User Guide

A-10 Ampex 1308911-02
Model No.
Running Head
Glossary Glossary and Acronyms
SCSI-2 Small Computer System Interface, version 2. An ANSI standard that
defines the characteristics of an input/output bus for interconnecting
computers and peripheral devices. SCSI-2 provides host computers
with device independence within a class of devices. The pass-through
interface to the DST Driver allows an application to use the DST310
SCSI-2 interface with minimal interpretation.
Sequential Access Device
A device that can access data on the target medium in a sequential
mode only and cannot position directly to random locations on the
medium.
Space An mtio interface operation that moves the current position forward or
backward by a specified number of filemarks or records.
Spacing When used in reference to system zones, denotes the number of double
frames between consecutive system zones.
Stand-alone Drive A tape drive that requires manual intervention to load or unload a tape,
as opposed to a drive integrated with machinery that performs
automatic tape loading and unloading. The DST 310 tape drive is a
stand-alone drive, while the DST 410 and DST 810 drives are not.
Stretch Partition Layout
A tape format that stretches a given partition to the next system zone
if there is not enough room for another partition before the system
zone. No system zones occur within any partition. See also Alternate,
Pack, and Waste partition layouts.
Synchronize An operation that writes all application output data from the tape drive
data buffer to the tape itself. This ensures that the data on the tape is
completely up-to-date with the data written by the program that
performs the synchronize operation.
System Call An operating system function that can be called by user programs.
System calls are implemented as part of the UNIX kernel.
System Zone A zone that allows the tape to be threaded and unthreaded from the
DST drive read/write heads at intermediate points without complete
rewinding, lowering data access time. System zone spacing is user
configurable. Each system zone contains a VFI zone.
Tape A long, thin strand of magnetically-sensitive material for data storage
wound on reels in a cartridge. Also refers to both the tape and the
cartridge together.
Tape Drive A computer peripheral device capable of reading and writing digital
magnetic tapes. See DST tape drive.