Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: $Revision: 1.6.2.16 $; site ima.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!gatech!seismo!harvard!think!ima!johnl From: johnl@ima.UUCP Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: streamer tapes Message-ID: <97800014@ima.UUCP> Date: Sun, 8-Dec-85 17:22:00 EST Article-I.D.: ima.97800014 Posted: Sun Dec 8 17:22:00 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 11-Dec-85 03:47:26 EST References: <2842@watcgl.UUCP> Lines: 28 Nf-ID: #R:watcgl:-284200:ima:97800014:000:1501 Nf-From: ima!johnl Dec 8 17:22:00 1985 /* Written 9:58 am Dec 4, 1985 by jchapman@watcgl in ima:net.micro */ > Question: some of the ads for streaming tape claim not only image > read.write of a file system but also selective retrieval of individual files > (and selective writing?). I was under the impression that streamers were an > all or nothing sort of affair. Can this really be done (and is it a matter > of software, interface or drive)? Can a streamer (or perhaps only some > streamers) perform the operations you would normally expect of a 7/9/ track > magtape? Microcomputer streamer tapes do want to blat all the data on the tape at you without stopping, at least without stopping very often, but there is no reason the program reading the tape can't throw away all of the blatted data except the contents of selected files, and most restore programs can do just that. You don't have to write an entire streamer tape in one pass. The problem is that every time the host computer falls behind and the tape drive has to stop there is a long gap on the tape, lessening the amount of data you can store, and the stop-start sequence takes a while. Also, if you start and stop a streamer too often, you'll burn out the motors. So long as you write or read several hundred K bytes between stops, the streamer is fine. John Levine, ima!johnl PS: I have had mixed success with a variety of streamers plugged into my PC. The one I have now with which I am happy is a 60MB model from Mountain Computer.