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From: hh2@prism.gatech.EDU (HAAS)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Tape Backup?
Message-ID: <12195@hydra.gatech.EDU>
Date: 3 Aug 90 21:37:46 GMT
References: <4334@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> <1990Jul19.101620.2987@cl.cam.ac.uk>
Followup-To: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Organization: Georgia Tech Research Institute
Lines: 53

In article <1990Jul19.101620.2987@cl.cam.ac.uk> cca10@phx.cam.ac.uk (Christopher Anderton) writes:
>In article <4334@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke) writes:
>>I am thinking of getting a tape backup to backup my hard disk on my PC, and
>>would like to know what kind of experiences that people have had with their
>>systems.  Specifically,
>>     o Which brand of tape backup do you have?
>I use a PS2Tape Internal Backup Unit on a PS/2-80.

This is an Irwin Tape Backup unit re-marketed by IBM.

>>     o How much can you store on a single tape?
>80 or 120 Mb (depending on format)

Depending on TAPE LENGTH.
 
It uses DC2000 tapes for 80 MB uncompressed storage, and will achieve
120 MB if you use the EXTENDED LENGTH DC2000 tapes. The extended length
tapes are 1.5x longer than the regular DC2000 tapes, so you get 1.5x normal
storage no matter WHAT drive you're using (assuming the drive supports the
longer tapes.)

>>     o Is any compression used, and if so, how much compression is done?
>Doesn't appear to be used.

Although I've heard a rumor that new IRWIN drive software might have
compression (definitly *NO* hardware compression)
Anybody know?

>>     o Have you verified the integrity of the backup?
>Yes, succesfully though on small scale.

I backup frequently, and have never had an error.

>>     o Which software do you use to do the backup?
>IBM PS2Tape Internal Tape Backup Program

Again, a program written by Irwin.

>>     o Would you recommend the tape backup that you have?

YES.
But I sure wish there was a good software package to aid backing up an
AIX system with this machine.  I use AIX, and the Unix backup command
with this drive. It's not as fast as a DOS backup, and much more dificult
to use. Apparently support for the IBM PS/2 Internal Tape Backup was an
after thought by IBM. You have to gp through great pains to find a person
at IBM that knows ANYTHING about the tape backup *AND* AIX, and get them
to LET YOU ORDER the AIX drivers. (but it does work)
-- 
Harry Haas  GTRI/RIDL/DB         "What makes it DO that!?" - Bones 
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
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