disk corruptions are few and
infrequent. Usually, when a problem occurs, it's only a lost file and VFY
can fix the problem.
Unfortunately, there is a dark side to Files-11 as well, and it is this:
When an RSX system cooks up one of those infrequent problems that VFY can't
solve, it's generally a truly excellent example of disk corruption. These
corruptions are usually associated with other problems, all of them derived from
the root cause. These situations became even worse with the introduction
of disk caching and MSCP.
Working on the tangled threads of a major file structure problem requires
considerable knowledge of the structure of Files-11, the device drivers, and
the device controllers.
Digital, over the lifetime of the RSX-11 family,
made several revisions to the
Files-11
structure specification. The specification is still well
worth reading - but does not reflect the true state of ODS-1. Most of the
changes in the file system were never documented anywhere except internally in
the ACP source files, which were not distributed with standard RSX kits.
Under Files-11 are the disk drivers. In general DEC did a fine job and
most of them adhere to a standard I/O structure for disk. There are,
however, a few drivers such as the MSCP driver that do not always return
the expected I/O codes in standard situations such as end of disk.
Complicating these situations further, in many cases the habits and
peculiarities of the individual disk controllers involved must be taken into
consideration. Not all PDP-11 disk controllers can do doubleword I/O, for
example.
After seeing several disk problems, and trying to recover them (usually with
very little success) using the DECUS file recovery tools, Machine Intelligence
pulled everything known about RSX Files-11 file and disk volume recovery into
one expert file recovery program.
RECOVR is the only complete disk disaster recovery software for RSX systems.
If a corrupted disk isn't physically damaged, RECOVR will get the data back,
if it can be recovered. Accidental initializations, lost headers, accidentally
deleted files, and bad blocks in the system files are all recoverable problems.
We're so sure it will solve your problem, it has a
money-back guarantee. And if you're still unsure,
please download the RECOVR User's Manual
to read at your convenience.
RECEVL Disk Problem Evaluator
RECEVL, Disk Problem Evaluator,
is a stripped-to-the-bones version of RECOVR. It trades off all
performance enhancements for minimum size in memory to see if the
full-function task could get files back from a damaged disk.
It uses the same disk scanning and problem evaluation code as the recovery
task, reporting which files appear to be recoverable.
It doesn't run fast, report header or file locations, or include
the code to recover damaged and deleted files.
If you have a problem and you want to see if RECOVR will solve it,
contact us
and we will arrange to provide you with a runnable task image.
RECOVR User's Manual
The RECOVR User's Manual (308K bytes MS Word format) is in
Microsoft Word 6 for Windows format.
If you don't own Word, see our
documents information page for information on how to get a free viewer.
Software License Pricing
RECOVR can be licensed in several different ways. Depending on your current
and future needs, you may want to take any of the following options. Be
assured that if you decide to upgrade your license later, the full amount of
your earlier license can be applied to an upgraded license.
Non-Commercial Licenses
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One-time use by MIIM personnel at your site: $250
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One-time use only: $500
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Unlimited use on a single-CPU: $1500
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Unlimited use, unlimited CPUs at a single-site: $2500
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Unlimited use, unlimited CPUs in a single corporation/institution: $5000
There is a discount of 25 percent from the above rates for charitable and
educational institutions. Inquire with your purchase order and enclose a
copy of your institutional letterhead. We do require a copy of your IRS
tax status determination in conjunction with this discount.
Commercial Licenses
When used in a commercial disk recovery operation, there is a one-time
license fee of $2000, plus $200 per use of the software.
Money-Back Guarantee
If RECOVR doesn't solve your disk corruption problem, send us back the
following within 14 days of receipt:
- The original distribution kit and documentation
- A copy of the console or output log showing that it failed to do the job
- A notarized statement that all copies of the software have been destroyed
and we'll refund your money less shipping charges.
This guarantee does not apply to commercial recovery licenses.
Custom Consultation
Understandably, at this stage of the RSX life cycle, most owners and users
of PDP-11 systems are not the jack-of-all-trades experts of the 1980s.
Most PDP-11s are expected to run without incident, and when they do not,
panic often sets in when there is no on-site guru to address a disk problem.
If you don't have confident expertise in house to handle that disk disaster,
the best advice you can have is this: Don't try to deal with it
yourself. "Fiddling about" usually makes
things worse, and can confound a repairable problem into a complete loss.
Contact us, rather than dig your system into a hole so deep that you can't climb
out of it.
We can provide you with:
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Custom consultation on your problem. "First call's free."
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In-house recovery for many DEC RD-series Winchester disks
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On-site recovery for non-standard RD-series and non-MSCP disks
Please see our consulting
services page for current rates and terms.
"Will it be expensive?" We do not believe in predatory pricing on
disk disaster victims, but yes, it will probably be expensive.
"How expensive?" Experience indicates at least one week is required.
In other words, figure at least 40 hours on-site time.
"Do I have any alternatives?" Other than throwing the system
away, none. If you had close-dated backups, you probably wouldn't be
reading this.
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