PDP-10.its/doc/rjl/salvd.3

SALV, the SITS/LOGO File System Checker

Introduction

	The program called SALV is a utility program for the maintence of
disks for the SITS/LOGO systems. Its main function is to provide a consitency
check of the directory structure on the disks, but it also includes functions
for initializing format and file structure, and copying disks in various ways.
The purpose of this document is to aquaint the reader with both the theory
and the operation of SALV, and in particular give him enough information
to enable him to deal with both day-to-day file system maintence and the
many special problems that can arise.

The SITS File System

	The SITS file system provides users of the SITS system with very flexible
ways of maintaining disk files. It makes no attempt to impose any restrictions
on the type and format of the data stored in the files, provided that that data
can be represented as an ordered vector of 16 bit words. It does, however,
impose a structure of 1directories0 in which files may be kept. That structure
is a strictly inverted tree, that is, pointers from directories must always
point downward in the structure. Also, no directory may be pointed at by
more or less than one other directory, except in the special case of the
1root0 directory, which no other directory points to. Now, we shall try to
clarify this.

The Notion of Directory

	In the SITS file system, a directory is a vector of files and 
inferior directories. The inferior directories may in turn contain
directories. Each entry in the vector has a name and a type and possibly
a version number. The entries are kept in alphabetical order by name, and
when names are the same, in numerical order by version number. Each entry
also contains a block descriptor which provides the disk addresses of zero
or more blocks that are associated with the file or directory described
by the entry. There are also two special entries at the beggining of each
directory which we will discuss later.
	At the very top of the directory structure of each disk is the special
directory called the root. The main thing that is special about
the root directory is that its disk address is predefined.
The first block of the root directory of each logical disk resides on block 46 of that
disk. All other information about what is where on any given disk
can and must be determined by reading the root directory and
following the tree structure downwards to the file or directory of
interest.

Files

	A file is a vector of 8 bit bytes stored in blocks of 1024 bytes
on the disk. Each byte has a number assigned to it called its 1address in the
file0. Thus, the first byte of a file is byte 0, the last byte in the
first block of a file is byte 1023, etc. A file has a length, which is the
byte address of the last byte of the file; this length is not restricted
to be a multiple of 1024, nor of 2.
Files may in theory be up to
2**25 (about 33.5 million) bytes long, but other restrictions reduce this.
It is possible for there to be 1holes0 in the file
these holes must start and end on file address which are a multiple of 1024,
that is, on block boundaries. These holes are not particularly useful
and we will attempt to avoid any futher discussion of them.
	The directory entry for a file contains two pieces of information
that describe the file: the file address of the first byte which is
1not0 in the file, and an encoded list of the disk block addresses
where the bytes of the file reside.
	In addition to the name and version number the file entry also
contains the date and time that the file was created. The file
entry also potentially contains an 1access list0 which would
restrict access to files to specified users, but neither LOGO nor
SITS support this feature.

Operation of the SALV Program

	Now that the reader (hopefully) has a general idea of what the
file system looks like, we will switch topics drascially and discuss
the operation of the SALV program, particularlly it's user interaction.
	The SALV program currently can only be run standalone, that is,
it cannot be run under the SITS timesharing system since it does
direct hardware disk operations, and also because the operation of
SITS could cause the file structure to become inconsistent.
SALV can either be loaded with RUG or directly from paper tape.
Its starting address is 1000, and it can be safely restarted at
(almost) any time. Restarting SALV is a perfectly valid way to
abort an operation. Generally, SALV is either waiting for command
input from the teletype or running performing some function
commanded from the teletype. It ignores typing while it is
performing a function. All functions are initated with one character
commands. Most functions also accept preceeding arguments or
require inputs. Some of the more drastic functions require
confirmation after they have described themselves. At
any time SALV is waiting for an input character the character
<control>Z may be typed which will cause SALV to execute
a BPT instruction which should in turn cause RUG to be called,
if SALV was loaded by RUG. If SALV is then proceeded (type <esc>P
to RUG) you will reenter the typein wait you just left.
SALV can also be restarted (type <esc>G to RUG) to go
back to the beginning. The following commands take a 1 digit
number preceeding the command as input. The number specifies
which disk the command is to effect:

	C	Check a disk. The main function of SALV.

	I	Initialize a disk.

	<control>F	Format a disk.

The following commands take no preceeding input:

	<control>U	Copy logigical disks 0 and 1 to logical disks
			2 and 3, i.e. copy the fixed platter up to the
			removable platter on double density drives.

	<control>D	As <control>U, but copy 2 and 3 to 0 and 1, i.e.
			copy removable down to fixed.

	<control>C	Asks for two disk numbers and copies one logical
			disk to another logical disk.

(A note about the meaning of "logical disk": currently the only type
of disk supported by LOGO/SITS/SALV/RUG is the RK11 compatible units
made by DEC and others. The disk DEC makes has one disk per drive,
and each disk has 203. tracks; this corresponds to the standard
"logical disk". The drives made by Caleus and Wangco and supported by
IMS disk controllers have 2 disks in each drive, one fixed and one
removeable. Most of these have 203. tracks on each pyhsical disk
and thus coorespond to 2 logical disks, but there are drives that
have 406. tracks on each disk, and in this case, currently, each
pyhsical disk cooresponds to 2 logical disks, and therefore there
are 4 logical disks per drive. Clear?)