RE: Ecrix VXA 33/66 tapes with Retrospect
You do run the risk of expanding your data if you back it up with compression... but that depends on the drive technology. For example, the AIT algo for compression checks to see if the data is compressible before writing it. If the data is compressible, it writes a compressed block. If the data is not compressible (.gif, .jpg, etc), then it writes an uncompressed block. It's able to do that on-the-fly and still meet the rated transfer speed. By using this method, you do not run the risk of expanding your data when it is pre-compressed. That's why I encourage all of our AIT customers to keep hardware compression activated. With other technologies that we distribute, I advise that they turn compression off when dealing with non-linear video, audio or pre-compressed graphics, otherwise they will not store the full capacity. Steve www.cybernetics.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Daniel O'Donnell Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2001 2:12 PM To: retro-talk Subject: Re: Ecrix VXA 33/66 tapes with Retrospect I was puzzled by the statement as well. The biggest files these days tend to be motion graphics or animations such as QuickTime or MPEG. QT and MPEG are already compressed and will show very little if any subsequent compression. At 10:23 AM -0800 on 3/1/01, Jon Stevens wrote: on 3/1/01 8:04 AM, "Garret J. Cleversley" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I am very happy with this as graphics files are very compressible (sp?). Garret Eh? It really depends on the type of file you are compressing. If the image (or any data for that matter) is already stored in a compressed format (for example, .gif images are stored compressed), then there is absolutely no gain and in fact, you might have a negative effect. For example, a quick and dirty test: I have a .gif file on disk that is: 12,461 bytes Compressed with Stuffit, the image becomes: 12,677 bytes It is actually LARGER in compressed format! Just wanted to clarify that statement lest anyone become enamored with the idea that all graphic files compress well. thanks, -jon -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Search: http://www.mail-archive.com/retro-talk%40latchkey.com/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050. -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Search: http://www.mail-archive.com/retro-talk%40latchkey.com/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050.
RE: Purchasing a new system
Definitely. Every technology needs streaming data for optimized performance. One cool thing about M2, it has a huge buffer (32MB). AIT-2 has 8MB. M2 uses this larger buffer to help adjust for varying host speeds. M2 can vary its tape speed to match the host. With so much memory, it can cache more files and flush the buffer accordingly. M2 is more expensive than the AIT series, but less expensive than a DLT 8000. I personally don't know why anyone would buy a DLT 8000 knowing M2 is 2x faster, 50% larger per tape and costs less. Only guys who need backward read compatibility have been buying DLT from us these days. Now that they know generation I of the SDLT (SuperDLT) will not be backward compatible with previous DLT formats, many of them have been moving to AIT and M2 (which promise larger capacities with future generations and complete backward compatibility). This explains why you can find so many DLT drives on eBay. Steve Cybernetics www.cybernetics.com -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of David Ross Sent: Friday, January 26, 2001 11:22 AM To: retro-talk Subject: Re: Purchasing a new system DLT has not addressed that issue. Since linear pulls the tape across the heads at a faster rate (150 inches per second vs helical scan's .5"/second), it requires streaming -- otherwise you end up "shoe-shining". This reposition is very intense on the heads/tape of a linear drive. This applies to more than just DLT. Anything linear can suffer from this. 4mm, AIT and M2 are not plagued with this problem. Not really. AIT and DAT and I assume M2 spin the heads and slow down the tape but the relative speeds are in the same neighborhood. (I assume it's easier to spin the heads faster than move the tape faster which is why DLT appears to be falling behind in the race.) Anyway, you still need to keep the data flowing at the speed of the drive or it will stop streaming and get into tape stuttering or rewinds to reposition. This also causes a large loss in tape capacity as there's a lot of recording overhead in starting or stopping a stream. -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Search: http://www.mail-archive.com/retro-talk%40latchkey.com/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050. -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Search: http://www.mail-archive.com/retro-talk%40latchkey.com/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050.
RE: Purchasing a new system
DLT has not addressed that issue. Since linear pulls the tape across the heads at a faster rate (150 inches per second vs helical scan's .5"/second), it requires streaming -- otherwise you end up "shoe-shining". This reposition is very intense on the heads/tape of a linear drive. This applies to more than just DLT. Anything linear can suffer from this. 4mm, AIT and M2 are not plagued with this problem. Steve www.cybernetics.com -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Michael Lapham Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2001 3:59 PM To: retro-talk Subject: Re: Purchasing a new system Yet another thought about backups. Currently we have a dedicated NT server with 280 GB of cheap IDE drives inside. Multiple times, in a day, it duplicates the changes from critical servers (two remotely). The changes are usually no more than 300 MB per execution. The duplication serves several purposes... 1) If for any reason the original server fails the data (accurate to within 4-12 hours) can be immediately published from the backup server. 2) Tape backup speeds, of the local drives, average between 360-520 MB minute. 3) Saves wear and tear on the tape system for remote or slow backups. Currently we are using an Exabyte EZ-17 Autoloader with a Mammoth 2 drive. I did not consider a DLT as several years ago I learned that, when backing up data, DLT needed to be constantly streaming data. The process of stopping and starting caused excessive wear on the unit. Currently, I have not been able to find anyone to confirm this has been overcome. For workstations we use a HP DDS-3 tape drive with a Mac G3. It runs several backup server scripts, which backup workstations daily. The backups are to multiple files. Each backup file is reset after 2 months with a different one being reset each 2 weeks. These are then backed up to tape monthly. I know this has a problem of figuring out which archived tape the workstation's data may be on. Our expectation is that, any recovery from a workstation (not server) are files that are two months old or less, which are continually online. -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Search: http://www.mail-archive.com/retro-talk%40latchkey.com/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050. -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Search: http://www.mail-archive.com/retro-talk%40latchkey.com/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050.
RE: Purchasing a new system
I would have to say AIT. Sony pulled the plug on the proposed DDS-5 so I wouldn't suggest that line at all (end of product life). Also, DAT drives have 1/5th the head life expectancy (10,000 hours instead of AIT's 50,000 hours). DLT would definitely be better than DAT but is faced with the same situation as 4mm. The current best DLT is the 8000 series. It's 40GB uncompressed by 6MB/second. The Gen I version of the upcoming SuperDLT will *NOT* be backward compatible. Are you prepared to purchase something that will not work with the very next version of the hardware? AIT, also made by Sony, gives you two choices (AIT-1 and AIT-2). AIT-1 (35GB/3MB/second uncompressed) inside a library costs less than $4500 and holds 525GB uncompressed. AIT-2 is 50GB by 6MB/second (and is considerably less than a DLT library - it's also self-cleaning, DLT is not). AIT-2 is backward compatible (read and write) with AIT-1. You could start with AIT-1 and upgrade to AIT-2 in the future should you need more capacity and speed -- and use the very same library chassis. AIT-3 (100GB by 12MB/second) is due out later this year and is backward compatible with AIT-1 and 2. When AIT-4 hits the street two years form now (a proposed 200GB by 24MB/second), it too will be backward compatible with all previous AIT generations. DLT, up to a couple years ago, was definitely king of the hill. But in the game of technology, no one stands paramount indefinitely. AIT has definitely become more popular -- with a roadmap to larger/faster drives while remaining backward compatible. I was surprised to hear the news that DLT could not offer backward compatibility with their upcoming SuperDLT drive. We have many DLT customers who will not be able to upgrade. In fact, because of that, a lot of our DLT customers have moved to AIT. Please feel free to contact me with any tech questions, I have been a storage engineer for ten years and work with all formats daily. All the best! Steve [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Search: http://www.mail-archive.com/retro-talk%40latchkey.com/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050.
RE: backing up exchange server?
I thought Dantz had an exchange agent? It's on their web site. Are you trying to back it up from a Mac across the network or from an NT box? Steve -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Ben Eastwood Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 1:30 PM To: retro-talk Subject: Re: backing up exchange server? Andrew- If the issue is open files not being backed up, you could try Open File Manager from St. Bernard Software, which I use, with some success, to back up a Lotus Notes server. There are issues with Services for Macintosh which I have yet to work out, but other than that it seems pretty cool. --Ben "andrew" [EMAIL PROTECTED] on 12/21/2000 10:19:22 AM Please respond to "retro-talk" [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: "retro-talk" [EMAIL PROTECTED] cc:(bcc: Ben Eastwood/HMG/Wilson Learning/US) Subject: backing up exchange server? is there any way to do it? -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Search: http://www.mail-archive.com/retro-talk%40latchkey.com/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050. -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Search: http://www.mail-archive.com/retro-talk%40latchkey.com/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050. -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Search: http://www.mail-archive.com/retro-talk%40latchkey.com/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050.
RE: AIT tape bar codes
I've heard that an "advanced library module" is in the works. I can't wait! We have lots of customers waiting for that. Hurry up Dantz! :) Steve -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Bob Edmiston Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2000 11:18 AM To: retro-talk Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: AIT tape bar codes Hello Ben, The current versions of Retrospect for the Macintosh do not support the barcode capability of various tape library's that are on the market. Perhaps sometime in the future the good people at Dantz ( Craig are you listening ? ) will add some of these library functions to the Retrospect for Work Groups or possibly as an accessory pack that can be purchased separately. ++ R o b e r t T . E d m i s t o n Macintosh ® / Telecomm Systems Administration N E C R e s e a r c h I n s t i t u t e I n c. I n f o r m a t i o n T e c h n o l o g y S e r v i c e s http://www.neci.nj.nec.com/homepages/edmiston/ email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 609/ 951-2511 V o i c e / F a x 609/ 951-2925 F a x +_+ on 11/30/00 10:55, Ben Lawson at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I've just setup a LaCie 15 tape AIT2 library (750 GB native capacity) with Retrospect 4.3 and ADK 1.8. Finally I can do a full 220 GB backup without having to manually change tapes (usually). The loading mechanism (a "Treefrog" I think) has a built-in bar code reader and scans each tape when looking for the next tape. Our tapes are not currently bar coded and Retrospect loads each tape when looking for a blank tape. Can Retrospect make use of bar codes? Currently our tapes are not bar coded, but if it reduces the wear and tear then we'll do it... -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050. -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050.
RE: Ultimate Speed?
It's 14MB/second... per minute would be s slow! :) I'm looking into it further. Steve -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of matt barkdull Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2000 4:39 PM To: retro-talk Subject: Re: Ultimate Speed? Only limited by hardware. 14MB/sec or /min? 840MB/min is fairly damn fast. Retrospect logs show MB/min. Example: Completed: 5562 files, 602.8 MB Performance: 103.3 MB/minute (109.9 copy, 97.4 compare) Duration: 00:13:28 (00:01:48 idle/loading/preparing) The above example is a G3 Mac over 100BaseT to a loaded 9600/G4-450 Mac with Quantum DLT (UltraSCSI160 card). Local backup is a bit faster. Is there a top speed with Retrospect? I have a 24MB/second uncompressed drive and I'm doing 14MB/second tops. Steve -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050. -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050.
Ultimate Speed?
Is there a top speed with Retrospect? I have a 24MB/second uncompressed drive and I'm doing 14MB/second tops. Steve -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050.
RE: Opinions of Onstream Echo drives
Almost everyone I know hates DAT drives; regardless of the OS or backup software. I will only use a technology which has built-in hardware ECC (error correction) for my backups. As I understand it, this is lacking from the Onstream drive. My data is backed up on 8mm (not the old 5 or 7GB version). Alot of people who have suffered from media problems using 8mm are talking about the older MP based tapes. In today's world, 8mm uses AME tapes (advanced metal). The difference is night and day (500 passes with an old video grade tape vs 30,000 passes of today's AME based tape). DLT drives still use MP media. That is one of the big reasons they have not kept pace with the other technologies like AIT or M2. DLTs will not be able to use AME media because AME is not built for bi-directional usage (DLTs write/read bi-directionally). I doubt we'll see an AIT drive priced like an Onstream in the very near future but maybe one day... In the meantime, I'll pay a little more for better peace of mind. This is just my two cents; everyone has a pair of pennies! :) Steve -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050.
DAT Loader failures: secret revealed!
Here's why most DATs fail in autoloaders: Most people buy DAT loaders to compensate for the low capacity per tape. The idea is to have the tapes changed automatically in the night or over a weekend. None of us are thrilled with the idea of having to come into the office on our personal time to play tape monkey, so this thinking is very justified. What most people do not know is the 4mm mechanism has the lowest head rating of 4mm, DLT and 8mm (AIT/M2) technologies (1/5th the head life of AIT). Now that you have a DAT changer automatically handling tape swaps, you're making the head unit work longer than it was originally designed to handle. No DAT manufacturer has a special "library" version of their DAT drive with longer head ratings. Instead of people using their drives for a couple hours per night, they are now using them up to 5-10x longer. End result? You burn through the heads 'quicker'. Most guys I know with DAT loaders burn the heads up within a year (your mileage will vary). This is like a volkswagon trying to haul a loaded 18 wheeler rig. In time, you're going to burn-up the engine or the tranny. AIT has 5x the head life of a DAT. Using the same formula, one would theoretically get five years of backup before the heads went south for the winter. Yet, AIT certainly doesn't have 5x the price tag. A fifteen tape library with an AIT-1 drive costs less than $4,250.00 with Retrospect included. That's 525GB uncompressed with the higher head rating and self-cleaning feature. Here's another newsflash. AIT-3 is due out next year. This will drive down the price of AIT-1 even further. Because of this, DDS-5 looks like it may not be released after all. In other words, eventually, new DDS units will go the way of the dino. The above is based on over ten years of personal experience with storage devices. I invite all comments via e-mail. Steve -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ For urgent issues, please contact Dantz technical support directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 925.253.3050.
RE: Protecting a backup server from prying eyes
Speaking of protecting data, there is a way to encrypt your tapes at the hardware level with different forms of encryption -- all based on Smartcards with varying access levels. This works perfectly with Retrospect. This way, if your tape should grow legs, the data could not be restored -- even on another unit with the same encryption option. With this scenario, they would have to steal your data tape, your tape drive, and your high level access card (which should not be stored with the drive/tapes). See http://www.cybernetics.com/specs/options/encryption/encryption.html for more info. Steve -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Problems?: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: Encryption?
It is possible to encrypt the actual tape/media. http://www.cybernetics.com/specs/options/encryption/encryption.html Steve -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of david bonde Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2000 7:13 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Encryption? Is it possible to encrypt/password protect the content on the backup media? I know that you can encrypt/password protect the network transfer from the clients to the server but what about the contents of the media? -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Problems?: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Problems?: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: AIT tape loaders-any real world experiences?
Seagate has stopped selling AIT units (although you can still buy leftover stock in the channels). All AIT heads are made by Sony but other companies do add-value. For instance, we have an optional two line, 40 column LCD not available on a "stock" Sony. It has two processors instead of one. The display works even if the drive should lock up for any reason. The diag ability can really be handy. We can also take two or more of the AIT units and provide modes like mirroring, striping, off-line tape duplication/verify and single mode. Moral of the story? Not all AIT units are created equal, even if the heads are all made by Sony. (Shelby is to Ford as Cybernetics is to Sony - super tuners.) Also, not all companies will allow you to take your single Sony drive and install it into a tape library later. Be sure to ask your vendor if they will give you that type of scalability. We were the very first company to introduce AIT in the USA back in 1996. We've had excellent success with the technology ever since. Because of our true OEM relationship (not just a reseller), we also have stock on the hard to get AIT-2 tapes! We also provide our services/enhancements to Exabyte, Quantum, HP, Hitachi and other storage manufacturers. Take care! Steve www.cybernetics.com PS - The small four tape library uses a special version of the AIT drive inside - not a stock one. This means you can't swap the mech out at will. One would be better off with the fifteen tape loader -- it's only about $200 more and uses standard mechs which can be replaced/upgraded in the field. (Easier to move from AIT-2 to AIT-3, etc. -- not to mention the extra eleven slots!) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of jakob krabbe Sent: Friday, May 12, 2000 8:36 AM To: retro-talk Subject: Re: AIT tape loaders-any real world experiences? (Sorry for the slow response...) Let me just ask you, we're looking into getting an AIT, isn't it Sony that are doing all the technology stuff and other brands, like Seagate and LaCie put Sonys technology inside the box and their own name on the utside? / jakob -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Problems?: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Problems?: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: AIT tape loaders-any real world experiences?
Actually, tape loaders are very inexpensive -- a 15 tape library chassis costs less than a second AIT-2 drive. You can't beat the redundancy of two drives though (a lot of customers will put two AIT drives into a single tape library - the chance of both drives going south at the same time is extremely small). Today's libraries are built knowing AIT-3 and 4 are coming. You can replace the AIT-1 or 2 drive with the upcoming generations in the field. This gives you scalability -- and allows you to keep your investment in the loader. If anyone wants information on converting existing single drive unit(s) to a library, please e-mail me. Steve Cybernetics I have a different solution: two AIT drives. 1. If one drive fails for some reason, you can still run backup and do restores. 2. You can always have a blank tape in the second drive just waiting until it's needed. 3. You can double overnight and weekend backup with two tapes. 4. You're not dependent on a loader plus tape drive. 5. It's a lot less expensive to buy a second tape drive than to invest in a loader. 6. If you outgrow two drives, adding a third may still be less costly than investing in a loader. We're backing up 80+ Macs daily, everything from servers (about 25 GB capacity) to design computers (up to 50 GB on those) and anything else (160 MB to 10 GB). Thanks to data compression, our initial backup usually fills two tapes, running into a third the day after that, then slowly filling a five-tape set over a one-month period. Then we start over again. Dan Knight, information systems manager [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baker Book House Company http://www.bakerbooks.com 6030 East Fulton 616-676-9185 x146 Ada, Michigan 49301 fax 616-676-9573 - Saved by grace -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Problems?: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: Finally - a cure for DLT
M2 is definitely the drive to beat if you're looking for speed/capacity (12MB/s native speed, 60GB uncompressed capacity). I have seen 11.8MB/second with Macs and Retrospect in the field. VXA does 3MB/second. It's a great drive for its class. Native capacity for VXA is 33GB. The M2 is definitely more expensive for the drive mechanism, but the tapes are a lot more cost effective. It takes two VXA tapes to equal one M2 tape (approximately). Two VXA tapes will cost between $160-170. One M2 tape is $95.00 (tape prices vary depending on source). If you use enough tapes, you can easily justify M2 because of the saved money in media over the lifetime of the drive. Steve www.cybernetics.com -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Larry Acosta Wong Sent: Monday, April 10, 2000 10:55 AM To: retro-talk Subject: Re: Finally - a cure for DLT How's performance? The reliability of the tapes is impressive but I'm concerned about the drive's backup performance. Take a look at PC Mag's article on tape drives: http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/stories/reviews/0,6755,2461114,00.html. The VXA-1 was pretty much the slowest drive. The fastest drive was the Exabyte Mammoth-2. At 9:52 AM -0400 4/10/00, Luke Jaeger wrote: Just wanted to broadcast my opinion that Ecrix VXA rocks. I'm evaluating one and it's highly impressive. -- top of the world, Luke Jaeger, Technology Coordinator Disney Magazine Publishing Northampton, Massachusetts [EMAIL PROTECTED] Any opinions expressed in this message are my own and may not represent the opinions of Disney Publishing, etc etc etc. -- -- To subscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives:http://list.working-dogs.com/lists/retro-talk/ Problems?: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
