An example of microprocessor's application in minicomputer systems: a copy volume design and implementation

Abstract This paper deals with the management of a mass storage unit in a minicomputer system. The memory unit is constituted of two devices, each one containing two hard disks. The mass storage controller (based on an Intel 8086 microprocessor) is described first, considering both hardware and software aspects. Then the structure of the memory medium is shown, with emphasis on the main capability offered by this kind of hard disk. Finally the COPY VOLUME program is presented. The purpose of this program is to copy the content of one disk to another one fully. The main features of this program and the error management during I/O operations on the disks are also described. Particular emphasis is on the operations performed by the program to correctly execute the COPY VOLUME function.