From: thompson@pan.ssec.honeywell.com (jt -- John Thompson)
Subject: re: Tape Archive Capability
Organization: Electrotechnical Laboratory, Tsukuba Science City
Distribution: fj
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 21:24:37 GMT
Return-Path: <apollo-list-errors@srvr1.engin.umich.edu>



>   I am interested in any experience DOMAIN users may have with 8mm and 4mm tape 
>   for archiving user data files. 
>   
>   Two options we are looking at are 
>     8mm 5.GB tape
>     4mm data with compression subsystem.
>   
>   My questions are:
>   
>   1) Does anyone have experience with using these for WBAKing/TARing
>      user files? I am particularly interested in the 4mm with 
>      compression because of cost and claimed capacity (8GB).
>      I would be curious if anyone using this has measured
>      how much they actually get.
>   
>   2) Experience with TFI as a vendor.
>   
>   3) Other recommended sources.
>   
>   4) Other recommended options for archiving.

A1) I have used the "normal" 2.3GB 8mm drives for doing archives via tar, wbak, 
    and Omniback (HP/Apollo product).  I haven't tried any compressed drives,
    because, frankly, I'm too shocked by fitting 2 BILLION bytes on, in essense,
    a thing the size of a audio cassette tape.  That much data should take up 
    space, and require climate control, and make the building settle, and ....

A2) Never heard of them before, but that may not mean a thing.  

A3) Check out the FAQ (recently posted, or email me if you can't find it).  It's
    maintained over in the Netherlands, but I can't remember the address....
    Keep in mind that, unless things have changed recently, you're not buying
    a different vendor's 8mm tape drive.  Last I was aware, all the 8mm drives
    were made by Exabyte.  You may get a different enclosure, and you may get 
    a different manual, and you may get a different warranty, and you may very
    well get different support/knowledge, but you will get the same drive.
    I believe that this is _NOT_ the case w/ the 4mm drives, but I don't know
    if there's any significant difference there.  I suspect that TFI, and most
    vendors, get their h/w from a small number of actual manufacturers.

A4) Are you talking hardware or software options?
    HW: 8mm and 4mm are probably the best tape options, but if you need fast,
        quasi-online storage, maybe a r/w-optical jukebox is for you.  Even
        with the 4mm or 8mm drives, consider autoloaders and carousels if
        you're going to try and do large, automated, backups/restores.
    SW: I think TAR sucks.  Omniback from HP/Apollo is, IMHO, a fine product,
        and I like it a lot.  It's being expanded to support Suns (client side
        only) RealSoonNow.  Wbak is great if you plan on being stuck on Domain
        forever.  HP has committed to an rbak product on HP-UX to allow you to
        RESTORE your old tapes, but you won't be able to use it to back up.
        Several vendors have backup solutions;  I haven't used them though.

-- jt --
John Thompson
Senior Engineer / Sys-Admin
Honeywell, SSEC
Plymouth, MN  55441
thompson@pan.ssec.honeywell.com

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
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