From owner-freebsd-questions Mon Aug 18 17:50:44 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) id RAA28679 for questions-outgoing; Mon, 18 Aug 1997 17:50:44 -0700 (PDT) Received: from nico.telstra.net (nico.telstra.net [139.130.204.16]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id RAA28674 for ; Mon, 18 Aug 1997 17:50:40 -0700 (PDT) Received: from freebie.lemis.com (gregl1.lnk.telstra.net [139.130.136.133]) by nico.telstra.net (8.6.10/8.6.10) with ESMTP id KAA24338; Tue, 19 Aug 1997 10:50:06 +1000 Received: (grog@localhost) by freebie.lemis.com (8.8.7/8.6.12) id KAA12917; Tue, 19 Aug 1997 10:20:05 +0930 (CST) Message-ID: <19970819102003.23824@lemis.com> Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 10:20:03 +0930 From: Greg Lehey To: Dave Bodenstab Cc: questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: help, broken tape drive References: <199708190016.TAA01528@imdave.pr.mcs.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mutt 0.81e In-Reply-To: <199708190016.TAA01528@imdave.pr.mcs.net>; from Dave Bodenstab on Mon, Aug 18, 1997 at 07:16:51PM -0500 Organisation: LEMIS, PO Box 460, Echunga SA 5153, Australia Phone: +61-8-8388-8250 Fax: +61-8-8388-8250 Mobile: +61-41-739-7062 WWW-Home-Page: http://www.lemis.com/~grog Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk On Mon, Aug 18, 1997 at 07:16:51PM -0500, Dave Bodenstab wrote: > > My HP dat drive ate a tape and died, and since all my backups are on > 90m dds1 tapes, I'd like to be sure that the replacement drive will > read them. Do I need to be concerned about the brand (the old drive > was a HP35480a) as long as I get a 4mm dat drive? I know there are now > drives that take 120m tapes -- do I need to avoid these? You should be able to read your tapes in any DDS-2 drives (they're the ones that write higher densities onto the 120 m drives), as long as they handle compression (I assume you were running with compression on your old HP). If you buy a DDS-1 (like the old HP), make sure it, too, handles compression. Sony, for example, has a number of drives out which don't compress. I just got a flyer from Jem Computers, Inc., (http://www.jemcomputers.com/pb.html#STORAGE) offering refurbished Archive 4586MP changers for $299. I have one (bought new), and I'm quite happy with it. Alternatively, for the same price they offer refurbished Seagate 4242MT (DDS-1 with compression). On their web page, they have a (new?) Conner 4350M, described as a 2GB DAT (i.e. no compression, so avoid it). On the whole, I'd recommend a DDS-2: they're newer technology, and tend to have a longer real MTBF. My 345880As died like flies, and though my HP C1533A (DDS-2) has now died, it looks like it was mechanical damage during transport. Greg