Date: Fri, 7 May 1999 13:39:00 -0500 From: Karl Denninger <karl@Denninger.Net> To: mjacob@feral.com Cc: Darryl Okahata <darrylo@sr.hp.com>, freebsd-scsi@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Question - Onstream SCSI Streamer Message-ID: <19990507133900.A317@Denninger.Net> In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.04.9905071131460.1661-100000@feral.com>; from Matthew Jacob on Fri, May 07, 1999 at 11:32:15AM -0700 References: <19990507133118.B266@Denninger.Net> <Pine.LNX.4.04.9905071131460.1661-100000@feral.com>
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On Fri, May 07, 1999 at 11:32:15AM -0700, Matthew Jacob wrote: > > > > > "low-cost drive with a proprietary interface". Even though it has a > > > > SCSI connector, it's not a tape drive in the traditional (SCSI) sense. > > > > It'll take special drivers to talk to this puppy. > > > > > > > > If you're feeling brave and lucky, OnStream is selling "new" > > > > internal Quantum DLT-2000XT's for $649 (15GB capacity, uncompressed ). > > > > Note that these are "brand new" obsolete drives. You'd better read the > > > > fine print (especially on warranty, shipping, and "defective products"), > > > > but check out: > > > > > > I would not recommend the XT given the media incompatibilities they've > > > been known to have. > > > > The XTs are fine - but they cannot read or write tapes written on a > > DLT 4000 or 7000. > > > > They can read and write 10GB (2000) and 15GB (DLTIII-XT) media, along with > > older DLT formats. > > > > The big problem with the 2000XTs is the cost and availability of the tapes. > > To get full capacity you need the XT length tapes (15GB) which are NOT > > second-sourced. As such you're going to get positively raped on the > > media cost since there is no competition (no Fuji tapes, for example). > > > > I had two of these at MCS - they were rock-solid and reliable. However, > > unless you can reliably source media they're going to be trouble down the > > road. > > I had several at Legato. By mistake an XT tape placed into a 2000 > destroyed it. Well, yes. The XT tapes are both thinner and longer than the regular 2000-series DLT tapes, and the 2000-series drives CANNOT handle the thinner and longer media. DLT in general is *forward* compatible, but not *backward* compatible. This is also true of most other "similar" media types (ie: put a 120mm DDS-II tape in an older DDS drive and it will get "eaten" as well, as the proper running tension is MUCH lower on the 120mm media) I have NOT tried putting a 2000-XT tape in a DLT-4000 unit, and have absolutely no idea if that is safe or not. If its not then the drive is a dead end, which could be bad. One of the items that makes these new "Onstream" drives so attractive is the price. $500 for the drive is damn good, and with media about $1/Gb its quite competitive. The 50G version of the same drive, due out sometime this second quarter can handle an "extra length" cartridge - but is also backward compatible for both read an write. The Onstreams are also about as fast as a DLT 4000 (but not as fast as the DLT 7000) in terms of raw I/O bitrate, and their media is less expensive. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up being a dominant device in the low and midrange server marketplace. On a cost/performance basis nothing else on the market comes close. -- -- Karl Denninger (karl@denninger.net) Web: fathers.denninger.net I ain't even *authorized* to speak for anyone other than myself, so give up now on trying to associate my words with any particular organization. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-scsi" in the body of the message
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