rait-dd - copy blocks possibly from a RAIT tape-set

SYNOPSIS

       rait-dd [if=file] [of=file] [bs=n[kMb]] [count=n]

DESCRIPTION

       rait-dd  is  a  (partial)  replacement  for dd(1) which is
       built with the RAIT routines for reading/writing redundant
       tape  stripes.  The only difference from regular dd(1), is
       that filenames of the form:

            aaa{bbb,ccc,ddd}eee

       are  treated  as  a  redundant  stripe  of   files/devices
       aaabbbeee, aaaccceee, and aaadddeee.

       The arguments are as follows:

       if=file  Specifies the input file(s) for the copy [default
                standard input]

       of=file  Specifies  the  ioutput  file(s)  for  the   copy
                [default standard output]

       bs=n     Specifies   the   block  size  for  block  copies
                [default  512].    Note   that   stripes   of   m
                files/devices are read at block size n, and writ-
                ten at block size n/(m-1).  If n  is  not  evenly
                divisble by m-1, an error will occur.  The number
                may have a suffix of "k", "M", or "b", specifying
                multiplication by 1024, 1024**2, and 512, respec-
                tively.

       count=i  Specifies that i blocks are to be copied.

BUGS

       Since blocksize information is not retained on disk files,
       (only  on  tapes)  multiple  stripe files on disk are only
       readable with exactly the same block size with which  they
       were written.

       Copying  files whose length s not a multiple of the stripe
       size minus 1 is not supported (see  the  discussion  under
       bs=n).

AUTHOR

       Marc W. Mengel <mengel@fnal.gov
       Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia IL

SEE ALSO

       dd(1)