Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!apple!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!convex!rigel!harper
From: harper@rigel.uucp (David Harper)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Disaster with a tape drive...HELP!!!
Keywords: tape backup systems
Message-ID: <1713@convex.UUCP>
Date: 11 Sep 89 19:10:19 GMT
References: <1989Aug31.104848.11605@cs.dal.ca> <3566@rtech.rtech.com> <517@uncmed.med.unc.edu>
Sender: news@convex.UUCP
Reply-To: harper@rigel.UUCP (David Harper)
Distribution: comp
Organization: Convex Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx.
Lines: 46

In article <517@uncmed.med.unc.edu> theroo@uncmed.med.unc.edu (Bron D. Skinner Ph.D.) writes:
>It is interesting to hear that others have had difficulties as described
>by these individuals using Alloy tape backup systems.  We have had similar
>experiences with a couple of Genoa cassette type backup units.
>       [some text deleted]
>I would be interested in how others are handling this issue.  
>Are there reliable units?  Does reliability get better on higher capacity
>tape backup systems (60MB plus)?  Are there alternatives which are about
>equal in cost, but which yield better reliability?
>
>Bron D. Skinner, Ph.D.  Coordinator, Information Systems
>Department of Family Medicine, UNC-CH
>theroo@med.unc.edu


I have not used the Alloy or Genoa units so I cannot really comment on these.
However, I have used the Mountain Computer tape backup units on 4 systems
over the past 3 years and have been extremely pleased with the results.  These
units take the DC2000 cassettes (40 MB) and plug into the 34 pin floppy
connector.  Units manufactured within the last couple of years can cohabit
with floppy drive B so that you don't have to give up one of your existing
floppy drives (you do have to get a three drive ribbon cable however).  The
drives are not that fast (it takes me a little over 20 minutes to back up
a 33 Meg partition) but I have found them to be extremely reliable. I have had
many cases where I have had to recover data from tapes that were written over
two years ago and have yet to have any hint of problems.  I have also had no
problems with portability - on many occasions I have recorded tapes on one
drive and read them in on another drive with no problems.  If any of the 
drives ever retenisoned a tape, they made sure I was out of the room before
they did it.  In fact, in all this time the only 'problems' that I have ever
seen are very infrequent tape formatting problems.  I have had a few cases
where the number of sector format errors was excessive and one case where
a new box of Sony cassettes wouldn't format at all (after a certain number of
media errors the software calls the tape bad and gives up).  I normally use
3M tapes and they seem to work quite well.  I probably ought to clean the
heads more often than I do too - I've cleaned them once so far and I do 
incremental backups almost daily and full backups once a week.  The software
that came with the units is easy to use although there are a few features 
that I would like to see opperate differently.  In these few cases, however,
I have been able to hack together a batch file or "C" program to accomplish
what I wanted.

I have not priced any new units recently, but they were around $300 at a local
discount house when I got them.  I understand that 'jumbo' units are starting
to become available now (ie: 60 Meg and 80 Meg) although I cannot comment on
these.