*BSD News Article 97602


Return to BSD News archive

Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!news-peer.gsl.net!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!su-news-feed4.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!coop.net!csnews!alumni!atk
From: atk@alumni.cs.Colorado.EDU (Alan T Krantz)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: S:Experience with Backup-Options for home-use Workstation
Date: 12 Jun 1997 08:55:17 GMT
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder CS Dept
Lines: 36
Message-ID: <5nodhl$bnr$1@csnews.cs.colorado.edu>
References: <m3206bslxu.fsf@torus.cs.tu-berlin.de> <5nm6ph$342@mtinsc03.worldnet.att.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: alumni.cs.colorado.edu
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:42790

Kenneth Furge (kenneth.furge@ehusa.[NO_SPAM].com) wrote:
: In article <m3206bslxu.fsf@torus.cs.tu-berlin.de>, dent@cs.tu-berlin.de says...
: >
: >The volume to back up is around 2-4 GB, and I'm looking for a SCSI
: >solution.  As I see it, there are currently two "cheap" options,
: >namely DAT or the Seagate TST8000S TR4 unit.
: >
: >With the Seagate being so cheap, does anyone have any experience with
: >it's operation under FreeBSD/Linux, tape-life, reliability, etc. ?
: >
: >Any info would be appreciated...
: >
: >Regs, Pierre.

: We are using the Seagate TST8000S TR4 tape drive to back up the drives of 
: about 6 of our office machines.  We have been rotating two tapes through daily 
: backups for about 4 months now, and they are still performing well (though I'm 
: beginning to get nervous!).  The tape drive is fast and so far has been trouble 
: free.

: - K.C. Furge


I tried this drive once. My problem with it is while it was relatively
fast - I could never reread a 1.7 gig backup. Usually after 1.4 gigs I 
would get a tape error. The point of the error was never the same but
the effect was always the same (I could never read past the error
point). I tried 3 different tapes (all brand new) with the same results.
Anyways, I gave up on the drive and borrowed an 8mm dat from the office
which worked flawlessly even on 2 year old tapes. Exe.byte has a low end
8mm dat drive (750 for an external unit) but I have no idea if it is any
good (anyone else know?). Also sony has some 4mm dat drives. Ho hum time
to put more coins in the piggy bank.

Alan