Re: 7208 @ 7GB -- MIDRANGE-L

Jim,

>From V3R2 System handbook:

"Each drive of the 7208 Model 232 provides up to 5G of data per cartridge,
and the 7208 Model 234 drives provide up to 7G of data. Both have a data
transfer rate of up to 500K/sec. Using the Improved Data Recording Capacity
(IDRC), the effective compressed tape cartridge capacity is 10G for the 7208
Model 232, and 14G for the 7208 Model 234. The effective data transfer rate
is up to 1M/sec for each drive."

I also looked at the charts you referred me to (nice charts BTW, Thanks). It
confirms the uncompressed capacity is 7GB, but see where it says "n.a.
FMT7GB?" I think that holds the key, because when I tried to inztap with
*FMT7GB, I got an error that the device does not support it. Apparently
there are devices that actually support the FMT7GB density, but not
7208-234. So someone some time ago, perhaps it was the vendor, perhaps the
manual, told me that you still use FMT5GB but with a longer tape. I have
been operating under that impression for some time, but never tested it
until now.

The tape drive has a fancy little logo on it. I think it says SRS. The carts
I was using have that symbol too, so I thought everything was going to work
great. ;-)

Thanks,
-Marty

--__--__--

From: "Jim Franz" <franz400@triad.rr.com>
To: <midrange-l@midrange.com>
Subject: Re: 7208 @ 7GB
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 13:44:33 -0500
Reply-To: midrange-l@midrange.com

where did you get the info that 5gb formatted tape could save 7 gb
(uncompressed) ?
jim franz

----- Original Message -----
From: "Urbanek, Marty" <Marty_Urbanek@stercomm.com>
To: <midrange-l@midrange.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 1:12 PM
Subject: 7208 @ 7GB

> Tape drive question:
>
> I have a 7208-234. I was my understanding that this drive could write 7GB
> (uncompressed) to an 8mm cart by using a density of *FMT5GB with an
> extra-long 160m tape cartridge. However, when I tried to use this over the
> weekend for a SAVE 21, it got MCH5204, CPF5101 and my save ended
> prematurely. These look like a device failure but they are suspiciously
> right about the time (in my estimation) where it would have been getting
to
> the end of that first tape.
>
> The model 234 has two drives, which I have configured so they function as
> two completely independent tape devices. I specify both device names on
the
> SAVE 21, with the intent being for it to fill one, then switch to the
other.
> I have done this many times with standard 5GB 112m carts and it worked
fine.
> This is the first time I needed the extra capacity of the 160m carts, but
it
> didn't work the way I hoped.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> -Marty
>