Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!dino!ceres!rlm From: rlm@ceres.physics.uiowa.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec Subject: 4mm Versus 8mm Tape Backup Subsystems Message-ID: <21496.2524aa95@ceres.physics.uiowa.edu> Date: 30 Sep 89 16:59:17 GMT Organization: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa Lines: 37 I posted an inquiry a few weeks ago about 4mm DAT tape subsystems, but no one seemed to have any experience. We have a VAX-3200 (Q-bus)+2x3100 (VMS) cluster with some 1.5 GB of disk which we need to backup with minimal operator intervention. The choices seem to be: o Buy an 8mm Exabyte system. These are available in several packages and are in wide use. I have been told that they are `fairly' reliable but are extremely slow if one wants to recover selected file(s) located in the middle of the tape. Also, the reliability is apparently not terrific- I was told that it was comparable to a TK-50 (ouch!!). o Buy a 4mm DAT system. These are apparently just becoming available for VAX/VMS systems (although I haven't been able to contact anyone who has used one yet). They have only 60% capacity per tape compared with 8mm but are claimed to be more reliable (because of the digital recording technique) and have much faster selective file recovery (20sec maximum). We need to purchase something right away because at the moment we have NO backup device. Can anyone offer useful suggestions on this subject? I would be particularly interested in (a) First hand experience with a DAT subsystem in a DEC environment (VMS) and/or (b) A consumer guide to the 8mm systems- which is considered the most reliable, or the best buy? Thanks in advance Robert Mutel Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242 ============================================================================== Phone: (319) 335-1950 | TWX: 910-525-1398 SPAN: 7230::RLM (CERES) | Bitnet: rlm%iowa.Physics.UIowa.Edu@CUNYVM HEPnet: 47588::RLM (IOWA) | Internet: rlm@iowa.Physics.UIowa.Edu ==============================================================================