Re: lost data?

[Paul van Delst <paul.vandelst(at)noaa.gov>]

src wrote:
> 
> Is there a bug in IDL's Save/Restore command?  I've just spent the last 18
> days running a Monte Carlo simulation to seemingly lose all my data.  The
> problem occured when our license manager stopped responding (network
> problem) hence the IDL session running the simulation crashed.  The MC
> code is designed to save results periodically as it runs (just in case
> this sort of thing happens).  I've just tried:
> 
> "restore, 'mc_file.sav', /Verbose"
> 
> only to get:
> 
> % RESTORE: IDL version 5.3 (linux, x86).
> % RESTORE: Truncated save file, restored as much as possible:
> 
> That "resored as much as possible:" is in fact 0 (zero).  Despite the file
> itself being 17 Mb!  Some of my .sav files are a lot bigger than this, yet
> don't seem to have any problems.  Is there anyway to recover this file, or
> prevent this happening again in the future?

I'm not trying to be facetious when I suggest using something other than an IDL save file
for storing output. Say, netCDF? Or maybe Liam Gumley's binary data I/O tools for IDL. See

http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/~gumley/binarytools.html)


While I can't help you with your current dilemma, Craig Markwardt has posted about his
tools to interrogate IDL save files. See

http://astrog.physics.wisc.edu/~craigm/idl/cmsave.html

good luck

paulv

-- 
Paul van Delst           A little learning is a dangerous thing;
CIMSS @ NOAA/NCEP        Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring;
Ph: (301)763-8000 x7274  There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
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                                         Alexander Pope.