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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!simtel!news.kei.com!news.mathworks.com!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!dispatch.news.demon.net!demon!mail2news.demon.co.uk!firstalt.demon.co.uk From: Graham J Ellis <Graham@firstalt.co.uk> Newsgroups: comp.unix.solaris,comp.unix.admin,comp.unix.bsd,comp.unix.internals,comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.sys5.r4,comp.sys.sun.admin,comp.sys.sgi.admin,comp.unix.sco.misc Subject: Re: HP Autoloader Drivers - HELP!!!! Date: Thu, 19 Oct 95 10:33:10 GMT Organization: First Alternative (Solaris and Internet training) Lines: 60 Message-ID: <814098790snz@firstalt.co.uk> References: <463fcj$pfq@scotsman.ed.ac.uk> Reply-To: Graham@firstalt.co.uk X-NNTP-Posting-Host: firstalt.demon.co.uk X-Newsreader: Demon Internet Simple News v1.29 Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.solaris:49073 comp.unix.admin:33881 comp.unix.bsd:16732 comp.unix.internals:9162 comp.unix.questions:71069 comp.unix.sys5.r4:10361 comp.sys.sun.admin:54691 comp.sys.sgi.admin:20935 comp.unix.sco.misc:7369 In article <463fcj$pfq@scotsman.ed.ac.uk> johnb@epc.co.uk "johnb" writes: > We recently bought an HP c1355A DDS-2 Autoloader. I want it to back up 40GB > of data unattended - i.e. when one tape is full it just goes on to the next. John - I notice that you have posted to a number of news groups - could you tell us: * What your target platform is (host computer and OS version - device drivers change - for example - between Solaris 1 and Solaris 2 on Sun systems ...) * What software was supplied with the "Autoloader" for your platform - even if (at first sight) it doesn't do what you want at first sight * Whether the "autoloader" is provided with instructions of how to change a tape from a command line in some way ... Might then be a bit easier to help you further ... > Apparently I need a special device driver to make it work like this, but this > seems absolutely supid to me - I thought that 'Auto' and 'Loader' meant that > the tapes would load automatically. > > Does anybody have any experience of this? If so, do I need a driver and > where can I get one - FOR ANY UNIX PLATFORM (I'll port it if I have to). > > At present we're trying to back the whole lot up using a couple of DAT drives, > lots of sleepless nihts and tape changes, and a whole load of beer. Some things worry me here .... 1. Device drivers are not easy things to write / port - seems like a lot of heartache, even if you could gat hold of the source code. 2. If you put 40Gb onto a series of tapes, any restores you will need to do would be a potential nightmare. Having to go through all the tapes one after another to get a single file back. Is it practical?? 3. The "load of beer" may lead to operator errors during sleepless nights ;-) What do I suggest??? ==================== Instead of attempting one big 40Gb backup onto a series of tapes, take a series of backups onto a series of tapes. Write a script (about 1000 times easier that a device driver!) to split the data into sections that will go onto individual tapes, and which will be manageable units if you ever have to restore from them. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Graham J Ellis First Alternative training - - Range of over 20 courses! SunOS/Solaris Framemaker - - On site and scheduled. Windows Developers Internet - - Voice & fax: 01380 818281 Head office: 01235 820011 - - Mobile: 0802 500493 fax: 01235 820750 - ------------------------------------------------------------------