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From: ken@dali.cc.gatech.edu (Ken Seefried iii)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix.misc,comp.unix.xenix.sco
Subject: Re: Need assistance with afio problem.
Keywords: afio
Message-ID: <29927@hydra.gatech.EDU>
Date: 27 May 91 18:13:45 GMT
References: <446@yonder.UUCP> <1991May26.203103.19212@chinacat.unicom.com> <447@yonder.UUCP>
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In article <447@yonder.UUCP> michael@yonder.UUCP (Michael E. Haws) writes:
>
>It is my impression that you are suggesting that I never keep compressed
>data on my hard disk, since this data would be subject to the same 
>potential problem when trying to recover it from a tape archive.  Or have
>I missed something?
>

Single and multi-bit media errors are several orders of
magnatude more likely on tapes than on hard disks.  You
will have to forgive me for not being able to quote chapter
and verse, but as I remember (and my memory is quite foggy,
forgive me), the figures are something like 1 bit in 10^7
for tape media and 1 bit in 10^9 for hard disks.  Perhaps
someone with better (and more recent) data will care to
speak up.

Obviously there is some risk for both media, but the risk
is vastly smaller for hard disks.


--

	ken seefried iii	"I'll have what the gentleman 
	ken@dali.cc.gatech.edu	 on the floor is having..."