RE: Cost of tape drives - 6385 13GB 1/4" Tape

Don't be too quick to eliminate the 6385 1/4" tape (DC-5010 format) from
consideration.
This holds 13GB of data uncompressed on one cartridge, and approx. 26GB
with the (hardware supported) Lempel Ziv 1 data compression.  And it is
about 30% cheaper than 8mm (and MUCH cheaper than 3570).
The data transfer rate is 1.5MB/sec uncompressed (not extremely fast,
but 3 times faster than 8mm and 5 times faster than the previous 2.5GB
1/4"), and 3MB/Sec with compression.  Also on the horizon is a 20GB
(uncompressed) 1/4" cartridge.

(There is also 20GB & 40GB uncompressed 8mm on the way too - don't know
what the data transfer rate will be).

PS - If you have a 6385 installed, make sure you have the PTF that
improves the data transfer rate for this drive:
V4R1M0  MF17450
V3R7M0  MF16958
Note that although this PTF seems to improve data transfer speed by
about 30%, it does have the undesired effect of vastly increasing the
time to do a DSPTAP.  In my case, after a full system backup the DSPTAP
took 51 minutes before applying this PTF (about what a DSPTAP of our 8mm
full save used to take), but after applying the PTF the DSPTAP took 2
hours 37 minutes !!!  :-o

(The problem has been reported to IBM and they are working on it now).
I just changed the DSPTAP that was part of my backup job to do a SBMJOB
DSPTAP instead for now.


... Neil Palmer                                     AS/400~~~~~      
... NxTrend Technology - Canada     ____________          ___  ~     
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        -----Original Message-----
        From:   David Nettles [SMTP:dnettl@ibm.net]
        Sent:   Thursday, January 15, 1998 12:27 AM
        To:     MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
        Subject:        Re: Cost of tape drives

        After moving from my 9348 and 2-3 dozen 1/2" reels to the 3570
and
        1 1/2" cartridge, you'll have to pry the 3570 from my cold dead
fingers.
        3570 cost more than twice my nt server including it's tape
drive.  But who needs
        good tape on a system whose quick fix is format and reinstall?

        All 1/4" restoration osculates whether ibm or anyone else ....
        good riddance to it and "I can't read the *&#% tape because my
heads are too
        dirty" messages ... imho.
        Is QIC in this contest? They're cheaper and well yea, cheaper.
        They can osculate my fdd too.
        I would use 8mm if I had to. Usually reads it's own tapes when
it has to.
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