From owner-freebsd-questions  Mon Jan 29 11:54:15 2001
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From: Mike Squires <mikes@ct980320-b.blmngtn1.in.home.com>
Message-Id: <200101291953.f0TJrua35548@ct980320-b.blmngtn1.in.home.com>
Subject: Tape drive experiences
To: FreeBSD questions <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 14:53:56 -0500 (EST)
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I've used the following tape drives under FreeBSD, in order of preference.

1.  DLT - I currently have a surplus 2000XT (15/30GB) single DLT in use.
    I purchased it surplus from eBay for $300 a short time ago.  Media
    are also plentiful on eBay.  So far, not a single problem and it seems
    to be streaming at about 2.2MB/sec most of the time.

2.  DDS3 DAT - I was using a Sony SDT9000 with HP DDS3 media which has
    also been quite reliable.

3.  HP C1553 DDS2 changer - this has six slots.  This only locked up once,
    but DDS2 media have been significantly less reliable than the DDS3
    media and apparently are less reliable than DLT III XT media.

4.  Archive/Seagate/Conner/Compaq/? 4586NP Python - not my favorite design.
    It works OK if you remember that (1) the older 12-slot cartridges rely
    on gravity to keep the tapes in the cartridge (i.e., not jamming) and
    it relies on the DAT tapes with the knurled area the full width of the
    DAT.  There are some secret commands to unlock a jammed cartridge, but
    I've had to destroy several cartridges anyway.

    (There are two different 12-slot carts - one with the same locking device
    as the 4-slot type, and one without.  The latter relies on gravity to keep
    the DAT in the slot and thus can jam easily).

    DDS2 media seem to be less reliable than DDS3 or DLT media, no idea why.

5.  4584NP - same as above, but DDS1 only.  Same problems.

I now have an ADIC VLS 300 (DLT III XT) which I hope to use under amanda to do
automated backups.  ADIC supplied keys for free, which is nice of them to do
with such an old unit.

Mike Squires


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