help reqd with ncopen

["Shalini Mayor" <mayor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have some files stored in HDF/netcdf format on an 8mm tape. Since the files
are extremely large (the one I need to read is over a gigabyte) I tried to open
the tape drive using ncopen. ncopen gives me an error message:

ncopen: filename "/dev/mt/tps0d4nrnsv": Device busy

I am on an SGI running IRIS 5.3. Has anybody tried to open a tape device using
netcdf calls?? I'd really appreciate any help I could get.

Thanks in advance,
Shalini

Shalini Mayor                   Mail Stop 904
S.Mayor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx           Lockheed
(804)766-9709                   NASA Langley Research Center
                                Hampton,VA 23666