-----Original Message----- From: kclug-bounces@kclug.org [mailto:kclug-bounces@kclug.org] On Behalf Of Dave Hull Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2004 2:46 PM To: kclug@kclug.org Subject: Linux Backups: Tape Drives
Tell me a story about tape drives.
I'm looking for any recommendations/horror stories about tape libraries and Linux.
I can share a few horror stories - but am pressed to get ready for a date right now so I'll be brief.
I had a client some 7 years ago that had SCSI controller X, it shot craps, and data couldn't be recovered from drives because the firmware on the RAID controller was likewise not available, used a "funky" algorithm, etc. (Novell was part of that problem IIRC.)
I personally lost a whole day of data at my previous gig about 4 years ago.... DPT SCSI RAID, also no longer made, yadda yadda yadda... in the long run there, I learned to use SCSI RAID controllers which keep a copy of the ARRAY information on _each_ of the drives _in_ the array, vice on the card itself. (I also learned to buy RAID controllers in pairs - it's right there in the name, Redundant - and mothball one for spare if required.)
I realize you were asking about tape - but this is almost always attached to SCSI so I threw you my two bits.
D.