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]
