Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!lll-lcc!pyramid!voder!apple!ems From: ems@apple.UUCP Newsgroups: ca.general,comp.unix.questions,comp.misc Subject: Re: Should we reuse mag tapes? Message-ID: <484@apple.UUCP> Date: Sun, 22-Feb-87 04:54:01 EST Article-I.D.: apple.484 Posted: Sun Feb 22 04:54:01 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 22-Feb-87 16:00:23 EST References: <1058@megatest.UUCP> Reply-To: ems@apple.UUCP (Mike Smith) Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, USA Lines: 45 Xref: watmath comp.unix.questions:1132 comp.misc:265 In article <1058@megatest.UUCP> jacobo@megatest.UUCP (Jacobo Bulaevsky) writes: > > The question is: Is it safe to reuse mag tapes for important data or > should we use brand new tapes when storing critical information? > > Would someone have a strong feeling, based on experience or data, one way > or the other? I know that the whole idea of using mag tapes is that you > can reuse them a good number of times, but I have also heard people > saying that valuable info should go on virgin tapes. > > Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Please mail to me directly. > Thanks. > I think this topic is of general enough concern that replies should be posted. I'm interested. WAR STORY: Once upon a time a company I worked for used virgin tapes for the important stuff. Then we started having a strange problem. Some tapes would be fine for a while, then after being stored for a few days would be unreadable. This was never completely solved, but was believed to be due to a batch of questionable tapes. MORAL: Use relatively new, but not virgin tape for really important things. You want to get past any 'infant mortality' problems and use a proven product. Avoid heavily used tape, as it can begin to develop problems. We did one of our daily backups on a virgin tape, then took the oldest tapes out to be 'keepers' This gave the tape a few uses before something critical went on it. If we hit a bogus virgin tape, it was only one days worth that was lost, the prior day having been done on a veteran tape. Of course, we had to check the backups periodically ... It takes a LOT of uses to wear a tape out. I would guess somewhere in the hundred range or so... -- E. Michael Smith ...!sun!apple!ems 'If you can dream it, you can do it' Walt Disney This is the obligatory disclaimer of everything. (Including but not limited to: typos, spelling, diction, logic, and nuclear war)