| VMS Help Ext File Specs, Overview, Considerations, Mixed-Version Support *Conan The Librarian | 
    Users on OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.2 (and later) systems can
    take advantage of Extended File Specifications capabilities. In
    contrast, systems running prior versions of OpenVMS cannot mount
    ODS-5 volumes, correctly handle extended file names, or even see
    extended file names.
    The following topics describe support on OpenVMS Version 7.2
    (and later) and on prior versions of OpenVMS in a mixed-version
    cluster.
    Users on OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.2 (and later) Systems
    Users on OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.2 and later systems can continue
    to access pre-Version 7.2 files and directories; for example,
    they can do all of the following:
    o  Create and access deep directory structures on ODS-2 volumes.
    o  Read a BACKUP saveset created on an earlier version of
       OpenVMS.
    o  Use DECnet to copy a file with an ODS-5 name to a file with an
       ODS-2 name on a system running an earlier version of OpenVMS.
    Users on pre-Version 7.2 Systems
    On mixed-version clusters, some restrictions exist. Users on a
    version of OpenVMS prior to Version 7.2:
    o  Cannot access any files on an ODS-5 volume. This is true
       regardless of whether the volume is connected physically on
       a CI or SCSI bus, or by an MSCP or QIO server.
    o  Cannot successfully create or restore an ODS-5 image saveset.
       However, these users can successfully restore ODS-2-compliant
       file names from an ODS-5 saveset.
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