SCSI Tape Drive

[Ed_]

A friend of mine owns a small campground business and I am working on a new
build for him. He wanted a machine strictly for office apps and reservation
software and he wanted it cheap so I've put together a small Asus A7N266 board
with a 2000XP.

Now he would like me to install a SCSI controller card and a tape drive, that he
used previously, to use for backup purposes. XP took the controller card just
fine and I'm researching the software for the tape drive but it seems to me that
this hardware is not the best choice for his desires.

Now I don't know squat about scsi tape drives but it seems that an external USB
hard drive would be a much faster and more reliable choice. Can anyone help to
educate me on this?

I don't want to bad mouth his choice of equipment but I do have some
reservations about using this stuff with XP and he wants XP on all of his
computers in the office.

Thanks, Ed

 

[gothika]

A friend of mine owns a small campground business and I am working on a new
build for him. He wanted a machine strictly for office apps and reservation
software and he wanted it cheap so I've put together a small Asus A7N266 board
with a 2000XP.

Now he would like me to install a SCSI controller card and a tape drive, that he
used previously, to use for backup purposes. XP took the controller card just
fine and I'm researching the software for the tape drive but it seems to me that
this hardware is not the best choice for his desires.

Now I don't know squat about scsi tape drives but it seems that an external USB
hard drive would be a much faster and more reliable choice. Can anyone help to
educate me on this?

I don't want to bad mouth his choice of equipment but I do have some
reservations about using this stuff with XP and he wants XP on all of his
computers in the office.

Thanks, Ed

He might be better off with an earlier os. If I were doing it and
using old hardware peripherals like a tape drive I'd stick with
something like 98se.
What brand of tape drive is he wanting to use?
Colorado, Iomega etc...?
I have a bit of experience with the Iomega's and know that their
software isn't the best. They dropped support for most of their drives
some time ago and never bothered to offer drivers for later operating
systems.
I'd recommend using Veritas backup exec software.
I used it when I was dumping all my old tapes onto discs under 2k and
it worked like a charm.
Much better that most oem software

 

[Ed_]

He might be better off with an earlier os. If I were doing it and
using old hardware peripherals like a tape drive I'd stick with
something like 98se.
What brand of tape drive is he wanting to use?
Colorado, Iomega etc...?
I have a bit of experience with the Iomega's and know that their
software isn't the best. They dropped support for most of their drives
some time ago and never bothered to offer drivers for later operating
systems.
I'd recommend using Veritas backup exec software.
I used it when I was dumping all my old tapes onto discs under 2k and
it worked like a charm.
Much better that most oem software

Sorry, I forgot to mention. The SCSI pci card is a Tekram DC-309F and the taped
drive is a ADR OnStream SC30, 30G. As far as software, I'm not really sure.

Ed

 

[gothika]

Sorry, I forgot to mention. The SCSI pci card is a Tekram DC-309F and the taped
drive is a ADR OnStream SC30, 30G. As far as software, I'm not really sure.

Ed

Well at least the tape backup hardware is pro level.
I'm not sure if Veritas backup exec would run that but it couldn't
hurt to try.
It can still be found on the net. If you can't find it I have a copy
packed away somewhere.

 

[JT]

A friend of mine owns a small campground business and I am working on a new
build for him. He wanted a machine strictly for office apps and reservation
software and he wanted it cheap so I've put together a small Asus A7N266 board
with a 2000XP.

Now he would like me to install a SCSI controller card and a tape drive, that he
used previously, to use for backup purposes. XP took the controller card just
fine and I'm researching the software for the tape drive but it seems to me that
this hardware is not the best choice for his desires.

Now I don't know squat about scsi tape drives but it seems that an external USB
hard drive would be a much faster and more reliable choice. Can anyone help to
educate me on this?

I don't want to bad mouth his choice of equipment but I do have some
reservations about using this stuff with XP and he wants XP on all of his
computers in the office.

Thanks, Ed

For true backup in a business, having more than one copy of the backup is
really a necessity. There are too many times when the original and the
backup can get corrupted.

1. You are making a backup and someone kills the power. An ups will help,
but someone can still trip the power accidently. Any system failure/crash
during backup will be a major problem if you only have one backup device.

2. You overwrite an important file, and don't discoverer it until after you
make your backup.

3. Someone steals computer stuff in the office. Means remember to lock up
the USB external.

Tapes are probably expensive for the tape drive, but still cheaper than
multiple disk drives. Also, SCSI tape drive will not be slow or unreliable.
It will be faster than a USB 1.1 disk, but not as fast as a USB 2.0. There
is a reason tape drives are still used on servers. If he has XP Pro, the
backup software that comes with it should work just fine with the tape
drive.

Might want to look at a DVD +/- RW for doing backups. Fast. Inexpensive.
Media available Cheap.

JT

 

[Ed_]

For true backup in a business, having more than one copy of the backup is
really a necessity. There are too many times when the original and the
backup can get corrupted.

1. You are making a backup and someone kills the power. An ups will help,
but someone can still trip the power accidently. Any system failure/crash
during backup will be a major problem if you only have one backup device.

2. You overwrite an important file, and don't discoverer it until after you
make your backup.

3. Someone steals computer stuff in the office. Means remember to lock up
the USB external.

Tapes are probably expensive for the tape drive, but still cheaper than
multiple disk drives. Also, SCSI tape drive will not be slow or unreliable.
It will be faster than a USB 1.1 disk, but not as fast as a USB 2.0. There
is a reason tape drives are still used on servers. If he has XP Pro, the
backup software that comes with it should work just fine with the tape
drive.

Might want to look at a DVD +/- RW for doing backups. Fast. Inexpensive.
Media available Cheap.

Thanks for the info JT.....especially the warnings in the possible snafus.
These are the type of scenarios that I am trying to keep in mind on this
project.

I have also been researching a UPS unit and the DVD +/- RW for other solutions.
I've been looking at a CyberPower 6 Outlet UPS with Automatic Voltage Regulator,
Model "CPS1250AVR.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=42-102-008&depa=0

Any thoughts on this?

Ed

 

[JT]

Thanks for the info JT.....especially the warnings in the possible snafus.
These are the type of scenarios that I am trying to keep in mind on this
project.

I have also been researching a UPS unit and the DVD +/- RW for other solutions.
I've been looking at a CyberPower 6 Outlet UPS with Automatic Voltage Regulator,
Model "CPS1250AVR.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=42-102-008&depa=0

Any thoughts on this?

Ed

An UPS is a good idea, and the AVR makes sense in a campground. It is just
one part of an overall Disaster Preparedness Plan. Probably want to do a
google search on that. Just remember, computer data loss has put some small
businesses out of business. Backups with offsite storage is cheap
insurance.

JT

 

[gothika]

For true backup in a business, having more than one copy of the backup is
really a necessity. There are too many times when the original and the
backup can get corrupted.

1. You are making a backup and someone kills the power. An ups will help,
but someone can still trip the power accidently. Any system failure/crash
during backup will be a major problem if you only have one backup device.

2. You overwrite an important file, and don't discoverer it until after you
make your backup.

3. Someone steals computer stuff in the office. Means remember to lock up
the USB external.

Tapes are probably expensive for the tape drive, but still cheaper than
multiple disk drives. Also, SCSI tape drive will not be slow or unreliable.
It will be faster than a USB 1.1 disk, but not as fast as a USB 2.0. There
is a reason tape drives are still used on servers. If he has XP Pro, the
backup software that comes with it should work just fine with the tape
drive.

Might want to look at a DVD +/- RW for doing backups. Fast. Inexpensive.
Media available Cheap.

JT

One of the advantages of tape is the ability to run compare mode and
correct any errors on the tape.
some of the burning software for cd's didn't have this option.(I'm
thinking of Roxio platinum 5.0 in particular.)
Even after backing up on a cd-r or rw you could still have corrupt
backup.
With most of the new dvd burners and their backup software you now
have compare modes to fix this.
I've switched to doing all my backups on dvd-rw and now have the
reliability of tape with the speed and capacity of dvd.

 

[Ed_]

One of the advantages of tape is the ability to run compare mode and
correct any errors on the tape.
some of the burning software for cd's didn't have this option.(I'm
thinking of Roxio platinum 5.0 in particular.)
Even after backing up on a cd-r or rw you could still have corrupt
backup.
With most of the new dvd burners and their backup software you now
have compare modes to fix this.
I've switched to doing all my backups on dvd-rw and now have the
reliability of tape with the speed and capacity of dvd.

Thanks so much guys for all of your input. It's quite an education for someone
like me who has only built for home use and not for business.

I think you have convinced me that the tape drive is, indeed still pretty good
technology and I think that I have convinced my friend to invest in a UPS unit,
something I think that he really needs.

I think it is also time for me to invest in a DVD-RW drive and begin learning
the ropes on that. I've been sort of waiting for the prices to drop a little
more and the technology to mature but I think I need to move on this now.

The build in finished, activated and running fine and the tape drive and
controller card are installed. Tomorrow we load the software and I guess I"ll
see how everything works.

Thanks again for all of your help.

Ed

 

[Glenn M]

A friend of mine owns a small campground business and I am working on a new
build for him. He wanted a machine strictly for office apps and reservation
software and he wanted it cheap so I've put together a small Asus A7N266 board
with a 2000XP.

Now he would like me to install a SCSI controller card and a tape drive, that he
used previously, to use for backup purposes. XP took the controller card just
fine and I'm researching the software for the tape drive but it seems to me that
this hardware is not the best choice for his desires.

Now I don't know squat about scsi tape drives but it seems that an external USB
hard drive would be a much faster and more reliable choice. Can anyone help to
educate me on this?

I don't want to bad mouth his choice of equipment but I do have some
reservations about using this stuff with XP and he wants XP on all of his
computers in the office.

Thanks, Ed

Hi Ed,
I would go with Acronis True Image 7.0 and use an external hard drive
and a DVD burner.
Acronis will make an image on the external hard drive and allows you
to verify the image as well as explore the image and retrieve
files...it also allows incremental back up. In case of a system crash
you get back the entire hard drive. If you need a specific file you
use explorer mode to search the image file and copy out the files or
folders you need. You can set a schedule to do incremental back ups.
I would use the DVD as extra security...I would save copies of the
files made in the software to DVD...
Regards,
Glenn M
A GREAT DAY FOR FREEDOM...Pink Floyd

 

[Gary B. Berns]

I was using SCSI uner 98 and migrated to XP with it. Only time I
tried to do bare metal restore from tape under XP was not successful.
Computer kept changing the restored files to D: therefore leaving me
unbootable. Tape is also much slower than external hard drive which I
am now using. If want to restore an individual file tape can tape
what seems like forever to find it. External drive is like using
windows explorer. In addition to program already mentioned, there is
Norton Ghost and Powerquest Drive Image 7.0 (now unfortunately also
owned by Symantec).

 

[Ed_]

Hi Ed,
I would go with Acronis True Image 7.0 and use an external hard drive
and a DVD burner.
Acronis will make an image on the external hard drive and allows you
to verify the image as well as explore the image and retrieve
files...it also allows incremental back up. In case of a system crash
you get back the entire hard drive. If you need a specific file you
use explorer mode to search the image file and copy out the files or
folders you need. You can set a schedule to do incremental back ups.
I would use the DVD as extra security...I would save copies of the
files made in the software to DVD...
Regards,
Glenn M
A GREAT DAY FOR FREEDOM...Pink Floyd

Thanks for the input Glenn. The system with the tape drive is up and running
but I haven't had a chance to do much so far.

I am still interested in an alternative and I've decided to do a little
experimenting, first with the DVD drive and then with an external hard drive.

Just one question.....I have some experience using Ghost, mostly cloning
partitions ( data , pic and music files ) from existing drives to new ones. I
have been quite pleased with the overall simplicity and speed of the cloning
procedure. How does Ghost compare with the Acronis True Image software?

Ed