AIX

Hello,
we received an IBM data cartridge with some data on it. It is a backup of an old IBM AS400 machine that had gone for good some years ago. I am able to extract data from this tape by using dd on a LINUX system:
Analysing the received file with forensic software (Xways, haven't tried Encase yet) doesn't give any clues if this extraction succeded.
The problem is of course, that I'm not able to extract any singular files correctly from the output.
I'm looking for a database (ore some databases) that are supposed to be on this tape.
Is there any other tool I could use? Is the dd command correct? It seems that blocksize is 96k because other sizes I've tried give an I/O error...

Could you give some hints or even a solution on how to extract the stored files. A product called datamerge (by a UK company for abut 10.000 LBS) can separate those files in a Demo-version but doesn't show the content (it's demo, of course).

We haven't got an AS400 and are a bit out of our wits, what to do next...

Thanks for your help

Christian

EDIT The database-program used was selfmade up some 15 years ago...

The problem you will have is that although you might be able to get a "file" off the tape, this will be a session in a block. Unix tools are probably not compatible with AS/400 format tapes. It's the same trying to read a cpio tape with tar for example. Do you know if it is written in savefile format, savsys/nonsys format or even as a database export type tape? There are also 3rd party software products that could have been used.

I regret that you are probably pretty stuck unless you know these things, however if you have a budget for it, there are companies that will attempt to extract the data for you. I have no recomendations because we have avoided using them though a bit of luck, but I know they exist. I don't know the costs, but perhaps one of the DR companies could help you here. If you have a DR contracted site (e.g. SunGard, Iron Mountain, etc.) they may be able to guide you a little more.


Sorry I can't be of more help.



Robin
Liverpool/Blackburn
UK

Hi Robin,
exactly this is one of my problems. It looks, as if this tape has neither any compression nor has the format changed.
Is there any fixed definition for EOF I could use or is there any information like a header speaking in terms of those AS400 files, because I could use the forensic tools to separate those files and identify the ones I need? I was able to spot some understandable plain text passages (strangely enough one of the readable words was "meauw" or something like this and as there were other animal noises also imprinted, it looks like at least the charset translation to ascii succeded)

Meauw, meauw!
Christian

I've had a chat with our main AS/400 guy. He agrees that it is theoretically possible, but to be useful, the tape would have to be written as a flat text file direct to tape. The tools between the two operating systems are not compatable.

I feel you will really be looking for a specialist recovery company for this one. Sorry about that. I'm not in that business, so I have no love for them, but they may do a job for you. Most DR providers have good on site people who can help with all sorts of bizzare media issues. it is probably best talking to whoever you have contracted services with, assuming you do.



Apologies again,
Robin

Thanks for your effort anyway. I will probably better be going to contact someone with an AS400 to restore the files on tape and export them in a proper way. Furthermore our customer has just contacted me and told me, that the AS400 might still be available somewhere (obviously it were just the harddisks that broke down).

Hope that eiter one way or the other will show up working. those rescue companies suck the blood out of your wallet :-9

Cheers

Christian