83JAN19 From: J. L. Bingham ManTech International 2320 Mill Road Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 838-5600 VAX Systems SIG Librarian To: Nodes of the VAX SIG Tape Distribution Tree for Fall 1982 The verification of the tree has gone very well. Please keep me advised of name, address and telephone changes which effect the tree. Dave Leonard is putting the Fall 1982 tape together and should have it ready for distribution in a few days. The tape will be in VMS BACKUP format and will have been made with the /INTERCHANGE switch set. The interchange switch causes backup to create an error free tape which is compatible with the VMS COPY command for easy tape to tape copying. The procedure for doing a tape to tape copy is as follows: o MOUNT the backup format tape to be copied (NOT /FOREIGN) o DIRECTORY/FULL to determine the block size of the tape o INITIALIZE the output tape o MOUNT the output tape (NOT /FOREIGN) with /BLOCK=n, n is the size from the above directory command and should be 7952 o COPY (input drive):*.*;* (output drive): Here is how the tree distribution system is supposed to work: o Find your name on the attached diagram and from there your parent node. o Contact your parent node to determine how he wants to handle the transaction. Note that the people above you must receive a tape, return mailer and postage or you must agree on some other exchange suitable to both parties. The people in the distribution tree are doing the copying free but cannot be expected to provide tapes and postage. o If you are a parent node get the tape reproduced and forwarded as soon as possible. o Note that the onus is on the lower (nearer the leaves) nodes to contact their parent nodes and arrange to get a copy of the tape; parent nodes have no responsibility to initiate contact with lower nodes. If you get a copy of the tape from some source other than your parent node please let him know so he will know that your branch has been taken care of. If you have complaints about the distribution or suggestions for improving the tape format or the distribution let me or Dave Leonard know, preferably in writing. My telephone number is listed above but, unfortunately, it is the number for my office, not the on-site location I expect to spend most of my time at for a while. Every person receiving a tape is expected to be willing to copy it for other VAX users. The distribution tree will be submitted to the Pageswapper for publication so all VAX users will know where they can get a copy of the VAX SIG tape. J. L. BINGHAM