Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!rpi!uupsi!gli.com!noloc
From: noloc@gli.com (Gil Colon)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs
Subject: Re: 1/4 in Tape Durability
Keywords: 1/4 inch Tapes
Message-ID: <1990Aug3.213300.3341@gli.com>
Date: 3 Aug 90 21:33:00 GMT
References: <1990Jul27.170915.3112@cbnewsl.att.com>
Distribution: usa
Organization: General Logistics International, Inc.
Lines: 30

bellotti@cbnewsl.att.com (a.bellotti) writes:


>I perform unattended nightly backups of my files/packages (40 Megs 
>or so) onto a 1/4 inch tape.  Anyone out there has an idea on how
>long should a 1/4 inch tape be used on a daily basis before it 
>loses its reliability ?
How valuable is the data being backed up?  I'm assuming that it is 
somewhat valuable, since you would not have taken the time to back-it-up.
Therefore, in my case, and experience, anything more than 60 writes I have
found to be un-reliable.  Two things generally have happened: 1) The tape,
after awhile, breaks off at one end.  This was generally true of tapes I
purchased from Inamc, using their brand of 1/4" media.  This is generally
caused from the costant tensioning performed by writes and rewinds.
2)  Head alignment on older drives (ie: wangtech 45meg/60meg) would tend to
misalign on the media, causing read problems.

Other than these types of problems, I have not found/experienced any real
problems with the media. So, I again ask you: How valuable is the data being
backed up?  And, protect it as such.....

>Alberto Bellotti
>aab@attunix.att.com

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