[SunRescue] Re: Spectra Logic Bullfrog

[Robert Novak]

On Fri, 27 Apr 2001 nick at snowman.net wrote:

> I'm not sure how many ppl here are intrested in tape libraries, however I
> just picked up a 4 drive AIT1 changer cheap, and am wondering if anyone
> has experience with them?  If so what backup programs are suggested, and
> what/where would ppl recommend picking up media?

Sounds like a yummy device. Dare I ask how cheap? And do they have any
more? :-)

AIT media is a bit expensive (I use 230m AIT2 at work, $80/tape for
50/125GB capacity) but it's easy to find. shopper.cnet.com shows pricing
as low as $50 for 25/50GB, $66 for 35/70GB. See
http://shopper.cnet.com/shopping/search/results/1,10214,0-1257,00.html?tag=srch&qt=ait&cn=&ca=1257

I'm not too aware of AIT-1 (went straight to AIT-2 here at work and I'm
still Metal Particle at home) but I suspect the SDX-300 and SDX-500 drives
have similar compression firmware. When I first saw the spec of 2.5:1
compression I figured it was highly hypothetical, but having used the
AIT-2 drives since September I can say I consistently see 110GB and up on
the 50GB native tapes with drive compression--often 115-120GB. Don't waste
the time on software compression on your backup server if AIT-1 is
similar.

You can probably script the control for Amanda if nobody else has, using
mtx for changer control. Legato and Veritas should support it but at
obvious cost. I'm not sure if any of the smaller backup products (BRU,
Arkeia, LoneTAR) have support for changers or if it's an added cost item
like some Veritas and all Legato products.

I believe most/all of the backup software vendors will let you evaluate
their product for a month, so if you want to test out the changer with
high-test backup software, you can probably download 30-day eval copies
from www.legato.com or www.veritas.com or thereabouts. I'll probably do
this with the 8mm library I have coming in soon.

I wish some of these high-margin software places would do hobbyist
licensing plans for those of us who spend thousands of dollars on them at
work but don't have thousands for home. If DEC and Sun can do it, surely
the "little guys" can. I put a suggestion like this in to Netapp already,
should probably do so to Legato as well.

--Rob

-- 
Robert Novak, Indyramp Consulting * rnovak at indyramp.com * indyramp.com/~rnovak
        "And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
           Maybe this year will be better than the last...." -- counting crows