🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <8101@cbmvax.UUCP> grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins) writes:
>In article <21496.2524aa95@ceres.physics.uiowa.edu> rlm@ceres.physics.uiowa.edu writes:
>> I posted an inquiry a few weeks ago about 4mm DAT tape subsystems, but no one
>> seemed to have any experience. We have a VAX-3200 (Q-bus)+2x3100 (VMS) cluster 
>> with some 1.5 GB of disk which we need to backup with minimal operator 
>> intervention. The choices seem to be:
>> 
>> We need to purchase something right away because at the moment we have NO 
>> backup device...
>
>8mm is a hell of a lot better than no backups.  
George,
My biased opinion:
8mm is a hell of a lot better than ANY backups.

 I have used a Viking controller with Exabyte 8mm drive for 16 mos now,
we do incrementals daily and level 0 biweekly on 7 systems contituting a total
of 2gig of disk. We also have another system with 1gig and a Viking/Exabyte
drive that has been in operation for 6 mos. Neither drive has ever burped.
The dump tapes cost $8.99 for 2 gig vs over $500.00 for the same capacity 
in a tk50 plus it is a start and go process - put the tape in and go home.
No poor animal has to wait around endless hours to change endless tapes.
Restores of individual files ove 800meg into a tape has taken 15 mins at the
outside. The savings in tape, labor and anxiety has paid for the drive &
controller (About $4k a year ago) many times over.


>least a 3 year useful life.  It's just too soon to tell about the DAT stuff -
>if you are  brave, get one on a test basis, but the chances are much greater
>that the drive/company/format will be orphaned within a year...
>
DAT's as far as I know won't hold the amount of data that the 8mm will so I 
don't see the 8mm being obsolete anytime soon. The low cost of operation
probably won't be matched by DAT as the tapes will cost more and the drive
may as well - it certianly will [cost more] in the beginning.
Besides, I would still like to have a slick vacuum load 6250 reel tape at
certian times and this is 1989...

Because DAT is digital format, they no doubt will do 'tar -r' - which 
the analog format Exabytes won't do (which is why they are being mainly marketed
as 'backup' devices) -they should be around to stay.  The DAT will probably be 
a popular OEM item as it will replace completely any other drive currently being
shipped. 

Hurf

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     Hurf Sheldon			 Network: hurf@ionvax.tn.cornell.edu
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