VI question

[utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!houxm!ihnp4!stolaf!umn-cs!minn-ua!aga]

I need to search this file regularly, also invloving movement around in
the file, the best way I have found for this is VI.  However the file is
rather large and on our small system, SUN, the disk copying takes a fair
amount of time.  At least on the SUN, VI copies the file to /tmp/exnnnn.
What I would like to do is place a copy of the file, in internal vi format,
in /tmp/whatever and tell VI to use that file right off the bat so no
copying is necessary.  Does anyone know if this is possible?  Would be
able to make a simple mod to ex/vi to make it do this?  Any suggestions?

		Alan G. Arndt
		stolaf!umn-cs!minn-ua!aga