Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ames!amdcad!msprick From: msprick@amdcad.AMD.COM (Rick Dorris) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Alpha Micro Video backup Message-ID: <21545@amdcad.AMD.COM> Date: 10 May 88 21:15:41 GMT Reply-To: msprick@amdcad.UUCP (Rick Dorris) Organization: Advanced Micro Devices Lines: 34 Sorry-- I tried mailing direct but my system bounces everything back. To the person who wanted info about the Alpha Micro backup system: About the Alpha Micro video backup: I have about five Alpha Micro Computers set up in various commercial retailers in the Sacramento area, all using the video back up system. I can't answer your questions regarding tree structure because the AlphaMicros use an OS called AMOSL, not MS-DOS. But, I can say that the video backup provides a very convienent and reliable backup. I have the video recorders set to automatically turn themselves on at 11 at night to start a backup after all the "house-cleaning" chores have been run. Very convienent since I don't trust the store managers to run the backup each night. [They only have to change the tape each morning] At least under AMOSL, I can retrieve only specific files or just get a directory of the tape. Yes, it is slow! I can do something like vcrres =dsk2:*.bas[*,60] to get all the files stored on the tape that came from dsk2:, have a .bas extension, and came from any 60 account. One problem I have seen: transfering data from one machine to another using different video recorders. Most of the time, if I know I'm going to read the tape from a different machine, I save my data using a /C:10 switch to cause the data to be written to the tape 10 times. This assures me that the transfer will work 99% of the time. If you'd like, I can check with my distributor for his price on the board. It might be cheaper since you will skip the retailer. Luck, Rick Dorris msprick@amdcad.com.UUCP amdcad%msprick@decwrl.dec.com