Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cbmvax!grr
From: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: Re: 4mm Versus 8mm Tape Backup Subsystems
Message-ID: <8101@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 5 Oct 89 15:23:30 GMT
References: <21496.2524aa95@ceres.physics.uiowa.edu>
Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 20

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.  I don't know that the whole
story is in, but many people are using them and even if something else turns
out much better, I would expect the 8mm drives and technology to have at
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...

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,	uucp: {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing	arpa: cbmvax!grr@uunet.uu.net
Commodore, Engineering Department	fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)